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HILLS
>> SIENESE
HILLS
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INTRODUCTION
The surroundings of Siena reserve many pleasant surprises
to the visitor, as the sweet landscape is one of the most enchanting
landscapes in Italy, and due to the marvellous architecture spread
all over the hills.
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The
small groups of rural houses, churches and villages sign the Sienese
territory, remembering the power of the defensive complexes and the
control over the territory, such as the feuds and the parish churches.
The landscape of the Sienese hills features the history everywhere,
offers moments of great suggestion thanks to the well-preserved monuments
from the past in a beautiful landscape, preserved with love and care
by the inhabitants, who have never interrupted the relationship that
man has with nature, the agriculture. The Sienese hills is a big garden,
with every thing on its right place, where the sober architecture
is located harmonically with a painter's taste. The nature is not
wild, but a landscape which has been modified by man since the Etruscans,
but with taste and guaranteeing the protection of the natural beauties.
Today the science has managed to enclose in its rigid parameters
the evanescent relationship which exist between man and his ancestors
and the historical events. A research carried out on the inhabitants
of Murlo proves that in their blood there are traces of the DNA of
the Etruscans. But on the Sienese hills the inhabitants have invented
less rigid opportunities to keep alive their connection with the past,
and especially in the summer, the villages celebrate historical processions,
theatre plays and festivals inspired by the medieval events. Those
who like the legends will probably enjoy them more than the historians.
One example is the Abbazia di San Galgano where you find the sword
which Galgano Guidotto stuck into the stone.
And if the agriculture is still an important activity on the
Sienese hills, it is due to the inhabitants who have never stopped
to grow the land, as it is fertile and blessed with a mild climate.
Th excellent quality of the products of the Sienese hills, often certified
with the Docg mark, have helped them to survive in the last years.
Both the Chianti dei Colli Senesi and the Vinsanto dei Colli Senesi
feature the mark Docg. The extraordinary wine production which characterises
the Sienese territory has developed a very singular and curious phenomenon.
We can actually say that this area invented the eno-tourism, which
makes the foreign and Italian tourists come here, due to the local
products and especially the precious wines. In Siena exists the Associazione
Nazionale del Vino since a couple of years, which protects and enhance
the typical products of the territory, promoting the wine-tourism.
Touring around the Sienese hills to find farms and wine-cellars is
the best way to cross the hills which are covered with vineyards and
olive-trees, in order to discover the ancient architecture and to
taste excellent wines. In order to enhance this pleasant and responsible
use of the area, the Associazione Città del Vino promotes every
year in May, the Cantine Aperte (Open Wine-cellars). The hills also
produce an excellent extra virgin olive oil which features the mark
Terre di Siena Dop.
The olives are collected directly from the trees, cold-pressed
to guarantee the quality of the final product which is green with
yellow shades and features a fruity flagrancy and excellent nutritive
properties. The selection of cold cuts features finocchiona, Tuscan
salami and prosciutto, sausages and soppressata. Do not miss a grilled
steak from the Cinta Senese pork, a unique race which has survived
thanks to some local farmers, and is getting more and more known among
the customers. The swine has a characteristic brown mantle with white
stripes and features a tender and tasty meat, which gives an extra
touch to the cold cuts and the traditional dishes. |
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