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Radicofani?

Bill

10+ Posts
We will be in Montepulciano in June and I thought taking a morning drive to the fortezza here and perhaps having lunch in town would be a fun thing to do.

I have a thing for castles. :D

Has anyone been who could share their experience?
 
Hi Bill,

We visited the fortezza in Radicofani a few years back. You can drive and park fairly close to the top of the hill, and it is an easy walk to the fortezza from there. I don't know if it is still open, but we were able to climb one of the towers. As you can imagine, the view is incredible. We had a beautiful day, and could see to Siena.

Sorry, I don't have any recommendations for restaurants.

Sharon
 
Once when we were in Radicofani several years ago, we started talking to a local couple who recommended that we drive to Abbadia San Salvatore for lunch. It's a lovely drive, and now we always return to that restaurant when we're in Montepulciano. It's Laccoria, on the north end of town, and it's a great find. Simple, homemade food at a good price, with wonderful service. Great value for the money!
 
Bill, at the risk of giving unwanted advice, another out-of-the-way restaurant we've really enjoyed during our stays in Montepulciano is I Lecci, a few km outside Castiglione d'Orcia. It's on Strada Provinciale 18/D -- drive past town on SS323, and at the fork go left on route SP18. It's a bit more refined than Laccoria, with great home-made pasta and a delightful manager -- and another beautiful drive.
 
This is where I admit that I packed a picnic lunch and ate it outside the cemetery in Radicofani. Great view and quiet neighbors. ;-)
 
We spent two weeks in Celle sul Rigo many years ago but I don't remember much about Radicofani. I do remember a fabulous restaurant in San Casciano dei Bagni, not that far. It is on the edge of the main parking lot when you go into town - Daniella. It may have changed since our last visit in 2002 :)

There was also a good restaurant in Celle sul Rigo, in the historic center.
 
Radicofani. :eek: My nemesis.

We drove up there one day, and somehow got down a narrow side street that nearly got the better of me, driving-wise. Now I'm quite handy with a stick, and used to the steep hills in Halifax, but this incline was crazy. Our rental Fiat just kept stalling, no matter what I did. I ended up having to back down the street...with a truck parked on one side, and a couple motorcycles on the other, it was so tight we had to pull in the mirrors to inch our way by. I was a ball of nerves on the inside, thinking "oh no, I've stranded my poor mother in Italy, we're never getting out of here!" Eventually I got down to a small flat spot, just enough to get the car moving forward. I floored it and zoomed up the hill, praying there would be no oncoming traffic at the top because no way was I stopping at the stop sign and getting stuck again! And then I just kept on going out of town...

Other than that one incident...I had a blast driving around this area of Tuscany! :D And next time I'm there, I hope to return to Radicofani and actually see something of the town!
 
Oh - if you like castles, Bill, check out Sarteano, about 20kms south of Montepulciano. Lovely hill town with a very cool castle at the top.
 
Well, it looks like we will not make it to Radicofani after all. :(
Friday is our last day and we have other plans.
Where did the week go?
Next time!
 
Perhaps Radicofani is best viewed from afar. We were in Tuscany the week before you and we saw Radicofani many times from a distance. I remember going there when we spent two weeks nearby (Celle sul Rigo) but I don't remember much about the town.

I think it is good to have a long list of things to do, so you can't do them all, because then you have a good reason to return. We did not get to Siena on this trip (have been there before but want to see it again) and that is what will bring me back to Tuscany.
 
I think it is good to have a long list of things to do, so you can't do them all, because then you have a good reason to return.

Yes, that it's very true. We didn't make it to Siena either. I really want to spend a few nights there and that wasn't possible on this trip.
 
Bill, if you have time when you return, post about your trip in the Trip Reports forum (or link to your blog or any other place online where you have posted). I would like to read about your trip, and it helps others when planning to read about other trips.
 

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