Tours & Activities
Historical Tour of the Castello – As a host guides you through the numerous areas of the Castello including the Villa, Tower and Fattoria you will learn about the architecture of the Castello, the histories of the Cinelli and Spannocchi families, the mezzadria sharecropping system, by which Spannocchia operated for centuries, and past and present agricultural activities in the property. The tour will also visit Spannocchia’s own Catholic Chapel which was once used as the community church for the estate and the museum, which houses ancient Etruscan archaeological artifacts from multiple Tuscan sites. Lastly, climb Spannocchia’s medieval tower for a breath-taking view of the 1,100 acres of rolling hills and farmland surrounding the Castello. All of the sites and information presented throughout the tour will help Spannocchia guests to better understand the history of the area, the importance of preservation and our passion for Spannocchia past, present and future!
Tour: Monday, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Dinner: 7:30 p.m. Please join us!
Traditional Tuscan Cooking Class - The cooking class begins at 9 am with a tour through the vegetable garden at Spannocchia with the garden manager, who will describe the cycle of the various crops through the year and her methods for providing the kitchen with fresh, flavorful products. Then to the kitchen, where with Loredana we will prepare a three course Tuscan meal utilizing food products from the estate. The first course might be handmade pasta such as tagliatelle, ravioli, or gnocchi, or perhaps the typical “ribollita” Tuscan soup, or in summer a simple but delicious bread salad called “panzanella.” For our second course we may choose between our own farm-raised pork, beef, lamb, or chicken, or perhaps even wild game, and this will be accompanied by fresh vegetables direct from the garden. We finish with a traditional dessert such as cantucci cookies with Spannocchia vin santo, pinenut cake, tiramisu, or our renowned chocolate salame. A vegetarian menu is also available, and we will try to fill requests for specific recipes as long as they fall within the traditions of this local region. Each lesson concludes with lunch, tasting all the dishes created during the morning class, accompanied by Spannocchia wine and spring water.
Loredana Betti grew up on Spannocchia in the 1950’s when her family was tenant farmers here. As a young girl she learned how to prepare the traditional fare of the region and eventually developed a talent notable even in this area where every housewife seems capable of culinary magic. For nearly twenty years, Loredana cooked for the Cinelli family and Spannocchia's students and guests, until her retirement five years ago to spend more time with her three grandchildren. She still loves to produce wonderful meals for friends and family, and enjoys staying involved at Spannocchia with her weekly classes in the kitchen she knows so well.
Date and Time: Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Cost: 80.00 Euro per person (includes lunch).
Cinta Senese Tour and Tasting - Do you know what a Cinta Senese is? Do you know how prosciutto is made? Spannocchia Education Director Carrie offers a close up look at our Noah’s Ark rare breed animals, our organic artisan meat production and the typical salumi (salt-cured meats) that we create. The tour includes a walk up Pig Hill to see our pigs (and maybe even some piglets if you’re lucky) a glimpse into our seasoning/curing room, and finishes with a guided tasting of our salumi products such as salame, prosciutto, capocollo, guancia, etc.
Date and Time: Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Cost: 5.00 Euro per person.
Italian Classes - Learn the basics of the Italian language during your stay at Spannocchia! Instructor Valeria is available for private or group lessons. Lessons usually focus on basic grammar and vocabulary, and Valeria always encourages conversation in class! Learn how to order at restaurants, ask about bus schedules, and find out where the nearest bathroom might be. Valeria’s teaching style is flexible and she can accommodate all levels of proficiency and can tailor the class to your particular interest (art, cooking, history, farming, etc). Each class lasts one hour and Valeria will provide lesson materials.
By Appointment Monday - Friday. Cost: 25.00 Euro per hour.
Garden Tour - Spannocchia’s Garden Manager introduces participants to Spannocchia’s organic vegetable gardens. She explains why we choose to be organic and the different aspects of organic gardening including: crop rotation, cover crops, the creation and use of compost, and our two greenhouses. As she guides participants through the different areas of the garden, she explains the different seasonal crops growing, pointing out heirloom varieties and typical Tuscan crops grown only in this area. She also includes details about crop storage and transformation into secondary products like tomato sauce and pesto. The garden tour is offered for a minimum of 4 participants.
Date and Time: Thursday 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Cost: 5.00 Euro per person.