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7 Day Horseback Riding Holiday along The Ancient Medieval Road in Siena, Tuscany
La Selva Agriturismo, Strada del Pian del Lago 19, Siena, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy
Italy Horse Riding Holiday
Riding on the Via Francigena is like going back in time and becomes an opportunity to discover, with a slow and ancient rhythm, places that have great historical, cultural, and environmental value among the most typical of this part of Tuscany.
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 198 pounds / 90 kilograms
Meet the instructors
Sergio
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Highlights
- 5 days and half of horse riding
- Approximate daily riding time: 4 to 6 hours
- Ride through lakes and various attractions
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Ground transportation
Skill level
- Intermediate
Styles
5 days with instruction
Group size: 2-6 participants
Airport transfer available:
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport) (US$ 164 per person)
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport) (US$ 164 per person)
Airport transfer available:
Florence Airport, Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci Airport) (US$ 164 per person)
Florence Airport, Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci Airport) (US$ 164 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
16:00
Check-out Time:
10:30
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Table tennis
- Garden
- Multilingual staff
- Terrace
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
The Agriturismo La Selva is located in the splendid natural setting of Pian del Lago, a green oasis just five kilometers from Siena. It is a closed-end estate of 38 hectares, in a panoramic position overlooking the whole valley and the green Montagnola Senese full of hermitages and castles where it is possible to make excursions on foot and horseback. Agriturismo La Selva is ideal for people who love nature and tranquillity, it offers its guests accommodation for both couples and families, in rooms with bathrooms and apartments equipped with everything necessary for an independent holiday.
Rooms and apartments
From ancient typical Tuscan farmhouses, S A Ranch has created for guests: cozy, fully furnished apartments and comfortable rooms all with private bathrooms.
1. Double and triple rooms
The Agriturismo La Selva offers its guests hospitality in comfortable double or triple rooms with bed and breakfast treatment. The rooms are all equipped with TVs, mini-fridges, dressing rooms with wardrobes, bathrooms with showers, hairdryers, soaps and shampoo, and shower caps.
2. Apartment for two people (ideal for couples)
The apartment Il Giardino is located on the first floor of the main farmhouse, with a terrace overlooking the garden and the valley. It consists of a double bedroom, a living room with a kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower. At the beginning of the stay, the apartment is equipped with toilet paper, soap, and shampoo for the following days the customer will care to provide everything necessary for their consumption needs.
3. Apartments 2+2 (ideal for families with children)
The 2+2 apartments are independent apartments on the ground roof, with the front garden equipped with tables and chairs to dine in the cool of the evening or relax with a good drink. They all consist of a spacious double bedroom with the possibility of an extra single bed, a large living room with a kitchen a comfortable double sofa bed with slats, and a bathroom with a shower. At the beginning of the stay the apartments are equipped with toilet paper, soap, and shampoo for the following days it will be the customer's responsibility to provide everything necessary for their consumption needs.
4. Two-bedroom apartments
The three-room apartments are independent apartments on the ground roof, with a front terrace equipped with tables and chairs to dine in the cool of the evening or relax with a good drink. They all consist of two double bedrooms, a living room with a kitchen, and one or two bathrooms with showers. At the beginning of the stay, the apartments are equipped with toilet paper, soap, and shampoo, for the following days it will be the customer's responsibility to provide everything necessary for their consumption needs.
Outer space
La Selva Agriturismo reserves spaces for its guests which include a garden on two levels.
Pool
A circular pool of 12 meters in diameter.
Parking
Ample parking outside.
Program
Daily itinerary
Sunday
Meeting at the Equestrian Tourism Center and guest check-in. At dinner, you will meet your equestrian guides, who will explain the trekking program to you.
Monday
Meeting of the riders at the equestrian center at about 9.30 and departure to reach Monteriggioni. In the first part, the route crosses Pian del Lago, where until the mid-18th century there was a lake (or rather a swamp) called Verano which was completely reclaimed by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo.
This stretch of the Via Francigena will lead you to the Castello Della Chiocciola with its cylindrical tower which contains a beautiful ‘spiral’ staircase and then to the Castello di Monteriggioni built between 1214 and 1219. After the lunch stop and still on the Via Francigena, we meet Abbadia Isola. “Abbadia” stands for abbey, while “Isola” because it stood on the marshy Lake Verano. After Castel Pietraio we reach the stopping point for this first day.
Tuesday
Departure from the horse stop point to reach the territory of San Gimignano in the Montauto area. This route develops around the Val d’Elsa, a beautiful part of Tuscany between Siena and Florence. Its origins seem to date back to the Etruscan era (9th century BC), but it is thanks to the Via Francigena that the Valdelsa became an important social, political, and economic center. Before returning to the horse stop, we will stop for lunch along one of the Francigena paths just like medieval travelers.
Wednesday
Today, you will ride along the paths of the Montagnola Senese, one of the most interesting areas in southern Tuscany from a naturalistic point of view. It is a hilly area with reliefs of about 500 to 600 m a.s.l. which has been populated since Etruscan and Roman times but has preserved its naturalness. You will meet the remains of the Nagli Chapel from the Romanesque era, the Marmoraia fortified village dating back to the early Middle Ages with its Pieve, and the Borgo di Scorgiano.
Thursday
This part of the journey will take you back to the equestrian center following the paths of the Montagnola Senese, but for a few hours, you will leave the Middle Ages to enter the 1900s. You reach Casa Giubileo which is located on Montemaggio. This is a place to “not forget” because, during the Second World War, it was the scene on March 28, 1944, of one of the most dramatic episodes of the liberation struggle. In this place, you will find hospitality and you can, for those who wish, visit the Rooms of Memory.
Friday
You travel along the Via Francigena to reach the Hermitage of Lecceto built between 1189 and 1223. The church, known since 1223, was rebuilt in 1317 and enlarged in 1344. Continuing, you reach the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Lago. news of the presence of a hermit community dates to the year 1112, but its existence seems to date back before the 12th century.
Along the way, you will find La Piramide, an obelisk in memory of the reclamation of Pian del Lago. After the lunch stop at the fortified village of La Villa, an official stopping point on the Francigena, you return to the equestrian center leaving the Castello della Chiocciola behind you. In the afternoon, there will be a tasting of typical Tuscan wines.
Saturday
Breakfast and departure.
About the holiday
Anyone who wants to take some time for an equestrian experience in Tuscan nature is welcome. S A Ranch is not perfect, but they do what they do with great passion. Arrival on Sunday and departure on Saturday. The journey does not hide any difficulties and is for riders of medium experience. It lasts five days with approximately four to six hours in the saddle per day. In case and if possible, they can modify the gait. A shuttle service will take care of all guests' transfers. The itineraries may vary if circumstances require it.
Lunch stops along the routes and dinners include beverages. The Via Francigena has represented over the centuries, since the early Middle Ages (year 476 to 1000 AD), the route followed by pilgrims from central-northern Europe, to reach Rome, the seat of the Papacy and heart of Christianity. In 2004, this route was declared a “Great European Cultural Itinerary” by the Council of Europe, similar to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. What is known today as the Via Francigena is the 1800 km route taken by Archbishop Sigerico in the year 990 to return to Canterbury from Rome after meeting Pope John XV.
It is important to know that in addition to the Sigerico route, there are many paths, and variations, used by pilgrims, merchants, and soldiers for convenience, climatic conditions, minor destinations, or to reduce the distances and difficulties of their journeys. Riding on the Via Francigena is like going back in time and becomes an opportunity to discover, with a slow and ancient rhythm, places that have great historical, cultural, and environmental value among the most typical of this part of Tuscany.
The riding school
The horse excites and fascinates, but you have to approach it safely and with the awareness of meeting a different living being than others for many reasons. The idea is that of a classroom where progressive, dedicated, and in-depth learning programs take place that put fun, the safety of the student, and the well-being of the horse first. The goal of the school is not to simplify but to educate to carry out equestrian activities not only “with” the horse but “for” the horse.
The programs and lessons in various styles (English, Western, etc.) developed by qualified personnel, are aimed at learning communication techniques from the ground and the saddle. Understanding the responses or reactions of the horse, getting to know the equipment and its correct use, to then experiencing the emotions of outings in the countryside or other equestrian specialties.
Included excursions
- Wine tasting at the Dievole estate
- Walk and dinner in Siena
Instructors
Sergio Aldieri
When I saw a horse for the first time, I was five years old, and I was amazed. I started a journey made up of sacrifices, lessons, competitions to achieve ever higher sporting results. Then I met great horsemen, famous and not, I understood that technique and training are important but it is essential to observe,wait,listen.I stopped doing "with"starting to do "for" the horse. Sacrifices increased, to then achieve "doing together". This is my lifestyle, my work,my passion and if the results are slow in coming,I remember the words of Ray Hunt: "believe in your horse and he will believe in you".
Location
The holiday will take place in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. The Via Francigena has been represented over the centuries. Since the early Middle Ages (years 476 AD to 1000 AD), the route was followed by pilgrims from central-northern Europe to reach Rome, the seat of the Papacy and heart of Christianity. In 2004, this route was declared a “Great European Cultural Itinerary” by the Council of Europe, similar to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
What is known today as the Via Francigena is the 1800-kilometer route taken by Archbishop Sigerico in the year 990 to return to Canterbury from Rome after meeting Pope John XV. It is important to know that in addition to the Sigerico route, there are many paths and variations, used by pilgrims, merchants, and soldiers for convenience, climatic conditions, minor destinations, or to reduce the distances and difficulties of their journeys.
The surrounding area is perfect for those who want to slowly discover and immerse themselves in an environment among the most typical of this part of Tuscany. Near them, some places have great historical, cultural, and environmental value: the Ancient Via Francigena, the Castles of the Chiocciola and Monteriggioni, the Sienese Montagnola with its parish churches, the Hermitage of Lecceto and San Leonardo al Lago, the Chianti with its vineyards.
Distances
- Siena City, 5 kilometers
Food
You will be served breakfast, lunch, dinner, water, and wine every day included in the price. S A Ranch offers typical Italian food with genuine products of the territory.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Horse riding for 5 days and half
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Drinks (water and wine)
- Helmet and short chaps
- Shuttle service for transferring guests to and from the meeting point (arrival and departure)
- Shuttle service for the transfer of guests during the trip on horseback (to and from lodgings, horse stops, dinner, and wine tasting)
- Insurance
- VAT and taxes
What's not included
- Airfare
- Shuttle service to and from airports
- Tickets for museums, exhibitions, etc.
How to get there
Recommended Airports
PSA
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport)
80 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 164 per person
FLR
Florence Airport, Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci Airport)
52 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 164 per person
Airport: Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport)
Airport transfer available:
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport) (US$ 164 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Florence Airport, Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci Airport)
Airport transfer available:
Florence Airport, Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci Airport) (US$ 164 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
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