My husband and I spent 4 nights at Montario on our honeymoon. We had a 2 bedroom apartment with a kitchen and bathroom. It is a gorgeous old castle in the middle of Brunello wine country. From here we enjoyed beautiful sunsets in a very private setting. Montepulciano is close to Montelcino (vineyards) and a short drive from Cortona (cute artist town). The owner of Montario, Stephania, is incredibly friendly, helpful, and hospitable. All of her suggestions for restaurants and winerys were excellent! We felt very much at home and would go back in a heartbeat!

Located on it's own tiny hilltop, Montorio is a nicely renovated country house that affords stunning views of the surrounding countryside and the church of San Biagio. Comprised of 5 apartments of varying sizes and a reception office, it has well-maintained landscaping and a gravel patio with furniture, sculpture, and pottery. Montorio sits outside the southwest walls of Montepulciano above the main road to Pienza, so there is traffic noise during the day (although it is not intrusive and certainly not an obstacle to sleeping). A steep gravel drive rises from the road intersection to the property through an electronic gate (you are given a remote control unit to operate it upon check-in). The little road loops around the hilltop and has enough room in two locations to provide parking for about 6 cars total. I must point out that the loop drive is very narrow at the top, has two "crests" that create blind turns, and drops suddenly on the outside edge down the hill. Some shrubs and small trees provide a visual "barrier" to this dropoff but it is an adventure trying to circle the property and park.

Our unit was named S. Roberto Bellarmino. It consisted of a kitchen with a non-working fireplace and table with chairs; a small sitting room with sofa and wardrobe; a bedroom with a satellite TV, chest, and small loft accessed with a ladder (with nothing up there but an access to the attic); and an attractive bathroom with nice fixtures. The apartment was nicely decorated with antiques, wood beamed ceilings, and tiled floors, and was also well-heated (it was cool at night). The refrigerator was stocked with some eggs, coffee, and other items which we made use of for meals (there is a market behind some buildings across the road at the road intersection below where we bought provisions ... remember though that stores close in the early afternoon for 2-3 hours so plan your shopping accordingly). A laundry with washer, dryer, table and rack is located in a small ground level room near the patio; use of it is free and though the dryer takes a long time to dry clothes, the room is a much appreciated feature. Remember that check-out is at 9:30 am, earlier than a standard hotel.

We did not find much in Montepulciano to get excited about. There are scattered wine tasting rooms and there was a little "craft" fair held on Piazza Grande when we were there but the Duomo was uninteresting and the town seemed "dead". The church of San Biagio, however, was lovely (we walked from and to the church up and down a very steep lane to the town 15 minutes away). Pienza, a 15 minute drive west, was more enjoyable, with two fascinating churches (the Duomo and San Francesco), nice architecture, lively streets, shopping, and great vistas over southern Tuscany. Be sure to drive about 60 minutes west to Sant'Antimo, a 12th century abbey (founded in the 800's) which sits in a valley about 15 minutes south of Montalcino and provides a bit of French architecture in Tuscany (the interior, which was being restored while we were there, has lovely ancient alabaster columns). The monks hold services using Gregorian chants (and they sell CD's, too). Remember that the country roads (like the little drive around Montorio) are narrow and twist and turn up and down the hills, so driving can take longer than you think and requires your full attention. Fog in the valleys is common during the fall and can obsure views and make roads additionally challenging.

Having the use of an apartment at Montorio was a great break from the small hotels we stayed in throughout Italy as it provided more room (and rooms), a chance to cook for ourselves, and an opportunity to do our laundry. It was clean and attractive. Just watch out for the dropoffs.

Just returning from our first trip to Italy -- two weeks in Tuscany and Umbria at 5 very different types of properties - a B&B, city apartment, elegant Villa and cottage Inn. Our favorite is Montorio. It is in a most beautiful location, offers space and convenience at a moderate price, and absolutely charming patio's and views from the hill. Very cozy and romantic -- we highly recommend it.

From the photos you'd see to what you read in novels, the Montorio offers views and serenity you'd expect from Tuscany. Stephania was always helpful (although I think the inclusions have changed and we did not have breakfast but had a nice cake upon arrival). Our room was charming; not beautiful, but charming. But the walls were somewhat thin, so that we would hear the next suite visitors sneeze and flush their toilet. But otherwise, we truly enjoyed our stay there and it's close enough to the main town to drive in and out with convenience. We would definitely go back to Montorio for future trips to Tuscany.