It’s a warm summer afternoon here in San Quirico d’Orcia and from the windows of the Palazzo del Capitano you can enjoy the sun, the sky and the bright green of the Giardino (the Garden). Come out into this green and you will be surrounded by the luxuriant vegetation in this sleepy afternoon heat. Light breezes caress the wisteria and rock it gently. Ah, such a relief under its cool shade. Sit down, there at a table in the centre of the Giardino Hotel and enjoy the peace in silence. A thousand odours invade your nostrils: the delicate purple lavender, the penetrating jasmine that is ecstasy for the senses and blends with the bright colours of the geraniums and with the thousand hues of green of the bushes and aromatic herbs. Just like in all the gardens in fairy tales and in the locus amoenus of the Latins, there is a secret hidden inside it. It is the hydromassage tub that appears suddenly, like magic under the wisteria pergola. Immerse yourselves. The water is hot, but not too much. It welcomes you with its many bubbles. It gives you a pleasant and regenerating tickle.

Near by, under a century old generous and sensual fig tree, there is Adam and Eve’s Cabin, where you can have a relaxing massage. In the meantime, the sun is setting and a certain languor insinuates itself. It is supper time. You will leave the garden, till dazed by its luxuriance and head to the restaurant, the Antica Trattoria Toscana “Al Vecchio Forno”. There are joyous voices and composed and elegant buildings that welcome you along the streets. The stones they are built with give a hint of their past glories and swords unsheathing and horses hooves clattering are easy to imagine.

Suddenly, the majestic Church of San Francesco appears. Beautiful, imposing albeit simple with its refined rose window and belltower in the classical red colour of our soil. The Trattoria is in one of these buildings. It dates back to the 1500s and was an ancient bakery that has maintained all its splendid features intact. The odour of bread and flour that could be smelt here and all around must have been amazing! And now you can smell other perfumes in the air that are just as sweet and fill all the spaces of the pergolas, among stones and tree branches and tables. Sit down in the fresh air where the view is most complete and relaxes your legs. You will be welcomed by the cosy furniture in Tuscan style and by the warmth of the people. You will be tempted by the tasty menu. A unique refined and elegant culinary experience. You will eat traditional Tuscan dishes that carry a history and a genuine past within them, and you will experience unforgettable moments of culinary pleasure.

And while you are there, lost in a fairy tale dream, we will say goodbye and wait for you in the ancient village of San Quirico where you can spend your holidays discovering the Val d’Orcia and chose the elegant rooms of the Palazzo del Capitano, the suites of the Villa, or the Dimore in the historic centre.