Montalcino is another gorgeous hill town in Tuscany, not far from Sant’ Antimo Abbey. Dating back to 814 AD, the town is renowned for its precious Brunello red wine. After parking the car, my first image was this beautiful bell tower.

The Santa Maria del Soccorso was consecrated in 1330 and the bell tower was added in 1625.

We wandered through the narrow, stone paved streets,

occasionally catching glimpses down alleyways of the magnificent countryside.

The main square of the Piazza del Popolo is watched over by the majestic clocktower of the Palazzo dei Priori, the city’s town hall.

The loggia houses a statue of Cosimo de Medici, 16^th century warlord and grand duke.

The shops, cafés and restaurants were enticing

and some of the doors quite grand.

We enjoyed a late lunch of delicious pizza at Il Grifo Ristorante Pizzeria.

The view across the rooftops from the rear of the restaurant was stunning.

On the way back to the car, we crossed a lovely park

with another breathtaking vista of the Val d’Orcia.

We had to tear ourselves away, time was running out as we made our way to the next objective – Montepulciano.