Taking the scenic route: Why an Italian roadtrip is still a good idea

On the road

Leaving Rome behind, we peel off the autostrada with three hotels in our sights – Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro and Borgo Pignano – their pins on the map plotting a rough guide as we navigate farther north. I gasp with delight as pastoral vistas come into view: sprawling sunflower fields and sloping olive groves; working farms with tractors parked beneath trees and hills dotted with neatly packed hay bales. The unmistakable silhouette of the cypress tree is all around. We make a scheduled detour to the lofty hilltop town of Orvieto, where we wander lanes lined with green-striped awnings and share a porchetta sandwich, before tackling the 250 steps of the Torre del Moro, which has presided over the city since the 13th century. It’s mid-afternoon by the time we cross over in to Tuscany and pull up at Castello di Vicarello (Reviews, page 113). Opting for a late lunch in the conservatory, we feel as though we’re dining at an old friend’s house as the waiter brings brightly coloured plates of ruby-red tomatoes with mozzarella and bowls of leafy salad. It’s a delicious introduction to the hotel’s garden-to-plate ethos, which runs across its operations. We divide the next day between the hotel’s two pools – gawking at vast views of the Tuscan hills from a dramatic, infinity-edged offering, and snoozing by another set amid butterfly-filled gardens – trying to decide which is our favourite. (We come to the conclusion it’s too hard to choose.) Our next stop, Borgo Santo Pietro, is only 45 minutes north of Castello di Vicarello, but we can’t resist a detour half-an-hour east to the magical medieval and Renaissance town of Montepulciano. Sitting high on a chalky hilltop on the ridge that divides the Val d’Orcia and the Val di Chiana, it’s considered one of the finest winemaking regions in the world, producing full-bodied red and rosé wines that draw scores of oenophiles every summer.

Beautiful borgo

We spend two blissful nights at Borgo Santo Pietro, a 300-acre estate home to 150 free-range hens, 120 Sardinian sheep, honey bees, alpacas, nut fields and vineyards. An expansive patchwork of more than 100 types of herbs fuels the brand’s organic skincare line. “Three‑quarters of the food provided is grown on site or locally,” says sales and marketing director Arianna Cirigliano. The mercury lingers around the high 30s, so the hotel recommends we cycle down to the River Merse for a cooling swim. We take advantage of the bicycles dotted across the resort and meander past the pastel-hued chicken coop, through golden fields strewn with hay bales. We hear the water before we see it. When we finally muster up the courage to take a dip, the water is fresh and we have nothing but dragonflies for company. A different borgo beckons as we leave. En route to Borgo Pignano, less than an hour’s drive away, we take the opportunity to stop at Siena, whose city centre is so well preserved it’s achieved Unesco World Heritage status.

Clients with a little more time should consider travelling farther east to Arezzo, where well‑kept medieval walls, churches and castles and a bounty of Renaissance art offer a spectacular glimpse into the past. We are greeted at Borgo Pignano with chilled glasses of sparkling wine. Manager Gigi’s passion for this 800‑acre estate is immediately apparent and we learn about the staggering breadth of its operations on a tour of the estate. He leads us into the cool of the forest, where 17 pigs are reclining among six acres of fenced woodland. “I call Borgo Pignano a pig resort,” smiles Gigi. “They live in paradise. If I’m reborn in the next life, I want to come back here.” Borgo Pignano’s proximity to the medieval hilltop towns of Volterra and San Gimignano makes it an ideal base for exploring. Head to former Etruscan settlement Volterra for an insight into alabaster, the chalky rock used in ancient times and still celebrated by craftsmen here today, and visit the Unesco World Heritage Site of San Gimignano to discover its 14 remaining fortified tower houses and narrow streets lined with shops selling local cheeses, meats and ceramics.

A fitting finale

Our Italian adventure concludes in the Tuscan capital, Florence, where historic architecture and masterpieces by the likes of Michelangelo, Botticelli and da Vinci make you feel like you’re walking in an open-air museum. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) is an unmissable feature of the Florence skyline, but visitors will fall over themselves trying to tick off all the treasures in this small but mighty city: the Palazzo Vecchio, adorned with frescoes and ancient artwork; the world-famous Uffizi Gallery; and the Galleria dell’Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s David. After a week exploring Tuscany, we’re content simply strolling the sunny banks of the Arno river and admiring the views with an aperitivo at Hotel Continentale’s rooftop bar. On the last day of our road trip, we hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo where, from the summit, pastel-coloured houses with terracotta-tiled roofs sprawl out before us, the Duomo soaring above them, dominating the skyline. It’s a fitting finale. Our four-wheeled Italian adventure has forced us to slow down and look up – and there’s no greater luxury than that, surely.

Where to stay

A bevy of beautiful hotels are dotted among the Tuscan hills. Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is one of the region’s most famous addresses for good reason – featuring a collection of restored 17th and 18th-century villas, each with a private pool, this is a luxury hotel worth splashing out for. But Tuscany truly overflows with exclusive options, from renowned, big-brand properties such as Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, and Como Castello del Nero to immaculately restored medieval villages such as Relais & Châteaux property Il Borro and Castelfalfi, a 1,100-hectare working estate boasting a hotel, golf course, spa, vineyards and olive groves. Tuscany’s capital, Florence, also dazzles, with well-established favourites such as Four Seasons Firenze, Portrait Firenze, Villa Cora and Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, providing cool refuges to the city’s heat. New hotels here include a sister property to Borgo Pignano, set to open next spring. The boutique hotel is located in a 12-acre estate studded by vineyards and olive groves, a 10-minute walk from the city centre.

Book it: Audley Travel offers a 12-day self-drive tour of Tuscany and Umbria from £6,695, including flights, car hire and accommodation.
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