Trequanda

It is hidden away from view, and perhaps this has always worked in its favour, leaving the apparently defenceless town untouched over centuries marked by battles and intrigues. One of the most striking features of Trequanda is the town square, where visitors are guaranteed a glimpse of the classic atmosphere of life in a traditional small Tuscan town, just as they had always imagined it.

The church, with its unusual black and white "checkerboard" facade, houses a breathtakingly beautiful 15th century altarpiece, and a wide variety of small workshops carry on producing their traditional offerings as the town's inhabitants go about their daily life in perfect tranquillity. Not far away, the two charming, well-kept hamlets of Petroio and Castelmuzio maintain the traditions, respectively, of terracotta art and extra virgin olive oil production, the latter an art in itself, and just as precious.

The local bread is also particularly good, so much so that it has earned a place among the best of the local produce, alongside the wines and cheeses. While the town was spared the drawn-out sieges of centuries past, it remains surrounded by the Tuscan countryside on all sides: this is the real Tuscany, seemingly painted onto the landscape like a fresco by Lorenzetti.