We wake up early. The valley is covered in mist
We take the gravel road from Monteronterongriffoli
To the forrest
Luciano Tognazzi. Truffle Hunter
Luciano and Ugo
On our way to the hunt
Ugo has found something
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Siena is without a doubt the main attraction in southern Tuscany. Wonderfully preserved as it was at its height during the 13th century, it is home to numerous art collections and splendid examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The most famous ‘festa’ of all is the Palio, a bareback horse race (held in July 2:nd and August 16:th). The tradition of the Palio started in 1644 and has since then been the most important yearly event in the city of Siena/Tuscany. The race takes place on the Piazza del Campo and attracts spectators from all over the world. |
San Giovanni D’Asso, our closest neighbour, is the truffle capital of Tuscany and holds |
Montalcino & Montepulciano, our neighbouring towns, are home to some of Italy’s most prestigious wines, the Brunello di Montalcino and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. |
Montisi produces some of the finest olive oil in Tuscany. Every year the village hosts a large olive oil tasting fest providing visitors with an opportunity to sample the first batch of cold pressed oil. |
Pienza, often described, as the “ideal Renaissance city,” owes its beauty and fame to Enea Silvio Piccolomini, elevated to Pope in 1458 taking the name Pius II. He had his hometown Corsignano rebuilt and named it Pienza after himself (Pius). Pienza is also where you would go to buy the best pecorino cheese in the area. |
Chiusure is home to the (still active) Olivetan abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. |
Ankhura is a 4-room family-run hotel situated in the medieval hamlet of Monterongriffoli in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Since opening in 2001, Ankura has welcomed travellers from all corners of the world who have come to experience Tuscany.
Monterongriffoli, or Griffin Mountain, is a medieval farming village located in the heart of the Crete Senesi. What was once a bustling community of farmers, glass blowers, cobblers and blacksmiths, is now a lazy Tuscan hamlet with beautiful reminders of a bygone era and a population of nine (including us!).
Monterongriffoli is surrounded by a quintessential Tuscan landscape with undulating hills and spectacular views of the Asso valley. Several walking paths originate from Monterongriffoli, offering long challenging hikes for the more experienced, as well as short walks suitable for pre-breakfast strolls.
Read full story >>Pici is a hand rolled pasta, much appreciated in our part of Italy.
It’s made by rolling pieces of pasta dough made of wheat flour and water until you have long strings. It is regularly eaten with a ragu of wild boar, hare, rabbit or pork.
In this recepie we serve it with Salsiccia.
Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the water a little at a time, stirring with your hands until a dough is formed. You may need more or less water, depending on the humidity in your kitchen.
Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead it like bread until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Make two equally sized balls from the dough. Roll each ball of dough with a rolling pin until it is about 0,5 cm thick and cover it with olive oil. (This will prevent it from getting dry while rolling the pici) Let it stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Cut the doug in to 1 cm wide stripes.
Pull the stripe gently and start rolling until it has the shape of a long thick spaghetti. (They don’t all have to have the exact same shape. They are made by hand!!!)
“Drag” the pici through a pile of flour and leave it to rest.
Remove the skin from the sausages and chop them finely. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion, and fry gently until soft. Add the sausages and stir to brown a little, then add the whine, lemon zest and reduce until almost dry.
Cook the pici in plenty of boiling salted water (should taste like salty soup) for about 4-5 minutes. Toss with the sauce, some boiling water and Parmesan cheese. Add the parsley and some extra olive oil.
Serve right away.
Read full story >>Take the A1 highway southwards towards Rome (Roma). Continue along the highway until the Val di Chiana Bettole Sinalunga exit.
Exit the A1 at the Val di Chiana Bettole Sinalunga exit. Take a right after the tollbooths. Soon take a right following signs for Sinalunga/Siena.
About 5 minutes down this road (Siena-Perugia highway), take a right for Sinalunga. Follow signs for Sinalunga. You will come to a roundabout. Go straight at the roundabout. At the next T-junction, take a right and then an immediate left, following signs for Trequanda. Continue driving through Sinalunga, following signs for Trequanda and San Giovanni D’Asso.
By-pass the towns of Trequanda, Montisi and San Giovanni D’Asso.
Approximately 2km (1.2 miles) after you pass the San Giovanni D’Asso turnoff, take a right at the sign for Monterongriffoli.
Follow the gravel road. Continue along the gravel road and you will reach the village. Approximately 100 metres after you enter the village, you will see a roadsign indicating a ‘No through road’ i.e. a dead end. Park your car anywhere along the left or right.
Take a left at the ‘No through road’ sign and then another left around the church, walking up the street.
You will find Ankhura almost immediately on your right with a sign next to our front door. For a map of the village of Monterongriffoli and where to find us, please click here.
Approximate time to drive from Bologna to the A1 Val di Chiana exit: 2 hrs
Approximate time to drive from the A1 Val di Chiana exit to Ankhura : 25 mins
For a map of the village of Monterongriffoli and where to find us, please click here.
Read full story >>Exit the Rome circular ring road (GRA) and drive north on the A1 highway towards Florence (Firenze). Exit the A1 highway at Val di Chiana Bettole Sinalunga.
Take a right after the tollbooths. Soon take a right following signs for Sinalunga/Siena.
About 5 minutes down this road (the Siena-Perugia highway), take a right for Sinalunga. Follow signs for Sinalunga. You will come to a roundabout. Go straight at the roundabout. At the next T-junction, take a right and then an immediate left, following signs for Trequanda. Continue driving through Sinalunga, following signs for Trequanda and San Giovanni D’Asso.
By-pass the towns of Trequanda, Montisi and San Giovanni D’Asso.
Approximately 2km (1.2 miles) after you pass the San Giovanni D’Asso turnoff, take a right at the sign for Monterongriffoli and follow the gravel road.
Continue along the gravel road and you will reach the village. Approximately 100 metres after you enter the village, you will see a roadsign indicating a ‘No through road’ i.e. a dead end. Park your car anywhere along the left or right. Take a left at the ‘No through road’ sign and then another left around the church, walking up the street.
You will find Ankhura almost immediately on your right with a sign next to our front door. For a map of the village of Monterongriffoli and where to find us, please click here.
Approximate driving time from Rome (GRA) to the A1 Val di Chiana exit: 2 hrs
Approximate driving time from the A1 Val di Chiana exit to Ankhura : 25 mins
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