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Having a private guide in Tuscany is the best way to get to know the area, its culture, its people. With a personal guide you can have access to innumerable lesser known art treasures in a landscape of incomparable beauty. You can discover the world of wine and food at a more relaxed pace than that of mass tourism.
Siena and Tuscany have much to offer: come and find out!
My Profile
I was born and grew up on the beautiful island of Sardinia. After a number of years in Milan where I got a degree in foreign languages and literature (English, Spanish and Portuguese), I spent a year in California and then moved to Tuscany. After working in luxury hotel management, I became a licensed tour guide for Siena and its Province. I have taken a sommelier course and the Cheese Taster first certificate course. My passions are art history, wine, food, local traditions and literature.
I am also the owner of Casa Parva, a charming apartment in Montisi that I make available for a memorable stay in Tuscany.
I live in Montisi, a charming medieval town, with my husband, a wine making consultant.
Art Tours
Below are some ideas for tours in our area. Please contact me to discuss customized tours based on your personal needs.
Siena
A step into the past, through narrow back streets, fortified houses, medieval towers, tiny piazzas, lesser known churches rich in masterpieces. Discover the routes of pilgrims, saints, artists, travelers and the traditional arts and crafts workshops along with the masterpieces of Palazzo Pubblico, the Duomo, the Museo dell’Opera, and Santa Maria della Scala formerly an hospital and now a fascinating museum.
Palio
The Palio is a bare-back horse race that has been taking place for centuries in the main square, the Campo, between the various neighborhoods of the city, the “Contradas”. This tour takes you behind the scenes to visit a Contrada with its church and museum, and will help you to understand the spirit and the fascination of this event.
The countryside
Discover Pienza, built for Pope Pius II as an ideal Renaissance town, also famous for its Pecorino cheese; Montepulciano and its Renaissance church of San Biagio; the world-famous San Gimignano with its many towers. The lesser known San Quirico d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni, Radicofani, Colle Val d’Elsa. Travel through the Crete Senesi, the typical lunar-like landscape, the Chianti area with its wineries and villages or the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Abbeys
Sant’Antimo, Monte Oliveto Maggiore, San Galgano and the hermitage of Montesiepi with the legend of the sword in the stone.
The Etruscans
Discover Tuscany’s ancestors in the towns and museums of Chiusi, Chianciano Terme, Murlo, Sarteano and visit their Etruscan tombs.
Gardens
Visit the famous gardens of this area, including some that are not usually open to the public.
Wine and Food Tours
Wine tour
Discover the great wines of this region: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the history of Italian wine, from Etruscan wine to the Supertuscans with tastings at important wineries.
Cheese and Olive oil tour
In combination with a wine tour, discover the local Pecorino sheepsmilk cheese from Pienza and the famous “oro verde”, the Tuscan olive oil, with tastings and visits to local producers.
Comments
Bella Antonella,
You are amazing!!! What a pleasure it was for my group to have you lead us, educate us, and amaze us with your knowledge on Italian art, wine and Tuscan life!! Your great sense of humour was also very much appreciated as were your personal stories. You are truly one of the best Guides I’ve ever had for my groups!! Your English is excellent, and your sparkling, bubbly personality make all the difference. An added benefit was your extensive knowledge of Tuscan wines which I loved. You are obviously doing what you were meant to do–your passion is contagious! Thank you for truly one of the best days in Italy!! I look forward to seeing you again next year! Hugs xo
Grace Cirocco, Vita Bella Retreats, St. Catharines, ON
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Dear Antonella, We can’t begin to thank you enough for making our holiday so special. Being able to spend the am with you in Siena was perfect, it just would not have been the same on our own. The cheese visit was brilliant! Just what we were looking to see and taste.
I hope we can visit with your husband in California.
Thanks again,
Joe, Bill, Ken and Rick
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Hello Dorothy,
Thank you for writing – I’m glad you found me and read about Antonella on my blog post.
In short, Antonella is just amazing and totally worth every Euro you spend to hire her.
She was so helpful in creating two highly personalized tours for me last October. First of all, I spent a week in Montisi with 10 girlfriends. Many of us are garden writers and/or designers so we wanted to see beautiful Italian gardens. Antonella created a tour that got us inside some hard-to-access estate gardens that just took away our collective breaths.
The following week, after my girlfriends left, my family arrived. We had three generations – from age 12 to 76 – and that was a bit of a challenge. Antonella also created a lovely, personal tour for our group to see some beautiful architecture, scenery, and a monastery. She managed to make everyone laugh and got the kids interested in funny details in the carvings and artwork that they would never have figured out on their own.
She is just wonderful, smart, resourceful, and generous with her knowledge.
Best of luck and please let me know how it all turns out.
Sincerely,
Debra Prinzing
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Dear Antonella,
We are now back in Chicago and reliving our wonderful vacation in Tuscany. Wanted you to know how pleased we were with your tour, you highlighted everything of interest to us and all of us enjoyed it very much. When we asked the children what they enjoyed most about their time in Tuscany, they all answered “Siena” and of course that was because of your tour. The contradas were fascinating, as was it all. Many thanks!
Diane Cooper
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Hi Antonella! I can’t stop thinking about how wonderful our trip was! We owe so much of that to you for being such a great guide and friend. I was glad to get home, but I find myself wondering what you might be doing and what fun memories we made in Italy. I’ll be in touch and thanks again for a fabulous time! Thinking of you…
Angie
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Hello Antonella,
Thank you for a wonderful day! We will remember it forever. Your knowledge of the wine area and all their particularities was very insightful.
Patricia and Pierre – Montreal
Contacts
Antonella Piredda
Tour Guide (Italian, English and Spanish)
tel. (+39) 0577 845142
fax: (+39) 0577 845921
mobile: (+39) 347 4565150
anto@antonellapiredda.com
antonella.piredda@live.it
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