Tuscany, where to start!?
I think the idea of creating Plinius, a platform where we share the most beautiful places of Italy, must have been born right here at this lunch table, a good 2,5 years ago in the autumn of October 2021 in Tuscany.
The lunch table where it all started
We spent a week at Podere Invidia with a group of friends, while visiting the most beautiful places around. During this week, Ellen and I were non-stop busy creating beautiful setups for lunch, producing content, and searching for new places to visit. On my Instagram, I received many reactions from friends with messages like: “Where are you???” and “How do you manage to always find these beautiful spots?” Meanwhile, Bodo had been thinking for a while that a beautiful place like this should not be empty half of the time and should be shared with more people than just his friends and family. So it all sort of came together that week—the idea of starting a platform on which we would rent out curated holiday villas and our favorite places in Italy. So right there at that lunch table, Plinius was born!
The first discovery
Before Bodo bought his house in Tuscany, there was already a long tradition of visiting this region by Ellen and Bodo. They would travel to Tuscany each year to spend the holiday with both their families (Bodo is married to the sister of Ellen).
Fattoria San Martino
They always stayed at Fattoria San Martino , which up to today is still their favorite B&B in this region. After spending many years in Tuscany, Bodo, his wife, and Bodo’s brother decided it was time to look for their own property. They knew it had to be in the same area as Fattoria San Martino, and they found an old podere in Trequanda. They renovated it for almost five years, and that became the new meeting point for the family and the first house on Plinius: 001
So since Bodo and Ellen have been visiting this area for a long long time already, we thought we share some of our favorite places here:
Trequanda
This is the village where the house is located.
Bar Caffe' La Torre
Every morning we take a walk up to the village to have a few cappuchino’s at the square of the village, I cannot think of a better way to start the day.
our favorite restaurant near the house and maybe even our favorite restaurant of the whole area. A Slow food restaurant with a great selection of local wines and a very friendly owner who always gives you a warm welcome!
A vegan restaurant in a small Italian village!? While the locals are still in shock with this recently opened restaurant, we think it is a great add to the village. The owner transformed his live a few years ago and became completely vegan and now wants to share his philosophy with more people. He is also serving natural wines.
Montisi
This is one of the closest villages to Trequanda, and it is one that we really love, especially when the olive festival is celebrated in October. During this time, the small village is bursting at the seams with visitors. Throughout the weekend, long tables are set up throughout the whole village where you can eat, drink wine, and taste olive oil everywhere! But even during the rest of the year, this village is still very much alive. With a great wine bar, a small supermarket, a bakery, and a butcher, you’ve got everything you need here. They even have a little cinema where they screen English movies every Tuesday!
A cosy winebar we love to visit.
Last year we discovered this beauty of a gem in Montisi. Bought by Idoia and Marco who fell in love with the place the moment they set foot inside, and honestly, it is clear why:
N063 in the heart of Montisi
The weekly market in Sinalunga
Every Tuesday we drive to Sinalunga (10 minutes) do to our groceries at the weekly market. We always come home with bags full of beautiful veggies, so that the kitchen looks like this:
Montepulciano
True it is a bit touristy, but it is also beautiful and definitely worth a trip. These are the places we love to visit:
Whether it is for a cup of coffee or an aperitivo this is the place! The most elegant cafe of the whole area with an art nouveau design and a breathtaking views over the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Restaurant “La Grotta” is set in an authentic and charming sixteenth century building with a garden terrace, directly opposite the Church of San Biagio (one of the best examples of Tuscan Renaissance architecture). La Grotta strives to offer a perfect balance between traditional Tuscan cuisine and modern gastronomy.
a small Slow Food place which is know for its steaks. Tables are all close together and it has a large clientele, which makes it necessary to book.
The hidden “secret” of Montepulciano is the Talosa wine cellar; the main barrel aging cellar is in the old town center of Montepulciano, in an underground area between two of the oldest buildings in the city: Palazzo Tarugi and Palazzo Sinatti. The Talosa Cellar dates back to the 16th century and visiting is like stepping back time. The brick passageways contain a series of vaults and niches where the barrels are placed.
One of our favorite wineries of the area is Boscarelli. This winefarm is located just outside Montepulciano and we always try to bring a few bottles back home.
Pienza
Known for it pecorino cheese, im a fan!
Our absolute favorite place to go in Pienza for lunch or dinner is La Bandita Townhouse, a small restaurant and wine bar with an open kitchen. There is also a gorgeous covered outdoor seating area inside the walled medieval garden.
A great Italian trattoria to have lunch or dinner.
A really nice biodynamic farm Just outside Pienza with a cute shop where you can buy their own wines and self brewed beers (I love their labels).
Not such a hidden gem nowadays due to Instagram, but it I must say that I understand that everyone want to go here, because come on, a lunch with this view, don’t we all want that?
Tuscany is big and we have many many more favorite places, these are just the places closest to our N001. We’ll be sharing more soon and you can always take a look in our Tuscany guide too.
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