The coach itinerary exists for a logistical reason: San Gimignano, Siena and Pisa have parking, capacity and a name. The villages below fail at least one of those tests, which is precisely why they are still themselves.
Southern Tuscany, the Val d'Orcia and beyond
- Pitigliano. Built onto a tufa outcrop and appearing out of nowhere as you round a bend. A significant Jewish history and a synagogue carved into the rock beneath the town.
- Sovana and Sorano. Pitigliano's smaller neighbours, with Etruscan tombs and sunken roads cut metres deep into the tufa.
- Bagno Vignoni. A village whose central square is a steaming sixteenth-century thermal pool. Go in winter, in the evening, in the mist.
- Castiglione d'Orcia. Val d'Orcia views without the Pienza crowds.
The east and the mountains
- Anghiari. A hill town above the Tiber valley with a serious craft tradition, still full of workshops.
- Poppi. A castle above the Casentino forests, an hour from Florence and almost entirely Italian.
- Barga. In the Garfagnana, with an unexpectedly strong Scottish connection from a century of emigration, and consequently a fish and chip shop.
The coast and the west
- Populonia. A tiny walled village on a headland above an Etruscan necropolis and a good beach.
- Suvereto. Medieval, quiet, and in a wine area still cheaper than Bolgheri next door.
- Campiglia Marittima. Hill village, sea views, no coaches.
- Montecarlo. Near Lucca, a small walled town with its own white wine and a theatre that seats a few hundred.
The rule is simple: if a village has a coach park, it has already been discovered. If it has one bar and a war memorial, book a night.
How to do it properly
- Stay the night. These places empty at six and become extraordinary at eight.
- Go in spring or autumn. May and late September give you warmth, light and open kitchens without August.
- Rent a car and accept the driving. The roads are slow and beautiful. Remember the ZTL rules.
- Eat where there is no menu in English. Reliable and slightly frightening.
- Check the sagre. An autumn village festival is the best meal on this list.
The part that needs Italian
In San Gimignano everyone speaks English. In Anghiari on a Tuesday in November, considerably fewer people do. Thirty words is the difference between looking at these places and being let into them, which is what Italian for travel is for.