PACKAGE INCLUSIONS |
RT Air from JFK to Rome.
5 nights stay at the Villa Il Patriarca, in a superior double room
Fuel Surcharge included
Welcome drink
Breakfast daily
Car for length of stay.
1 dinner at La Taverna del Patriarca, typical Tuscan Osteria located in the old wine cellars the villa (excluding beverage)
Entry and a choice of spa treatment (detoxifying, remodeling, toning, rebalancing, relaxing or energizing pathway) At Chianciano Terme's Sensory Spa (approx. 10 km from the hotel)
Entry to the Civic Etruscan Museum of the nearby Chianciano Terme (approx. 10 km)
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HOTELS USED |
Chiusi, ITALY
Villa Il Patriarca
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OPTIONS FOR YOUR TRIP |
Add 2 hour cooking class from $175
Extend your stay
Additional nights at Il Patriarca starting at $129
Upgrade from Superior Room to Jr. Suite just $99 per person per night (based on availability)
Optional 4 course dinner at Arthur Frommer recommended Zaira Restaurant in Chiusi - starting at $59
Add nights in Rome from $132 per person
Ask about nights in Florence from $137
sightseeing day tours available from Rome or Florence
Ask your reservation agent for more details!
(Other optional tours may be available. Please ask your Sales Agent.)
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NOT INCLUDED |
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ITINERARY |
Villa Il Patriarca started its life as an 1800 prestigious patrician house. It is now a wonderful example of a sensitive restoration into a first class small hotel.
Situated on a hill and surrounded by pine and cypresses, with view on Tuscan hills, the Villa Il Patriarca Hotel Chiusi offers its guests the opportunity of a relaxed holiday with all modern comforts. The Villa Il Patriarca Hotel is located 4 kilometres from Chiusi, a wonderful Tuscan town with a relevant Etruscan heritage. Approx. 10 km from nearby Chianciano Terme, the town of well-being. The hotel's unique location gives the opportunity of visiting many historical and artistic towns situated in the centre of Italy.
The different spa waters of Terme di Chianciano affect the body according to the varying ways in which they are used for treatment: the Acqua Santa and Acqua Fucoli come directly from the springs in the long-established parks and are beneficial to the liver and gastrointestinal apparatus. Acqua Santissima is utilized for inhalations, aerosol and insufflations, for all age groups, to treat problems of the upper respiratory tract while Acqua Sillene is used for mud baths, thermal baths and cosmetics.
Terme Sensoriali, situated in the Acqua Santa park, is based on naturopathy and offers thirty treatments to rebalance the energetic field: from tropical showers to ayurveda, from ice crash to thermal pools. The thermal water, flowing through fire and ice, collected in baths, sprinkled through showers, mixed into exclusive products, represents a pleasant treatment for the body and cures many ailments.
The Spa Terme di Chianciano. offers an innovative formula to achieve and maintain the well-being of the body and mind through integrated thermal treatment: an extraordinary range of treatments based on the effectiveness of the water in a green and uncontaminated area, with various opportunities to relax, practice sport and entertain oneself. The wellness centre offers a wide range of beauty and remise en forme treatments, all based on thermal water and mud. The Centre for pathologies of the locomotor apparatus is specialized in rehabilitation and treatment of osteoarticular and muscular problems.
The health centre of the Spa Terme di Chianciano is an out-patient structure, where check-ups are carried out by specialists in thermal treatment and gastroenterology; it is equipped with a diagnostic centre with a laboratory for chemical-clinical and microbiological analysis; it also includes a cardioangiology and color doppler ecography laboratory and a centre for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis where it is possible to have an MOC test ( computerized bone mineralometry). The Centre includes departments of urology, neurology and psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, diabetes treatment and endocrinology.
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THE "DELLE ACQUE" ARCHEOLOGICAL CIVIC MUSEUM
The "Delle Acque"Civic Museum of Archaeology at Chianciano Terme is housed in an elegant late 19th-century building in via Dante, immediately before Chianciano old town, opposite to the Civic Library .
The museum has been arranged in three sections, each containing materials from the different historic phases of Chianciano's territory. The first section of the museum (ground floor) contains items from the graveyard at La Pedata, the most important and widespread necropolis of both territories of Chianciano and Chiusi It is set on the northern slope of the Astrone valley, along an ancient route that, through the Orcia and the Ombrone valleys, linked the Etruscan town of Chiusi to the Tyrrhenian coast. Other graveyards are located at Morelli, Morellino and Le Piane.
The tombs at Morelli turned out to be the most ancient, dating back to the last decades of the 7th century B. C.; nearby items from Roman age were recovered as well, and more recently tombs belonging to the archaic and classic period were found that contained bucchero vases, Etruscan-Corinthian pottery, miniature vases etc.
In 1995 a sensational discovery was made in the graveyard at Morelli: a prince tomb was of the Orientalist phase (7th century B.C.) was found still intact along with its precious contents.. The tomb has been rebuilt life size in this first section of the Museum. Also the burial furnishings have been replaced as they were when discovered..
The tomb at Morelli - 7th century B.C. - G. Masci Design
This tomb was located along the southern side of the old Vecchia Senese road It was presumably topped by a tumulus that was destroyed by agricultural work.
The tomb consisted of an atrium flanked by small chambers already plundered. Beyond the atrium, at the far end of the tomb was a rectangular chamber divided into two by a partition wall. A column must have stood before the partion.
Archeaologists have recovered only the capital of it. The unsteady ground, in which the tomb was excavated, and the weight of its stone roof, caused it to collapse thus sealing the chamber and its precious contents.
The tomb's rich burial furnishing included a globe-shaped canop (ossuary with anthropomorphic characteristics) made out of a sole bronze layer. On the vase lid covered with gold leaf were two eyes made of bone and amber.
In front of the canop stood a little low rectangular table ( the trapeza) made up of a subtile bronze layer, finely decorated with phytomorphic and zoomorfic motifs of Orientalising taste. On the table stood ten bronze vases, six beakers and four drinking cups, the latter having the rims decorated with a perl string. A bronze shield with geometric carvings lay behind the canop. Thirty bucchero vases lay to the right of the partion wall.
The first section houses also burial furnishings from other tombs. Of great interest is the furnishing coming from the tomb n. 20 at La pedata.
It contains a complete set of bucchero banquet vessels,some of them bearing unusual red and white paint decorations: The set included an Attic Kylix (wine-bowl) bearing on the inner side the picture of a rooster and on the outer side an inscription in Greek, meaning "health and drink".
Attic Kylix - Necropolis La Pedata
The exibit of Chianciano necropoles’ items continues in the basement of the Museum. Here, inside the five show-cases carved out in the walls, items recovered in the necropolis at Tolle, near the path La foce, are displayed.
The excavations carried out by the Museum in 1996 in this necropolis brought to light eighty graves, the most part of which being small chamber-tombs or dead-pits; rarely the graves contained the dead.
Most tombs of this necropolis date from the 7th century B. C but there are also examples from the end of the 6th century as well as from the late 3rd century B.C.
The extent of the necropolis and the amount of findings so far recovered testify to the existance of a powerful and rich oligarchy that had gained control of the mountain pass at La Foce, through which the road leading to the coast ran . Necropolis at Tolle
The adjoining room contains donations made to the Museum by private citizens Foremost amongst these donations is the Terrosi collection, comprising items coming mainly from coastal Southern Etruria sites and especially from Vulci’s territory.Very few items of this collection come from Chianciano’s necropoles.
The collection’s core consists of a number of valuable Attic ceramics and a group of Etruscan jewels dating back to the Orientalist and archaic phase. Remarkable for the high standard of design is a blackfigured drinking cup with figure of a deer grazing between two sirens.
There are also a big .amphora.with Hercules fighting against the Amazons and a gorgeous redfigured Stamnos on which the myth of Tetide's kidnapping is depicted.
On the main side of the vessel Peleo is represented while kidnapping the goddess, on the other side the Nereids scared gather around their father Nereo. Among Etruscan pottery, beside some bucchero vases, are two Etruscan-Corinthian olpai and a fine amphora with figure of young men racing (Vulci 6th century B.C.).
Less valuable, but of considerable historical interest for Chainciano's territory, are finds donated by Marcello Palazzi, most of them coming from the area of Mount Cetona and Sarteano.
The collection includes numbers of sherds and bowls coming from the area of Belverde; two ossuaries, several little impasto vases, some bucchero wares, few examples of glazed ceramic and some bronze fibulas recovered in the plundered necropoles of Solaia and Aiola.
On dislay there are also finds recovered by Mr.Secchi-Tarugi during an excavation campaign in 1960s, at Casa al Vento, between Montepulciano and Chianciano.
In two deep wells in a lot already explored in the past century, he found bronze statuettes from the 2nd century B.C., sherds of antefixes, a Sylenus mask, many black-glazed ceramics and loom weights..
Another small group of objects come from Mrs. Casini's collection: a fine bronze handle from Chianciano's area and the stamnos jar with cylinder decoration.
holds a Kantharos in her left hand, and keeps the right hand close to her face as if she were scared or surprised. In the show-cases several objects of worship from the same building are displayed. There’s also a splendid male bust (2nd century B.C) found near the Fucoli spring
Located in the heart of Italy, midway between Rome and Florence in the part of Tuscany well known for its wonderful wines, Etruscan artifacts, excellent cuisine, olive oil and its history of exceptional art. Set in a park of large cypresses, the hotel has just 23 rooms, each uniquely and comfortably decorated. Eight of the rooms are in the Villa and others are in a recently restored wing with elegant and romantic furniture, bright colours and interesting themes.
This stunning landscape was celebrated by Renaissance painters from nearby Siena. The Val D’Orcia was, and still is, seen as an ideal representation of man coexisting in harmony with nature. Images of the Val D’Orcia and its inhabitants have come to be seen as icons of the Renaissance and have profoundly influenced the development of landscape art, engineering and philosophy in modern Tuscany.
The Val D’Orcia flourished in the 14th and 15th centuries when it was colonized by the city-state of Siena. The landscape’s distinctive aesthetics, flat chalk plains out of which rise almost conical hills with fortified settlements on top, inspired many artists. Their images have come to exemplify the beauty of well-managed Renaissance agricultural landscapes. The inscription covers a planned colonized agrarian and pastoral landscape reflecting innovative land management systems; several towns and villages, each unique; farmhouses; and the original Roman road the Via Francigena and its associated abbeys, inns, shrines and bridges.
The hills of Val d'Orcia are rich with the Crete Senese, deposits of sand and clay with 5 million years of archaeological history, evidence that the sea once reached this valley. Encompassing medieval hill towns, relaxing hot springs and silver olive groves, the variety of the Val D’Orcia makes it an ideal stomping ground for a Tuscan holiday. You can sample the world-famous wine Brunello di Montalcino wine along the cobblestone streets of its namesake village, relax in the therapeutic sulfurous baths in Bagno Vignoni and peruse the original Renaissance frescoes of a local monastery all in the span of a weekend. The valley’s natural beauty is an idyllic backdrop for a country vacation during all 4 seasons, from the striking colors of autumn to the spectacle of flora and fauna in the spring. While visiting the Val D’Orcia you’ll want to take advantage of the scenery by hiking, cycling or even enjoying a hot air balloon ride at sunset. Staying in the Orcia Valley assures contact with Tuscany’s natural treasures, and above all a serenity that city life prohibits.
ETRUSCAN AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES IN CHIANCIANO TERME
Chianciano Terme stands on a hilltop overlooking to the west the fertile Chiana valley, already mentioned by Latin authors for its varied and abundant crops. In the vicinities of the present Chianciano, close to the ancient road that connected Northern Etruria's inland to the coast, a rather sizeable Etruscan settlement must have developed that controlled this important route running through the Astrone valley.
The presence of warm healing springs in the area must also have played a role in the development of the Etruscan Chianciano, since the area was a centre of the cult worship of Apollo as early as the 5th century B.C. The cult of Diana-Selene developed in the area during the Hellenistic period (3rd -2nd centuries B.C).
Near the springs remains of imposing bronze statues belonging to a sacred building were unearthed last century and more recently traces of another temple were found not far from the hot spring of Fucoli. This recovery suggests that the building of temples were linked to the existance of healing springs in the nearby.
The necropolises discovered in the hills around Chianciano testify to the wealth of their owners; in the graves numerous buccherowares and Attic ceramics have been recovered as well as bronze vases and precious alabaster cinerary urns.
The tombs also revealed the gorgeous cinerary statue, the Mater Matuta, that represents Motherhood, and the cinerary urn whose lid bears the effigy of the deceased accompanied by a winged goddess holding the scroll of destiny in her hand. Both items are made of "pietra fetida", the local limestone that gets its name from the unpleasant odour that it gives off when being carved.
Cinerary urn Cinerary statue-Mater Matuta
Sensational discoveries, made in the area over the past few years, have focused archeologists’ attention on Chianciano Terme. In 1986, for example, remains of a monumental terra-cotta frontal were recovered at a short distance from the spring at Fucoli The frontal dates from the 2nd century B.C. and is decorated with highly-accomplished terra-cotta figures, 2/3 of life-size. In more recent years systematic excavations in the necropolis at La Pedata have brought to light about twenty tombs: one of these was decorated with a valuable carved ceiling. Most of the tombs excavated had already been pillaged during the past century: some others still contained part of their furnishings. One tomb, though, escaped the 19-century despoliation and revealed a remarkable set of vessels. This tomb has been rebuilt inside the Museum. A detailed description of it will follow further on.
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THE "DELLE ACQUE" ARCHEOLOGICAL CIVIC MUSEUM
The "Delle Acque"Civic Museum of Archaeology at Chianciano Terme is housed in an elegant late 19th-century building in via Dante, immediately before Chianciano old town, opposite to the Civic Library .
The museum has been arranged in three sections, each containing materials from the different historic phases of Chianciano's territory. The first section of the museum (ground floor) contains items from the graveyard at La Pedata, the most important and widespread necropolis of both territories of Chianciano and Chiusi It is set on the northern slope of the Astrone valley, along an ancient route that, through the Orcia and the Ombrone valleys, linked the Etruscan town of Chiusi to the Tyrrhenian coast. Other graveyards are located at Morelli, Morellino and Le Piane.
The tombs at Morelli turned out to be the most ancient, dating back to the last decades of the 7th century B. C.; nearby items from Roman age were recovered as well, and more recently tombs belonging to the archaic and classic period were found that contained bucchero vases, Etruscan-Corinthian pottery, miniature vases etc.
In 1995 a sensational discovery was made in the graveyard at Morelli: a prince tomb was of the Orientalist phase (7th century B.C.) was found still intact along with its precious contents.. The tomb has been rebuilt life size in this first section of the Museum. Also the burial furnishings have been replaced as they were when discovered..
The tomb at Morelli - 7th century B.C. - G. Masci Design
This tomb was located along the southern side of the old Vecchia Senese road It was presumably topped by a tumulus that was destroyed by agricultural work.
The tomb consisted of an atrium flanked by small chambers already plundered. Beyond the atrium, at the far end of the tomb was a rectangular chamber divided into two by a partition wall. A column must have stood before the partion.
Archeaologists have recovered only the capital of it. The unsteady ground, in which the tomb was excavated, and the weight of its stone roof, caused it to collapse thus sealing the chamber and its precious contents.
The tomb's rich burial furnishing included a globe-shaped canop (ossuary with anthropomorphic characteristics) made out of a sole bronze layer. On the vase lid covered with gold leaf were two eyes made of bone and amber.
In front of the canop stood a little low rectangular table ( the trapeza) made up of a subtile bronze layer, finely decorated with phytomorphic and zoomorfic motifs of Orientalising taste. On the table stood ten bronze vases, six beakers and four drinking cups, the latter having the rims decorated with a perl string. A bronze shield with geometric carvings lay behind the canop. Thirty bucchero vases lay to the right of the partion wall.
The first section houses also burial furnishings from other tombs. Of great interest is the furnishing coming from the tomb n. 20 at La pedata.
It contains a complete set of bucchero banquet vessels,some of them bearing unusual red and white paint decorations: The set included an Attic Kylix (wine-bowl) bearing on the inner side the picture of a rooster and on the outer side an inscription in Greek, meaning "health and drink".
Attic Kylix - Necropolis La Pedata
The exibit of Chianciano necropoles’ items continues in the basement of the Museum. Here, inside the five show-cases carved out in the walls, items recovered in the necropolis at Tolle, near the path La foce, are displayed.
The excavations carried out by the Museum in 1996 in this necropolis brought to light eighty graves, the most part of which being small chamber-tombs or dead-pits; rarely the graves contained the dead.
Most tombs of this necropolis date from the 7th century B. C but there are also examples from the end of the 6th century as well as from the late 3rd century B.C.
The extent of the necropolis and the amount of findings so far recovered testify to the existance of a powerful and rich oligarchy that had gained control of the mountain pass at La Foce, through which the road leading to the coast ran . Necropolis at Tolle
The adjoining room contains donations made to the Museum by private citizens Foremost amongst these donations is the Terrosi collection, comprising items coming mainly from coastal Southern Etruria sites and especially from Vulci’s territory.Very few items of this collection come from Chianciano’s necropoles.
The collection’s core consists of a number of valuable Attic ceramics and a group of Etruscan jewels dating back to the Orientalist and archaic phase. Remarkable for the high standard of design is a blackfigured drinking cup with figure of a deer grazing between two sirens.
There are also a big .amphora.with Hercules fighting against the Amazons and a gorgeous redfigured Stamnos on which the myth of Tetide's kidnapping is depicted.
On the main side of the vessel Peleo is represented while kidnapping the goddess, on the other side the Nereids scared gather around their father Nereo. Among Etruscan pottery, beside some bucchero vases, are two Etruscan-Corinthian olpai and a fine amphora with figure of young men racing (Vulci 6th century B.C.).
Less valuable, but of considerable historical interest for Chainciano's territory, are finds donated by Marcello Palazzi, most of them coming from the area of Mount Cetona and Sarteano.
The collection includes numbers of sherds and bowls coming from the area of Belverde; two ossuaries, several little impasto vases, some bucchero wares, few examples of glazed ceramic and some bronze fibulas recovered in the plundered necropoles of Solaia and Aiola.
On dislay there are also finds recovered by Mr.Secchi-Tarugi during an excavation campaign in 1960s, at Casa al Vento, between Montepulciano and Chianciano.
In two deep wells in a lot already explored in the past century, he found bronze statuettes from the 2nd century B.C., sherds of antefixes, a Sylenus mask, many black-glazed ceramics and loom weights..
Another small group of objects come from Mrs. Casini's collection: a fine bronze handle from Chianciano's area and the stamnos jar with cylinder decoration.
holds a Kantharos in her left hand, and keeps the right hand close to her face as if she were scared or surprised. In the show-cases several objects of worship from the same building are displayed. There’s also a splendid male bust (2nd century B.C) found near the Fucoli spring.
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