The Unique Experience of an Agritourismo in Tuscany Italy

An agritourismo - in Tuscany called agriturismo - is similar to a small hotel which grows its own vegetables. It is sometimes described as a bed and breakfast, but for me the term 'bed and breakfast' evokes staying in a home wherein the hosts serve breakfast.

Hotel Prategiano, also known as Rifugio (refuge) Prategiano, has a lot of the caracteristics of an agritourismo, but it is a 24-room hotel in Tuscany that is far different than a hotel, in which you are an anonymous guest, but nor is it a place in which you feel as if you are a guest in a person's home. This hotel combines the best of both worlds: a place in which you have the privacy of a hotel and the personality and friendliness of a bed and breakfast. 

You are known by name as soon as you arrive. The hotel is owned and operated by a family and you are treated as an honored guest with specific needs. You are given the option of including meals and activities, and the advantage of this is huge. When dining for breakfast or dinner in the beautiful, spacious dining rooms, which have spectacular views of the mountains and valley below, you are treated to authentic Italian food, as if you were in an Italian home with the professionalism of a restaurant. During meals it is natural to meet other guests from all over the word. 

Even more so, if you choose to go horseback riding, to a thermal bath, sightseeing, bike riding, quading, hiking, or any one of the activities available to you, you begin to form bonds with other guests. No matter what language you speak, there is always common ground to enjoy with other fun-seeking travelers. I always leave a stay at Prategiano feeling refreshed, invigorated, and part of a world of camaraderie and fun.

American kids first vacation in Tuscany Italy

My kids had never been out of the United States. They are 14,13, and 13. I wanted to to give them a vacation that would make an impression upon them for the rest of their lives. I chose a wonderful Hotel in Maremma Tuscany called Hotel Prategiano. 

They were immediately fascinated by the landscape, the trains, and the little towns made of stone perched on hillsides. Once they realized those little towns were occupied in medieval times, they could not wait to explore. Once we arrived at the Hotel Prategiano we were greeted by the super-friendly English-speaking staff. The hotel is owned by the marvelous Paradisi family. 

My son immediately wanted to start making videos for his friends at home. We went horseback riding with some of Prategiano's 17 horses, and even as non-riders, the boys were completely comfortable and thrilled to be traveling through the countryside of Tuscany on horseback! 

The hotel is a beautiful 45 minute drive from the beach at Follonica. The kids and I spent hours swimming in the warm, calm surf, swimming far out the long, shallow shelf, finding hermit crabs and sea urchins and building sand castles. The boys made instant friends with three Italian boys and made up a game without speaking one another’s language. 

On another trip to Follonica, we took a cruise to the Roman port of Isla Giglio. Seeing the coastline from the sea, dining on board with a feast of fresh seafood and pasta, and diving from the cliffs of the island made for another unforgettable day. Down the road from Follonica is Castiglione della Pascaia, where were explored a fortress and watched wind surfers. Another beautiful day trip was to the harbor of Punta Ala, where we made plans to go sailing on our visit next year! 

The boys couldn’t wait to go for another train ride, so we boarded a gorgeous 3-level train to visit the town of Lucca. Lucca is one of the rare cities that still has a completely intact wall surrounding the city. The top of the wall has been developed into a stunning park to bicycle around the entire town. We rented bicycles and cycled twice around the town, stopping at playgrounds and stunning views. 

All of these little trips from our home base at the hotel involved driving through some of the most beautiful landscape in the world. The vineyards and olive groves and sunflower fields are breathtaking. Just outside the pristine spot of the hotel are hiking trails which took us through forests and a fantasyland of time long long ago. We also strolled the picturesque cobbled streets of Montieri, the town in which Prategiano lives. Everywhere we went, we encountered tremendously friendly people who wanted to chat with Americans! The boys now know that their world is much bigger and richer than they ever imagined.

The Park Montioni in Maremma Tuscany Italy

Between the provinces of Livorno and Grosseto, there is the large Provincial Park of Montioni that, enclosed between the Valley of the Vornia River to the north and the Valley of the Pecora River to the south, protects a group of low hills dominated by Mediterranean maquis.

 Inland, we find the State Integral Nature Reserve of Poggio Tre Cancelli, which can be visited only for study with the previous authorization of the State Forest Ranggers, and the State Nature Reserve for Wildlife Popultation of Marsiliana, a pilot farm dedicated only to horse and Maremma cow breeding.-the Park of Montioni is easy to reach from both Follonica and the Val di Cornia.

In particular, a road splits it in two, towards the hamlet of Montioni. The area is crossed by many tracks that can be used for trekking, mountain biking and horse riding in Tuscany. Among the excursions, we recommend the one that goes from Podere La Beyyuga to the medieval church-tower of the Pievaccia, and the one that from Montioni leads to the ruins of the early 1800 French settlement and to the suggestive alum quarries of Poggio Saracino and Poggio Speranzona. In the hamlet of Pratini, in the Municipality of Follonica, there is a Visitors Centre that rents bikes and provides guided walking tours and bike tours. The worst season for long walks in Tuscany is summer, as the weather is very hot and it is easy to get bitten by painful horseflies.

 The Park of Montioni is a series of uninhabited woods that stretch as far as the eye can see, marked only by the reddish scars of firebreaks. Almost everywhere, you are plunged in the evergreen plants of the tall maquis, holm oak, viburnum, strawberry tree, heather and phillyra, which carry in the stumps fringed by suckers the scars of the repeated cuts that they suffered in time. In some spots, the maquis becomes lower and incredibly tangled, dominated by the tree heath and by the fearsome creepers of the stracciabrache that, with its curved thorns, can easily tear clothes and skin.

Nevertheless, it is just here that mushroom hunters try to slip in to find magnificent specimens of Porcino, with their very dark caps. It is very hard to meet oak woods or tall woods because the exploitation that these forests have undergone stopped only in the fifties of the 20th century. One of the few strands of tall maquis that is slowly shifting to holm oak wood is in the State Nature Reserve of Poggio Tre Cancelli. Walking in Tuscany along the tracks that cross the park, still today it is possible to see the most significant traces of the unbreakable bond between the wood and the people, represented by the kiln clearings that suddenly open u in the thick of the maquis, with their dark soil enlivened by the bright yellow of the beautiful broom. Come to discover this quiet region of Maremma Toscana. It is perfect for walking, mountain biking, cycling and horseback riding in Tuscany. You can stay at our Hotel Prategiano, which enjoys a central position, if you want to get to know this special part of Italy.

Treasure Hunting in Tuscany

A group of archaeologists from the University of Siena made an incredible discovery one hundred meters from our hotel in Tuscany: "The fibula from Montieri" - A golden brooch from the Middle Ages!

The precious jewel of solid gold was found in the Rectory of St. Nicholas, the mysterious church in the shape of flower just above our Hotel Prategiano. From a time immemorial, "Prategiano" – translation: meadow of the god Janus - has been a spiritual place. The more the excavations advanced at the "Canonica di San Nicolo", the more the importance of this magical place was confirmed. The symbolism surrounding the jewel indicates that this spiritual place place was one of the most important religious places of worship in medieval Europe.

Come and spend a few days at Prategiano, immersing yourself in the mysticism of the past centuries. A walk to the ancient church, or to the top the Poggio of Montieri will be enough to sharpen your senses and see modern life in a different light. We start the season April 24th, and are looking forward to a summer full of new emotions, beautiful walking tours in Tuscany, splendid cycling holidays, fantastic trail rides, and countless new experiences to share. See you there in Maremma Toscana, Italy!

Mountain biking in Tuscany near Montieri

 

This season has been the season of the mountain bikers, streetbikers, and even motorbikers.  They come from around the world with tour groups, as the lone wanderer, in couples, and with friends.  All, however, have a common passion for self-powered wheels.  Us horseback riders tell them four legs are better, but they disagree.  I guess the thrill of the Tuscan hills gives them all the adrenaline they could need. Perhaps one day we can offer a trade, the bikers try riding for a day and the riders take a spin on two wheels.  Hmm…

One of the reasons for the high biking traffic in Tuscany is that the terrain around Montieri and throughout Tuscany offers every type of biker endless miles of fantastic landscape over which they can peddle their little hearts out.  There are so many mapped and cleaned trails that can be used by bikers, walkers, and riders alike.  A few weeks back, we had a group take mountain bikes from the hotel Prategiano to the beach in Follonica via off-road trails; a meager 6 hours of travelling including rain, sun, and a lot of mud.  Yet, when I came to retrieve them at the end they were thrilled.  I guess there is something to be said for this addicting and satisfying exercise!  

A Day with the Butteri - the Cowboys of Tuscany

Today riders of the Horse Riding Center in Tuscany "Prategiano" had the opportunity to ride with the Maremma Butteri, or the Maremma cowboys!  This group of easy-going Italians invited us to join them for a trail and an afternoon of eating and entertainment.  At 8:45 am (yikes!) we left the barn at Prategiano and rode to Travale to meet the group of 20 or so local riders.  Then, we all rode out for a nice morning hack.

For once this season, we had perfect sunny weather for the entire day.  After a typical Tuscany trekking through the hills surrounding Travale, we returned to care for the horses and to reconvene for an Italian lunch at the local restaurant.  The whole group with extra husbands, wives, and children included, gathered in the cantina for eating and a little singing, too.  After coffee (of course), we returned to the horses and began to prepare for the afternoon’s demonstrations.  The organizer and local Buttero, Fabio, asked if we would like to join in herding a group of loose horses up to the arena.  Of course we would!  So, off we went with the Butteri and a few western cowboys with their appaloosas.  I even had the opportunity to save the day by blocking an escaping herd with our new young Maremma horse.  Bravo, good boy!  We then watched some demonstrations with Spanish horses, some Spanish dancing, and the first ride for Fabio’s mule.  The finale was a horsemanship demonstration that was truly inspiring to watch.  In the evening, we saddled up again and headed back to our hotel in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano, with the setting sun and tranquil evening air giving the perfect backdrop to a beautiful day.

Stormy Adventure in May in Tuscany

Contrary to popular belief, it is not actually always sunny in Tuscany.  In the springtime, the weather is extremely fickle, changing from summer to winter in one afternoon.  Today, a sunny morning turned to a stormy afternoon, but us riders made an adventure out of it nonetheless.  Planning on a Tuscany horseback ride to Travale, a nearby village, four of us set out in the morning with sun on our shoulders.  After crossing over the mountain ridge and descending into the valley, the skies began to darken and clouds appeared behind the peaks.  

Immediately following an exhilarating gallop, a clap of thunder startled us into the realization that a thunderstorm was upon us.  Choosing to ignore it for the moment, we continued on.  Donning long rain jackets just in time, the drops came splashing down and the clouds rumbled.  We felt like pioneers, explorers caught in a storm.  The landscape changed from bright and sparkling to deep and ominous, but it was still beautiful: a deep mountainous purple beauty.  As we retraced the trail back to the stables, it began to lighten, and even stopped and let a bit of sun back through as we unsaddled the horses.  Moments after returning to our agriturismo in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano for lunch, however, another storm came through.  This time we were happy to be watching it from the other side of a glass window with a hot cappuccino.  Watching the weather come through the mountains from this altitude - with the trees blowing and the mist catching on the mountains - can turn even a stormy day around our hotel in Maremma into a romantic Tuscan painting.