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Tuscany's Dolce Vita

This is a quick and handy source for details on the sights, hotels, tour guides and restaurants featured in the "Tuscany's Dolce Vita" show. For much more (and updates), see this year's edition of Rick Steves' Florence & Tuscany guidebook.

Volterra's Etruscan Museum

Filled top to bottom with rare Etruscan artifacts, this museum — even with few English explanations — makes it easy to appreciate how advanced this pre-Roman culture was. The exhibit, while pretty dusty and old school, is considered the third-best Etruscan museum anywhere, after the Vatican and the British Museum. It starts with the pre-Etruscan Villanovian artifacts (c. 1500 b.c.). The seemingly endless collection of funerary urns (designed to contain the ashes of cremated loved ones) all show the subject lounging, as if kicking back with the gods at some heavenly banquet, popping grapes and just enjoying the moment. They indicate that the Etruscans believed you'd have fun in the afterlife. Artifacts such as mirrors, coins, and jewelry offer a peek into this fascinating culture. Giacometti fans will be amazed at how the tall, skinny figure called The Shadow of Night (L'ombra della sera) looks just like the modern Swiss sculptor's work — only 2,500 years older (€8, includes — like it or not — the Pinacoteca and Sacred Art Museum, daily 9:00–19:00, Nov–March closes at 13:45, mildly interesting English pamphlet available, audioguide-€3, Via Don Minzoni 15, tel. 0588-86-347). An alabaster workshop and a recommended wine bar are across the street; see listings below.

Annie Adair

American Annie Adair married into the local community, organizes American marriages in Tuscany, and is an excellent private guide (€100/half-day, €200/day, mobile 347-143-5004, tel. & fax 0588-87774, www.tuscantour.com, info@tuscantour.com).

Alab Arte Workshop

Alabaster Workshop — Alab'Arte offers a fun peek into the art of alabaster. Their showroom is across from the Etruscan Museum. A block downhill is their powdery workshop, where you can watch Roberto Chiti and Giorgio Finazzo at work. Lighting shows off the translucent quality of the stone and the expertise of these artists (Mon–Sat 9:00–13:00 & 15:00–19:00, closed Sun, showroom at Via Don Minzoni 18, workshop at Via Orti Sant' Agostino 28, tel. 0588-85506). If you want to see more artisans in action, ask the TI for their list of the town's many workshops open to the public.

La Vena di Vino Wine Bar

La Vena di Vino, also just across from the Etruscan Museum, is a fun enoteca wine bar where two guys have devoted themselves to the wonders of wine and share it with a fun-loving passion. Each day Bruno and Lucio open six or eight bottles, serve your choice by the glass, pair it with characteristic munchies, and offer fine music (guitars available for patrons) and an unusual decor (the place is strewn with bras). Here is your chance to try the latest phenom in the wine world, the Super Tuscan — a creative mix of international grapes grown in Tuscany. According to Bruno, "While the Brunello (€6 a glass) is just right for wild boar, the Super Tuscan (€5) is just right for meditation" (Wed–Mon 12:00–24:00, closed Tue, Via Don Minzoni 30, tel. 0588-81491).

Agriturismo Terrapille

Agriturismo Terrapille sits just below Pienza, on a little grassy bluff surrounded by 360 degrees of dreamy Tuscan scenery. It's private and rustic yet cozy and romantic. Four country rooms and two apartments come with modern comforts (Db-€95, Qb-€160, breakfast-€7.50, dinner available on request for €25, pool, about a mile out of town, take road #18 in direction of Monticchiello, tel. & fax 0578-749-146 at farm, www.terrapille.it, terrapille@bccmp.com). Lucia, who runs the place, lives in Pienza (home tel. 0578-748-434, mobile 338-920-4470).

Roberto Bechi

Roberto Bechi, a hardworking Sienese guide, specializes in off-the-beaten-path tours of the surrounding countryside by minibus (up to six passengers, convenient pick-up at hotel). Married to an American (Patti) and having run restaurants in Siena and the United States, Roberto communicates well with Americans. His passions are Sienese culture, Tuscan history, and local cuisine. Ideally, book well in advance, but you might be able to schedule a visit if you call no later than the day before (full-day tours from €70–100 per person, half-day tours from €25–70 per person, mobile 328-727-3186 or 328-425-5648, www.toursbyroberto.com, tourrob@tin.it). If he's booked, Roberto can recommend other good guides.

Contucci Palace Cantina

Montepulciano's most popular attraction isn't made of stone...it's the famous wine, Vino Nobile. This robust red can be tasted in any of the cantinas lining Via Ricci and Via di Gracciano nel Corso, but the cantina in the basement of Palazzo Contucci is the most fun. While the palace has a formal wine-tasting showroom facing the square, head down the lane on the right to the actual cellars, where you'll meet lively Adamo, who has been making wine since 1953 and welcomes tourists into his cellar. Adamo usually has a dozen bottles open (tasting is free, no food, daily 8:30–12:30 & 14:30–18:30, Piazza Grande 7, tel. 0578-757-006). Groups are welcome with a reservation.

Mueble di Riccio

Mueble il Riccio ("hedgehog" in Italian) is medieval-elegant, with six modern rooms, an awesome roof terrace, and friendly owners (Sb-€75, Db-€85, Tb-€101, breakfast-€8, air-con, a block below the main square at Via Talosa 21, tel. & fax 0578-757-713, www.ilriccio.net, info@ilriccio.net, Gio and Ivana speak English). Gio (or his son) gives country tours (€25/hr) in one of their classic Italian cars; for tour details, see their website.