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ANNUAL RACE AROUND THE WALLS
WITH PIANELLO

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Annual Race Around the Medieval Walls of Montalcino

 with

       Isabella Dusi
          Author of 

  Vanilla Beans & Brodo
       The Story of Montalcino

Montalcino is 564 metres above sea level. Although the village runs north-south along a high ridge and the main thoroughfares are reasonably easy to negotiate, the ancient stone terracing which travels east west, often with wide steps or steep slopes between the roadways, is arduously hard on your legs.

Once a year, every June, Quartiere Pianello hosts a fun footrace around the walls, which includes the negotiation of some pretty stiff climbs and tricky descents! Of course, aside from the serious amateur athletes, who train meticulously and maintain their fitness, testing the level of their agility on our slopes, we have plenty of competitors who simply want to be part of the fun and who enjoy an enjoyable stroll through some of the most ancient parts of the village both inside and outside the walls.

The starting point is the Church of San Pietro in Pianello, where everyone gathers on the morning of the run for formal registration and numbering, we set off according to categories, and, some 4 kilometres later, depending on the secret route planned annually by our Pianello youngsters, the race ends in the exact same place. When we cheer the last few  competitors home, the small piazza outside the Church of San Pietro has been laid with a delicious feast of crostini, bruschetta, refreshing watermelon slices, plenty of cold tea and, naturally, more than a few bottles of fine red wine!

Trophies are awarded by our President to the winner in each category, including the children and the oldest competitor, and there is always a bottle of wine to celebrate your victory.

It’s an event of great fun in Pianello which takes you through the territory of all four Quartiere and around the ancient stone walls which were first built in the year 1110.

Register with me, and come and join us!

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