Boxwood brochure 2022

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in association with <strong>Boxwood</strong> Tours Tuscan Gold Gardens for Gourmets in Southern Tuscany This golden late-summer tour has been carefully designed to include some of the most beautiful and exclusive gardens of Southern Tuscany. We visit some Renaissance gardens dating back to the in the 15th-Century as well as important gardens of the early 20th-Century including La Foce, designed by Cecil Pinsent for Iris Origo – arguably Pinsent’s best garden-set in the dramatic landscape of the Val d’Orcia. This tour includes opportunities to taste local specialities and special invitations to dine in private villas with the owners. We will be spending four nights at the luxurious five-star Grand Hotel Continental in the historic heart of Siena, just a short walk from Piazza del Campo and the magnificent Duomo cathedral with fine dining included in the hotel’s own gourmet Ristorante Sapordivino. Tuscany 38
Programme Day 1 Depart London Heathrow, arriving in Pisa Galileo Airport. Journey through the Chianti region of Tuscany stopping at Badia a Coltibuono to visit the formal garden and to taste their organic wines and enjoy a light lunch. Then journeying on to Siena we receive a warm welcome at The Grand Hotel Continental in the heart of the old city, with time to settle in before dining together at the Ristorante Sapordivino, the hotel’s acclaimed gourmet restaurant. Day 2 Start the day visiting the gardens of Villa Vico Bello, owned by the Chigi family since the 1500s, before travelling south to the Val d’Orcia, a beautiful and miraculously intact valley in Southern Tuscany. In the heart of this beautiful region, we discover the gardens of La Foce where we are invited to lunch and on a special guided tour with the owner, Benedetta Origo. When Antonio and Iris Origo bought the estate of La Foce in 1923, they engaged the English architect Cecil Pinsent to restructure the main buildings and create a garden to enhance the Renaissance house and expand the spectacular view over the valley. The perfect harmony between buildings, garden and nature ensures that La Foce stand out as one of Pinsent’s best works. Return to Siena for a free evening. Day 3 We are privileged today to be accompanied by Antonella Piredda, an official guide to Siena as well as an accredited cheese and olive oil taster and wine aficionado. Antonella will accompany us on her tour of Secret Siena that opens the doors to the city’s hidden or forgotten treasures and masterpieces. This is followed by free time to find lunch, continue exploring or enjoy the proximity of our luxurious hotel. Later, in the afternoon we travel out of Siena to meet Count Bianchi Bandinelli of Villa di Geggiano where we are invited to an early evening meal together in the villa and the opportunity to view the beautiful 18th- Century frescoes representing the twelve months of the year created by Austrian artist, Ignazio Moder and have time to stroll around the garden to enjoy the famous green theatre and walls decorated with vases and monkey grotteschi. Return to the Grand Continental Hotel in the evening. Day 4 La Ferriera is a garden designed, created, and loved by Contessa Giuppi Pietromarchi, who discovered the romantic villa more than fifty years ago when looking for an Italian home for her wandering diplomatic family. The family restored the house and Giuppi created the garden on the site of a 15th-Century foundry, including many plants collected on her extensive travels. We are invited to lunch with her, before visiting Il Giardino dei Tarocchi, a fantastical sculpture garden designed by Nikki de Saint-Phalle, inspired partly by the Parco Güel of Antonio Gaudi. Return to Siena to dine in La Corte di Sapordivino at the hotel. Day 5 Leaving Siena we drive to the most celebrated of the Antinori family wineries: a contemporary, cathedral-like structure set within the vineclad hillside and offering breath-taking views of the soft rolling Tuscan hills scattered with olive groves and historic churches. A seasonal lunch, accompanied by a selection of Antinori wines will be served in the stunning rooftop restaurant. Return to Pisa Galileo Airport. Check in for our flight to London Heathrow. We are privileged to have Charles Quest-Ritson & Kirsty Fergusson to host and lead this special tour, both contributors to COUNTRY LIFE Tour Dates 3 – 7 October <strong>2022</strong> 5 days Tour Prices £4,250 per person ‘No flights’ price £4,070 Double room for sole use supplement £595 Deposit £450 per person What’s Included • Return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow to Pisa Galileo • Private coach transfers and excursions • Four nights’ bed and breakfast in the five-star Hotel Grand Continental, Siena • Three evening meals plus four lunches with wine • Guided visits to sites listed in the programme • Services of the Tour Leader and Hosts • Detailed programme and garden notes • All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters Your Accommodation The Hotel Grand Continental, Siena Within easy walking distance of Siena’s famous Piazza del Campo and mediaeval cathedral, the Grand Hotel Continental occupies a magnificent 17th century palazzo, carefully restored to its original splendour. Discerning visitors will find the same hospitality and comfort as their 19th century predecessors who favoured this hotel on their Grand Tour of Italy. Villa La Foce To book call 01341 241717 or visit boxwoodtours.co.uk 39
Page 1 and 2: EXCLUSIVE GARDEN TOURS 2022
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Boxwood brochure 2022

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