MAPPING TUSCANY

Considering Pitigliano's breathtaking setting on top of a steep and crumbly Tuscan tufa stone formation, it's surprising that the town hasn't become one  of the major film locations for Hollywood productions in Tuscany.  Montepulciano and countless churches and hamlets in the cypress lined Val d'Orcia have prominently featured in films like  Gladiator, the recent Twilight or - obviously - Under the Tuscan Sun.  But Pi tigliano's low exposure in the film world may change after its appearance in the latest Fiat 500 commercial.  No Photoshop needed, since Pitigliano's town center and the views from and onto the town are just as beautiful as seen in the fun commercial. Balancing on its rock, the southern Tuscan town is the ideal destination for a romantic getaway - with or without the little blue pill.  Read  What to do in Pitigliano  to find r ecommendations for best hotels, restaurants and sights in towns and great organic winery v...

Volcano what? Right, Pitigliano, the famous tufa rock town, hosts the 2013 tasting of some of Italy's best volcano DOC wines. Which doesn't meant that the vines are raised on smoky mountain slopes with vignerons constantly watching out for the signs of a new break out. Even though in some cases - most famously mount Etna in Sicily and mount Vesuvius in Naples -  these volcanoes are in fact still bubbling away.  Many of Italy's famous volcanoes - like for an example  Mount Amiata  in Southern Tuscany - have been extinct for thousand or millions of years (ask for the exact number at the tasting). But even though long out of work, they have left behind a deeply colored and mineral rich soil; a true oasis for terroir wines! The color of volcano soil One of the vineyards at the organically run Sassotondo winery near Pitigliano VULCANIA 2013: PITIGLIANO, JUNE 15-17 Hosted by Pitigliano's vintners association (consorzio di tutela bianco di Pitigliano e S...

Pitigliano isn't just another Tuscan hilltop town. It's the  Tuscan hilltop town. No other of them manages to balance so elegantly on top of a rocky cliff. In fact Pitigliano is also called suicide town (at least by my Tuscan native). You'll get the idea once you look down from one of the buildings located right on the edge; but don't do it if you're having a difficult moment in  life.  Pitigliano's skyline