Planning a trip to Montalcino
The tourist office (tel. 0577-849-331; www.prolocomontalcino.com) is at Costa del Municipio 1, in the shadow of the bell tower. Open daily 10am–1pm and 2–5:40pm, closed Mon from Nov–Mar.
Festivals
Celebrating the opening of hunting season is the Torneo di Apertura delle Cacce, held on the second weekend in August. The events, dating from the 14th century, include archery competitions and lots of food as everybody struts in medieval costume. The residents dust off those outfits again for a similar but much larger festival called the Sagra del Tordo, held the last weekend in October. It kicks off on Saturday with an archery competition pitting Montalcino's four contrade against one another. Parades, pageantry, and plenty of food follow for the next 2 days. The festa honors the lowly thrush, long considered a delicacy in these hills. Music lovers are also catered to: July sees an International Chamber Music Festival (www.musica-reale.com). Friday is market day on Viale della Libertà.
Getting There
By Train
Ten trains a day on the Grosseto line out of Siena stop at Buonconvento (25 min.). From there, it's about 14km (8 1/2 miles), or 30 minutes by bus, to Montalcino; buses generally run in sync with train arrivals.
By Car
Montalcino is about 8km (5 miles) off the SS2 Via Cassia running between Siena and Rome. There is a small parking lot next to the Fortezza just inside the walls. If it's full, you can also find pay parking ringing the walls.
By Bus
There are roughly 12 daily TRA-IN buses from Siena (70 min.); a few require a change at Buonconvento. The bus terminus in Montalcino is Piazza Cavour; buy your tickets at Bar Prato on the piazza or from the tourist office.
