Santa Maria Asunta
Panzano is located in the region of Chianti, famous for the beautiful scenery: winding hills, stone farmhouses, tall cypress trees, and of course, the famous Chianti Classico wines.
Architecturally it is mostly a new town, though there are a few remains of Roman ruins, the old castello, and the church, Santa Maria Assunta, which crowns the hill in the old part of the town. The church was built in the 14th century over the ruins of another church.
In this photograph, you see the perspective looking up the hill toward Santa Maria Assunta. There are local residences and business on each side of the street. This is the oldest part of Chianti and though small, very very charming.
It’s a lovely spot to locate yourself for a vacation in the Tuscan countryside as you can easily reach Siena, Florence, or Lucca from Panzano. You’ll need a car to really see the countryside, or you can hire a driver, and just sit back and enjoy the scenery. You can also take the bus from Panzano to Florence. Be sure to check the schedules carefully as they change depending on the season.
Panzano is also known for two important festivals each year. April 25 is Festa della Stagion Buona, Italy’s national holiday and the beginning of “the good season.”
The other is Vino al Vino the wine festival held the third weekend in September. The dates for 2013 are September 12 – 15. The festival is held in Piazza Bucciarelli, and includes live jazz music and, of course, tastings of the local wines.
For more about Panzano you may like my post Panzano in Pictures.
All materials copyright PennySadler 2013. All rights reserved.
Adventures of a Carry-on 
That’s a beautiful postcard and it sounds like a fantastic place!
Hey Meg. How’s the packing going?