Italy · Tuscany · between Montefollonico and Montepulciano
Follonico: a small guesthouse near Montepulciano.
Susanne and Fabio share their Tuscan home through four suites and two rooms. Each morning starts with Fabio’s bread, their own honey and views towards Montepulciano.
The quick Good Direction
Follonico
at a glance.
- Where
- In the countryside below Montefollonico, with Montepulciano on the opposite hill.
- What
- A restored stone farmhouse with four suites and two rooms — deliberately small, naturally personal.
- The feeling
- Less check-in, more returning to people who have already laid the table.
- For whom
- For those seeking quiet, food, wine, cycling and humanity without a hotel script.
- How long
- Three or four nights, with at least one whole day devoted to going nowhere.
- Best moment
- Fabio brings fresh bread, Susanne stops at the table and the day’s plan suddenly ceases to matter.
Follonico differs from a conventional hotel because Susanne and Fabio live here and take an active part in each stay.
Guests share part of the house and its daily rhythm without a conventional reception or anonymous service. Breakfast, local recommendations and selected dinners make the stay personal while the six units keep it deliberately small.
Beyond five stars
This is not a hotel. It is a home Susanne and Fabio open to others.
The stone house has four suites, two rooms and a garden, while its hosts remain part of everyday life. Susanne helps with excursions and restaurants; Fabio bakes and cooks on selected evenings. Their presence is what sets Follonico apart from a conventional small hotel.
Meet Follonico ↗
A day without an excursion
Leave one day for the house and its surroundings.
Follonico works well without a full-day itinerary. The pool, garden, olive trees and view towards Montefollonico provide a useful rest day between longer excursions.
Short walks lead through lavender and vineyards. An evening at the house is a practical counterpoint to busier days in Montepulciano, Pienza or Val d’Orcia.
Fabio lays the table
Fabio’s bread, breakfast and selected dinners at the shared table.
Fabio bakes fresh bread every day, turning breakfast into a small ceremony without white gloves: bowls of good things, coffee, honey from their bees, their own olive oil and the view across the garden. Several evenings a week, he cooks dinner too — simple, close to the season and centred on the shared table. Dinner nights change, so ask about them when booking.
Current kitchen and stays ↗
Montepulciano · our favourite addresses
Truffles, bistecca and an evening that refuses to hurry.
In Montepulciano, we return to Porta di Bacco — a restaurant and osteria where Tuscany needs no translation. Truffles, fine meat, wine and a pace measured in another bottle rather than minutes. The photographs below remember our Montepulciano evenings; individual dishes change with menus and seasons.
Porta di Bacco ↗
L’Altro Cantuccio · Montepulciano
Contemporary Tuscany: playful, precise and rooted in the landscape.
For one genuinely celebratory evening, L’Altro Cantuccio is our big recommendation. Chef Mattia Putzulu translates Tuscan tradition into a contemporary language through tasting menus, ideas and plates that delight before the first bite. A reservation belongs in the plan. And then there is that third brilliant restaurant whose name escaped us. Fortunately, the taste did not.
Beyond the house
Montepulciano on the hill. Gelato on the way down.
Montepulciano is close enough for dinner or a long morning. Climb its stone lanes, look into the Vino Nobile cellars and leave time for the main square. Every route here appears to lead either uphill or towards gelato — both are correct.
Val d’Orcia
Val d’Orcia: Pienza, Bagno Vignoni and the viewpoints between them.
The stretch beyond Pienza towards Bagno Vignoni is among the most photogenic parts of Val d’Orcia. Allow for narrow roads, frequent stops and sufficient time between towns.
Explore Val d’Orcia ↗
What to see nearby
Three directions worth leaving the pool for.
Montefollonico fits a short afternoon, Montepulciano needs half a day, and Pienza with Bagno Vignoni makes a full-day loop.
The nearest hill
Montefollonico
A small fortified village above the house, perfect for wandering without a checklist. Arrive in late afternoon, follow the walls and spend a while simply looking out.
Wine and stone
Montepulciano
A Renaissance hill town of Vino Nobile, steep lanes and enough restaurants for several returns. Leave at least half a day for the centre and reserve dinner ahead.
The wide view
Pienza & Bagno Vignoni
Pair Renaissance Pienza with a drive through Val d’Orcia and Bagno Vignoni’s stone thermal square. It fills a day beautifully if you refuse to race between viewpoints.
Tuscany by bike
An e-bike saves your legs and leaves room for lunch.
The hills only look gentle in photographs. An e-bike is a wonderful companion here: it handles the climbing while preserving energy for views, coffee and evening wine. Expect both tarmac and gravel, start early in summer, and always adapt the route to surface, traffic and weather.
Official Valdichiana cycling route ↗
A gentle beginning
Follonico & Montefollonico
A short loop around the house and up to the village is ideal on day one. Save energy for the return climb and ask which unpaved tracks are currently rideable.
A road day
Montepulciano & Valdichiana
The official route connects town and Valdichiana countryside. Choose a section to suit your legs, watch the traffic and reach the historic centre before the strongest heat.
The postcard day
Pienza & Val d’Orcia
This self-guided e-bike loop around Pienza runs for roughly 23 kilometres through a landscape that will make you stop more often than the schedule suggests. Check current surface and availability.
Our plan
Three days at Follonico and nearby.
This plan combines a day at the house, Montepulciano and a longer Val d’Orcia excursion. With four nights, add a free day or a shorter bicycle route.
Day 1
Arrive, wander through the garden, swim and settle in for a long first pause. If Fabio is cooking, there is nowhere else to go.
Day 2
A slow breakfast, Montepulciano and Vino Nobile. Dinner at Porta di Bacco or a more ceremonial evening at L’Altro Cantuccio.
Day 3
E-bike towards Pienza and Val d’Orcia, or an easier Montefollonico loop. Return before sunset for one last glass by the house.
Practical notes
Good things to know before the journey.
- Address
- Località Casale 2, 53049 Torrita di Siena, Italy.
- Arrival
- A car is the practical choice. Save the address offline and arrive in daylight; the final kilometres wind through open countryside.
- Stay
- We recommend three or four nights. With only four suites and two rooms, popular dates can disappear quickly.
- Food
- Breakfast is central to the experience. Dinner is served only on selected evenings; confirm current days and format when booking.
- Cycling
- An e-bike suits the hills. Ask in advance about rental, storage and tyres suitable for both tarmac and strade bianche.
- Restaurants
- Reserve Porta di Bacco and L’Altro Cantuccio. Opening days and menus change with the season.
Where it is
Follonico
Tuscany · Italy
Località Casale 2, Torrita di Siena
Drawing the map…
Good Direction tip
Follonico’s strongest feature is its hosts.
The house, garden and location near Montepulciano are excellent in their own right. The reason we would return, however, is Susanne and Fabio: their personal attention, Fabio’s breakfasts and the option to spend part of the stay entirely on the property.