Need Accommodations in Area that does not use Pesticides

holliday

Member
I have severe chemical sensitivities and have been wanting to take a postponed honeymoon to Tuscany (waiting ten years now). I would like to stay outside Cortona or Siena, but I'm not sure if the agriculture in this area uses pesticides. I presume that there aren't any mosquito spray trucks (like in the US), but I wanted to be sure about that also. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for any help on this.
 
Take a look at Pietramonti Estate & Country House

Hi, There are no mosquito spray trucks or planes in Tuscany but chemicals are used on the fields (some of which are natural). We stay in a place called the Pietramonti Estate & Country House (www.pietramonti.com). They are a luxury farm stay and use no chemicals on the land infact I do not think any chemicals have ever been used on their land. They are located about 30 minutes from Cortona and 40 minutes from Siena - perfectly placed for your trip and an excellent place for a special trip like your honeymoon. If you do stay there - let them know Vernon sent you!
 
I confirm with what Vernon about there being no mosquito trucks or planes in Tuscany, they aren't used. Most agriculture uses natural chemicals and minerals, not what you'd normally consider pesticides. This is because there really aren't many large scale farms in Tuscany, most are pretty medium to small sized estates and are family-owned. Tuscans are also very aware of making conscious choices about avoiding OGM crops and using natural products on the land so that everything they grow can be considered natural if not certified 100% organic (although many are). People care about how food tastes and is grown, at least that has always been my impression and from the farms I have seen when visiting all parts of Tuscany.

Consider that the area between Cortona and Arezzo is highly agricultural, given that it is pretty flat. It is an area with canals made for agriculture. Aside from the towns that dot the landscape having been set up on the hills that exist (like Cortona), as soon as you leave the town the area is flat and thus cultivated. We biked the "Sentiero della Bonifica" from Cortona to Arezzo and passed by miles of orchards of apples and pears. The "bonifica" was when the swampy area created from overflowing rivers was controlled by man, creating canals and man-made lakes to contain runoff the last century to use the land for agriculture. A very similar story for Maremma.

So while most everyone uses natural chemicals when needed, if you want to stay away from agriculture in general, I'd suggest finding large estates that have lots of land around them. Many vineyards and olive groves dot the entire Chianti region and most don't use pesticides at all.
 
Hi, There are no mosquito spray trucks or planes in Tuscany but chemicals are used on the fields (some of which are natural). We stay in a place called the Pietramonti Estate & Country House (www.pietramonti.com). They are a luxury farm stay and use no chemicals on the land infact I do not think any chemicals have ever been used on their land. They are located about 30 minutes from Cortona and 40 minutes from Siena - perfectly placed for your trip and an excellent place for a special trip like your honeymoon. If you do stay there - let them know Vernon sent you!

Thank you so much!!! This means so much to me.
 
I confirm with what Vernon about there being no mosquito trucks or planes in Tuscany, they aren't used. Most agriculture uses natural chemicals and minerals, not what you'd normally consider pesticides. This is because there really aren't many large scale farms in Tuscany, most are pretty medium to small sized estates and are family-owned. Tuscans are also very aware of making conscious choices about avoiding OGM crops and using natural products on the land so that everything they grow can be considered natural if not certified 100% organic (although many are). People care about how food tastes and is grown, at least that has always been my impression and from the farms I have seen when visiting all parts of Tuscany.

Consider that the area between Cortona and Arezzo is highly agricultural, given that it is pretty flat. It is an area with canals made for agriculture. Aside from the towns that dot the landscape having been set up on the hills that exist (like Cortona), as soon as you leave the town the area is flat and thus cultivated. We biked the "Sentiero della Bonifica" from Cortona to Arezzo and passed by miles of orchards of apples and pears. The "bonifica" was when the swampy area created from overflowing rivers was controlled by man, creating canals and man-made lakes to contain runoff the last century to use the land for agriculture. A very similar story for Maremma.

So while most everyone uses natural chemicals when needed, if you want to stay away from agriculture in general, I'd suggest finding large estates that have lots of land around them. Many vineyards and olive groves dot the entire Chianti region and most don't use pesticides at all.

I can't thank you enough. Your site is wonderful.
 
You're very welcome!

I've been thinking of special places for a honeymoon - especially a delayed one! - and I was going to propose these two in the area which are a little bit further from Cortona but more central for Tuscan day trips to most of the places you'll want to see... San Giovanni in Poggio and Podere Cunina in the beautiful Crete Senesi or this one a little further south, would make it ideal for seeing Umbria too: Camporsevoli Estate

If you have any other questions, do let us know! :)
 
You're very welcome!

I've been thinking of special places for a honeymoon - especially a delayed one! - and I was going to propose these two in the area which are a little bit further from Cortona but more central for Tuscan day trips to most of the places you'll want to see... San Giovanni in Poggio and Podere Cunina in the beautiful Crete Senesi or this one a little further south, would make it ideal for seeing Umbria too: Camporsevoli Estate

If you have any other questions, do let us know! :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will look into all three of these.
 
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