Day 1, Saturday
Arrive and get settled in your rental property, explore your nearby town or village's shops, markets, and potential restaurants and wineries.

Day 2, Sunday
Siena: the Campo and the Cathedral and the Museum of the Cathedral. That will take a morning. The rest of the day, just hang out and enjoy the spectacle or go on south to Montalcino, Pienza and Lucignano d'Asso.

Day 3, Monday
Explore the Chianti countryside by driving on the SS222 wine route through Greve, Panzano, Castellina in Chianti toward Siena, visiting villages along the way. Stop at some of the vineyards recommended in our Restaurant Guide and plan a spontaneous driving tour around them using your Chianti vineyard map. Pick up some wine for your villa. The surprising thing about Chianti is that even in the height of the summer, those roads with scenery so beautiful it will make you weep aren't at all crowded. Visit the abbey Badia a Passignano.

Day 4, Tuesday
Florence - park for free at the Piazzale Michelangelo. Explore the church of San Miniato al Monte, then walk down to the Arno. Reserve in advance at the Uffizi and plan your day around your reservation there. Don't miss the very moving Masaccios at Santa Maria del Carmine. Also see: Florence Cathedral, Baptistery, and Campanile.

Day 5, Wednesday
San Gimignano and Volterra and, if you have time, Massa Marittima whose principal piazza is not to be believed. Also, the direct north-south drive between these two towns for the Valle del Diavolo (Valley of the Devil), and you'll see why. Disturbing and unforgettable.

Day 6, Thursday
A day at the beach in season at Forte dei Marmi or Lido di Camaoire. Or hike the Cinqueterre an hour to the north of Lucca with a boat trip from Lerici or Portovenere. Hike south to north as far as you want and take the boat back. Stop at the Carrara Marble quarries on your way back to see where Michelangelo got his white marble for what you will see tomorrow!

Day 7, Friday
Back to Florence - Pre-reserve to see Michelangelo's David and the (unfinished?) slaves at the Accademia and plan your day around this wonderful small museum. Just before or after the Accademia, visit San Marco, which is across the square to see the Fra Angelico paintings in the former cells of the monks. Unforgettable. Take a walk around the medieval streets of the city stopping at the open-air market of Sant'Ambrogio, with lunch in the little "diner" in the market itself. And if you still have time, visit the marvelous Bargello.

Day 8, Saturday
Pistoia - one of the real undiscovered jewels of Italy, full of charming streets dating from the Middle Ages and an unusual number of beautiful Romanesque churches. Get a detailed guidebook for Pistoia or stop at the tourist office. Be sure to visit the delightful open-air market in medieval Piazza della Sala, plus the Cathedral (with the St. James altar, a masterpiece of silverwork); the Baptistery; the cathedral square as a whole; and the Ospedale del Ceppo, gorgeous and (by us, at least) totally unexpected. Afternoon at the Medici villa of Poggio a Caiano, with a stop at Carmignano to see Pontormo's Visitation, one of the most beautiful paintings in existence.

Day 9, Sunday
Three unforgettable abbeys with equally unforgettable scenery surrounding: San Galgano, Monte Oliveto Maggiore, and Sant'Antimo, plus atmospheric Bagno Vignoni, immortalized by Tarkovsky.

Day 10, Monday
A day in Arezzo, one of Tuscany's loveliest, most civilized, most unvisited cities: see the Piero della Francescas, of course, but also the Piazza Grande, the church of Santa Maria della Pieve (one of our favorites in all Italy), and the other little churches and civic buildings around the city, not to mention the first-class antique shops. Shoppers will also want to hit the Prada Outlet in Montevarchi, and the other outlet stores nearby.

Day 11, Tuesday
Pisa - the Cathedral Square and a walk along the Arno in the morning. Lunch in Lucca followed by a walk around the medieval streets of that elegant small city, birthplace of Puccini. Combine with the beach if you are so inclined.

Day 12, Wednesday
Southeastern Tuscany and Cortona, home to Under the Tuscan Sun and one of our favorite towns. Go early enough to see the Museo Diocesano before it closes for lunch. More outlet shopping, if you forgot to buy anything.

Day 13, Thursday
Fiesole, Settignano, and at least one or two of the Medici villas/gardens in the area

Day 14, Friday
Four Southern Tuscan hilltown jewels: San Quirico d'Orcia, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montalcino

Day 15
Depart and regret not having done even half the above

What have we left out? 90 percent of Florence, the cathedral of Prato, the Mugello area north of Florence and the Casentino to the east of Florence: Poppi, Camaldoli, La Verna, and, especially, Gropina, one of our favorite churches in Italy.

Our thanks to our friend and colleague, Daniel Morneau,
for researching and writing this itinerary.