ACTIVITIES? EXPERIENCES? NO, THANKS.
Words like “activities” and “experiences” make us think of organised holidays and tourist entertainment — pretty much the opposite of what we are. So we’re not particularly fond of either.
At Monte Sante Marie, though, there really is plenty to do — or not to do (freedom first!) — and plenty of ways to do it.
The idea is to rediscover otium, in the original Latin sense: time freed from obligation and open to curiosity, contemplation and creativity. To observe — the architecture of the hamlet, the animals, the landscape — gather flowers, fruit or wild herbs, take photographs, read, reflect.
Or simply do nothing.
WORK | WRITE | CREATE | STUDY | make music
In the age of remote working, when you need to work — or simply concentrate — nothing could be smarter than a quiet hamlet in the middle of the countryside, where you can be as private as you wish while still having hospitality, food and assistance at hand whenever you need them.
In our parallel lives, we write for a living too, so writers looking for peace, quiet and inspiration are especially welcome. And the same goes for artists of every kind.
GET MOVING (IN EVERY SENSE)
EXPLORE
One of the beauties of Monte Sante Marie is that it is secluded on a hilltop in the middle of the Crete Senesi, yet at the heart of everything: Siena (22 km), Chianti Classico (10 km), Asciano (8 km), the thermal baths of Rapolano (10 km), Monte Oliveto Maggiore (15 km), Montalcino and Brunello (35 km), Pienza and the UNESCO-listed Val d’Orcia (38 km), Montepulciano and its wines (40 km), Cortona (50 km), Arezzo (50 km), Florence (90 km) and Florence Airport (105 km).
In less than an hour — and often less than half an hour by car or motorbike — you can reach some of the most beautiful places in Tuscany. Rome (190 km) is only a couple of hours away.
WALK
The white road of Monte Sante Marie is famous not only among devotees of L’Eroica, Strade Bianche and rallying, but also among walkers and lovers of historic trails.
We are in fact on one of the most spectacular stretches — and one of the stopping points — of the Cammino Lauretano, the ancient route which, branching off from the Via Francigena, led pilgrims for centuries from Siena to Cortona and from there to the Sanctuary of Loreto. Today it is an official walking route, waymarked and equipped by the Region of Tuscany.
The Cammino Lauretano crosses the estate and passes right through Monte Sante Marie, making the hamlet a natural place to stop, rest, eat and drink — and collect a stamp — for pilgrims and walkers, old and new.
The estate is also at the heart of a network of walks and excursions through the surrounding countryside. Within the property, you can explore the natural truffle grounds along the river and our “truffle beach” — perfect for a picnic — the heritage-grain fields, historic farmsteads, the distinctive clay calanchi and ancient grape varieties once thought extinct and rediscovered in our woods.
Beyond the estate, walks lead out into the Crete Senesi, towards the thermal baths of Rapolano and through landscapes rich in wildlife — or simply offer an excuse to wander for a while, relax and enjoy the open air.
Guided themed walks with a professional guide can also be arranged on request.
CYCLE
You only need to know a little about cycling — or to have watched it on television — to know that the summit of the Monte Sante Marie hill, right outside our gate, comes at the end of a brutally demanding and spectacular stretch of gravel road.
It is the “Cima Coppi” of two of the world’s most famous and coveted cycling events: Strade Bianche, the professional race known as “Europe’s southernmost Northern Classic”, and L’Eroica, the non-competitive event ridden on vintage bicycles and with period equipment, which draws thousands of enthusiasts from five continents every year.
Monte Sante Marie is therefore an ideal starting point, finishing point or place to stop and refuel for cyclists taking on the “discese ardite e le risalite” — the daring descents and climbs that, not by chance, also gave their names to our two craft beers.
READ | LISTEN | PLAY
We love music and literature. Our house is full of books and records. We write and publish books, too. As for records, we spent many years working in radio and have been reviewing them for as long as we can remember — as well as buying them, of course.
Monte Sante Marie is, by its very nature, a place for reading and listening to music. And for playing it, too. At our house concerts, for example, simply for the pleasure of it, we host musicians with a devoted following, often alongside artists, poets and writers.
Generally speaking, we hate noise but we love people who make music. So musicians, come to Monte Sante Marie: you won’t disturb anyone here.
And listening together — to music, to the proverbial silence of this place, or to the sounds of the surrounding countryside — is a privilege worth sharing.
GUIDED VISITS AND WALKS
Monte Sante Marie is not normally open to the public, nor is it set up for mass tourism. Every visit is personal and arranged individually.
The estate is protected for its historic and architectural significance and is officially recognised as a Historic House, a member of ADSI — the Italian Historic Houses Association — and a site of particular historical, architectural and landscape interest.
On request, we can arrange:
- Guided visits to the historic and monumental parts of the hamlet, including the medieval cellars, which incorporate the original 14th-century gateway to the castle.
- Guided walks through the estate, taking in our natural truffle grounds and the “truffle beach” on the banks of the Ombrone river, with the chance to meet our trusted truffle hunter — a real one — as well as panoramic viewpoints, the olive groves, heritage-grain fields and our experimental vineyard, where we are bringing back old grape varieties once thought lost and later rediscovered on the estate. A picnic at one of the estate’s panoramic spots can also be arranged as part of the visit.
TASTINGS
We offer tastings of our own organic produce, made and grown at Monte Sante Marie: craft beers made with organic heritage grains, extra virgin olive oil, our dried oranges with garlic, artisan bread and crostini made with organic heritage grains, and Monte Sante Marie pasta.
What accompanies them depends on the season and on what we have available. The crostini, for example, are prepared with produce from the kitchen garden — usually something vegetable-based — or with our homemade truffle butter, made with truffles from the estate’s own natural truffle grounds.
Dessert follows the same principle: everything is made with organic ingredients from Monte Sante Marie. It might be a cake made with our old pear varieties, an apple dessert using our rediscovered heritage apples, persimmon and vanilla cream, or biscuits made with our flour and extra virgin olive oil.
There is no fixed menu: we work with fresh, seasonal produce, so what we serve changes according to what is available at the time. Allergies and dietary requirements communicated in advance will, of course, always be taken into account.
Stefano is a professional extra virgin olive oil taster and can lead either a technical or introductory olive oil tasting. He is also a food and wine journalist with an in-depth knowledge of the area. Daniela specialises in breadmaking with heritage grains and fine baking and pastry using heritage-grain flours and olive oil.
The tasting takes place in a large restored room furnished with the old furniture of the farm. Tables are laid especially for the occasion, and your host introduces the products and guides you through the tasting.
At the end, the products can be purchased directly from us or shipped to your home.
Tastings are available for a minimum of four people.
- Craft beers made with organic heritage grains
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Organic Verna heritage-wheat flour for breadmaking
- Organic heritage-grain pasta
- Truffle
- Organic fruit from rediscovered heritage varieties
IN SEARCH OF TRUFFLES
Truffles have always grown in the estate’s unspoilt valleys, along the banks of the Ombrone river and the Camerone stream, among wild poplars: the highly prized Crete Senesi white truffle (Tuber magnatum Pico), the Marzuolo white truffle, and the summer truffle.
These natural truffle grounds have been preserved for generations through the utmost respect for the soil and surrounding environment, to which truffles are extraordinarily sensitive.
Since the 1990s, Monte Sante Marie’s natural truffle grounds have also been enhanced through carefully targeted cultivation and land-management practices and designated for private harvesting. Today they extend over several hectares deep in the countryside, accessible only along the estate’s own tracks.
The most enchanting spot is undoubtedly our “truffle beach”, a little river beach shaped over time by the flowing water. This is where the owners and their guests usually meet for the thrill of a truffle hunt, guided by our trusted truffle hunter — a real one — but also for picnics and walks beneath the trees, surrounded by water and the sounds of nature.
An enchanted place.
CLASSES
Classes at Monte Sante Marie are taught personally by us, the owners, in an informal but professional setting.
We are fortunate enough to be multitaskers by nature. Daniela, besides being passionate about cooking — and quite a few other things — is a small independent publisher and communications professional, with a love of art, literature and animals. Stefano is a professional journalist, food and music critic, professional extra virgin olive oil taster, and an expert in wine and rock music.
We teach our guests what we know how to do. Not because we claim to be the best, but because we know we’re good at it.
- Cooking classes — breadmaking, homemade pizza, fresh pasta and “natural” baking with heritage-grain flours; cakes and pastries with olive oil; cooking with beer; traditional Tuscan cooking; and our own family recipes.
- Olive oil tasting classes — learning how to taste and understand extra virgin olive oil.
BUY DIRECT — FROM US OR ONLINE
There are plenty of things to buy from the Monte Sante Marie shop — both real and virtual.
First of all, the estate’s own organic produce: our craft beers, artisan pasta and stone-ground flour, all made with our heritage grains; then our organic extra virgin olive oil, truffles from the estate’s natural truffle grounds and things we make with them — such as our homemade truffle butter — as well as preserves, cakes and whatever other good things the season happens to bring.
But there’s more.
We love music and literature. We even have our own small publishing house and a tiny bookshop. Here you can buy — and exchange — books, vinyl records and CDs.
There is only one rule: our shop is open to everyone, but not all the time. So if you would like to visit, it is best to let us know beforehand.
PRIVATE EVENTS. COMING TOGETHER | FOR WORK OR PLEASURE
Half a century ago, people gathered here in the farmyard in the evenings, met in the drawing rooms, went to school, got married, celebrated, came together.
All things that can happen here again today — for work or for pleasure.
For work: meetings, small seminars, workshops, classes and conferences. Indoors and out, Monte Sante Marie offers a collection of very different spaces for people to come together: from the monumental garden and courtyards to the restored granary, a former storeroom converted into a classroom, and the rooms of the historic villa itself.
For pleasure: almost any occasion will do. Gatherings with friends, weddings, anniversaries and celebrations, dinners. Almost anything is possible here — with style, simplicity and a sense of proportion. Just ask, and we’ll work it out together.
We can host:
- Small private events
- Weddings and civil ceremonies
