In the heart of the Chianti countryside
... for those who can find time to slow down and spend their evenings in front of a sunset that, in silence, leaves space to the night ..... those lucky ones.

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

Torre di Ponzano  strada di Ponzano, 8 - 50028 Barberino Tavarnelle - Firenze

DIRECTIONS

To get to Ponzano, coming either from Florence or Siena, you have to take the SUPERSTRADA (also called AUTOPALIO). This is the main connection between Florence and Siena, it is not a motorway but a four laned drive without toll.

Once you are on the Superstrada:

--Continue on this dual-carriage way till the exit 'POGGIBONSI NORD'

--Take exit ‘POGGIBONSI NORD’ come to the roundabout and take the first road on the right following directions to Barberino Val d’Elsa

--- from here we are only 5.4 km (3 miles) away ---

--Go in the direction of Barberino and after exactly 4,7 Km turn right on a white country road

--Continue for 600 mt and you will arrive at la ‘Torre di Ponzano’ which is the first house on the right

If come from Florence your GPS can tell you to exit at TAVARNELLE, this is also correct.


SEE THE POSITION OF TORRE DI PONZANO ON GOOGLE MAP

Torre di Ponzano is located in Ponzano, a small hamlet near the village of Barberino Val d'Elsa.
Barberino Val d'Elsa is north of Poggibonsi on the old Cassia road or, more precisely, on the old
'Via Francigena' half way between Florence, Siena and San Gimignano.

Places to visit from Torre di Ponzano

Half an hour drive:

FIRENZE -  30 km - 18 miles

SIENA - 30 km - 18 miles

SAN GIMIGNANO - 20 Km - 12 miles

CERTALDO - 16 Km - 10 miles

VOLTERRA - 44 Km - 27 miles

One hour drive:

MONTALCINO - 70 Km - 43 miles

PIENZA - 90 Km - 55 Miles

MONTEPULCIANO - 95 Km - 58 miles

LUCCA - 108 Km -  67 miles

CORTONA - 99 Km - 61 miles

PERUGIA - 133 Km - 82 miles

Nearest Aerports:

FLORENCE airport  - 45 km - 27 miles

PISA airport - 110 Km - 68 miles

Rome is 270 Km away - 167 miles
Milan is 330 Km away - 204 miles

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White silence ...

After so many years a glimpse of 'real' winter in Ponzano.

Snow brings a peaceful feeling. The world follows the slow motion of the snowflakes, falling soundless.

The soft white painting makes you notice things that would otherwise be left unnoticed.

The silence is different in the snow, it is so dense to become a presence, it is so important to take up the scene, it is so welcoming to make you feel at home.

Round footprints of deer are the only marks on the path.

Olive trees

The hamlet of Ponzano from the olive grove

The temperature is not so kind to the olive trees, the whole harvest can be at risk.

Trees, flowers, even objects are taken aback by the heavy weigth they have to carry ...

With the rays of the sun  and the snow slowly melting away the view starts changing

All of the above along with some hot spicy wine, roasted chestnuts, apple cakes, and  burning wood in the old stove will surely make cold days very pleasant!

The season is coming to an end ...

Autumn time.

The climate is changing. For many years now the cold postpone its arrival and will be here only later on. During this period sunsets have blasting colours, fields are green and, often, the gray day will roll into a shy sun and a cosy warmth.
This is the season of the new wine.
Nature has never chosen its products casually . The new wine is not very strong and it is pleasant to have a glass of Chianti to warm up the evenings and prepare, gradually, for the winter when the wine, finally mature, will be stronger so as to have more power to fight the long winter and the frosty days.



The foggy hills give their very best when the mist is of a bluish colour.
While the towers of San Gimignano barely appear in the distance,
the cypress trees look like feathers on elegant hats reminding us
of the ancient splendor of nature.

After the rain the soft skylines are dissolving into the sky.
It's a welcoming sight, while the vineyards and the olive groves disappear along with the labour of men.

From March to December

Seasons ... deep poems that punctuate the sound of life

as with no poetry we exist without living

Les seasons ... poèmes profonde qui ponctuent le son de la vie parce que sans poésie on existe sans vivre

Le stagioni ... profonde poesia che scandiscono il suono della vita

perchè senza poesia esistiamo senza vivere

March

Trees still leafless

wild, small, yellow flowers are blooming under the first warm sun rays

Cypress are still suffering the passage of a short but heavy snow storm, their branches are leaning out towards the earth waiting for a human help

It's a matter of days then the country side will turn into an explosion of leaves, flowers, colors.

April

Nurse: 'Do you believe in God?'

Einstein:   'Do I beleive there is someone who plans the daily life of Albert Einstein? No. Altough some times I think he may have been leading me up the garden path and I have spent all my life trying to catch him at his work!'

Nurse:    'But did he make the garden?'

Einstein:  'I think he is the garden'

May

  May is a great month to visit Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pienza ....

Not too hot to enjoy the red wine served in the so many local Restaurants or simply sitting in the garden in front of a magnificent view!

 June

This year june has been marvellous.

Not too crowded and not too hot ,with sporadic showers that have kept the country side green and pleasantly warm, allowing our guests to visit the art towns without suffering the heat. 

One afternoon, after a thunder storm, the thick clouds on the sky have played up with the sun giving us a stunning sunset ...

July

Blooming lavender, busy bees and a garden which is now ready to change colour.

Soon the grass will be yellow under the usual heat that is proper of this summer month.

This is a period of the year where our guests spend over a week in Ponzano alternating a visit to Florence with a relaxing day in the pool, an afternoon in Siena with a lazy afternoon under the shadow of a tree reading a nice book with the sound of crickets in the background.
This is no time to challenge the heat, this is time to surrender to it and relax to the rhythm of lazy hours.

August

"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

                                                                                                         W.S.

... so is the month of August, it comes as a fiery chariot and rolls away in a flash!  

leaving behind the trapped eyes of a wild deer .... 

September

The summer heat dies in September, leaving a hot trail that will take us throughout the autumn ...

The fields are slowly recovering that shade of dark green lost during the summer, the grapes are waiting to be harvested and we are eager to taste a new good Chianti wine!

October

The yellow leaves of the pomogranate will soon be carpet for the lawn, the clouds barely hold the rain

while the warmest existing colors are all around us.

November

The harvest of the olives!!!

December

Merry Christmas!!!

May 2015

No words for the month of May, only flowers … flowers … flowers ... flowers !