CINIGIAN
Cinigiano is the place where the mountain meets the sea. Closer to the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea than any other municipality on Mount Amiata, Cinigiano breathes sea air and basks in a rolling landscape of rolling hills and dense oak forests.
This natural paradise is home to some of the best vineyards in the area. Cinigiano rises around a medieval castle in the 13th century and takes its name from its founder Bernardino di Cinigiano, whose descendants ruled until the Sienese domination that began in the 15th century. Today it is a small, quiet center with a fair number of beautiful churches. The locals live enthusiastically in the open air, as well as produce their wine, probably because they live next to the Poggio all’Olmo natural park.
Tourist office: via Marconi 9 ( 0564 973510)
NOT TO BE MISSED
NEAR CINIGIANO
MONTICELLO AMIATA MUSEUM HOUSE
(via Grande, Monticello Amiata, opening hours vary; 0564965220, free)
It is set up inside a traditional 19th century mountain house. The house is still adorned with photographs, household items and antique furniture belonging to the family who lived here. Marks on the kitchen wall were used to record the weight of olives processed in the mill downstairs. Together with the mill there is a small warehouse with the tools used for agriculture and the processing of cereals and olives, and a large cast iron stove. In times gone by, the elders of the town would gather around the stove to warm up and tell old stories. Most of them were suspicious of the mill, and convinced that the owners would deceive them about the amount of oil produced from their olives. Even today, many locals reluctantly take their olives to the mill, and wish they could grind them themselves.
EVENTS
First weekend of October
Cinigiano celebrates the wine of Monte Amiata, the Montecucco DOC, with tastings, an artisan market, concerts and lots of local dishes.
The highlight is always the parade, with carefully crafted floats depicting cartoon characters or scenes from local folklore.
Amiata Piano Festival
June July August
Every year, international and local artists gather near Poggi del Sasso to perform in a three-month event. Each has a different theme and although the name is a piano festival, in reality the event is much more varied, with concerts of other classical instruments and dance performances.
