Tuscany

When people ask me why I chose to study in Siena, the answer is very simple: It’s in Tuscany. All my life I’ve watched movies and heard conversations where people rave about how beautiful this place is. After years of hearing the same old gasp-filled orations, and seeing a thousand pictures with perfect sunsets over breath-taking vineyards, I was more than a little sceptical. Could anything really live up to the pictures painted by everyone, from medieval artists to Hollywood screenwriters?

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to find out. Two of my friends from Australia were in Siena recently and we decided to spend a night in the Chianti region. Our accommodation was located on a hill overlooking vineyards, and a seemingly endless landscape of lush green fields. Sitting in the little courtyard overlooking this panorama was so quiet, peaceful and beautiful that I was already beginning to believe the dogma pedalled to me all these years.

On Saturday we headed out to see the castle at Brolio where 32 generations of the prestigious Ricasoli family have resided (and continue to reside to this day). Their ancestors include the second prime minister of Italy, Bettino Ricasoli, who had his finger in more pies than just politics. He dabbled in botany, ecology, drawing and producing wine (the Chianti Classic red is still largely based on his original formula). However, like most great talents I’ve learned about here, he was perhaps not the most amicable guy you’ve ever met.

When the first king of the newly united Italy, Vittorio II, came to visit him, Bettino insisted that in his house HE was the king (and the alpha Italian male according to our tour guide)! Needless to say the alpha males clashed and Vittorio cut his stay down from two days to two hours! Can you imagine the hand gestures that were flying around that day?!

Though Vittorio missed out on the castle’s spectacular views and gorgeous gardens, I was there to lap them up and the Tuscan indoctrination continued…

From the castle we decided to do a trek through the countryside. With an obnoxiously vague map and non-existent knowledge of the area, it wasn’t long before we got ourselves thoroughly lost. Talk about an “off-road” adventure! We trekked through muddy, rocky, steep and seemingly endless terrain with no idea of where the main road or actual walking track were… or what kind of creatures were hiding in the suspiciously rustling grass.

Finally, after six hours of wrong turns and torturous uphill gradients, we found our way back to the main road and our car. We were exhausted but by the end of the day, I was convinced that Tuscany does live up to all the hype. Perhaps coming from the recently drought-stricken Australia makes me especially susceptible to the lure of abundant green hills, but nevertheless, I was persuaded.

The splendour does not end at the Tuscan border either. The neighbouring region of Umbria is also stunningly arrayed with unbelievable views. As the bus drove through the countryside, heading for Assisi, the vibrant poppies adorning the fields of tall, green grass were beyond the reach of even the finest cinematographer.

For fear of turning into one of those people who rave about Tuscany, I shall leave it there! The bottom line, I guess, is that the stories are true…

Tuscany is spectacular.