The apartment takes its name from the splendid Romanesque church directly opposite, whose ornate portals can be admired through the three lunette windows in the living room. The apartment is on the first floor of an historic building in the centro storico of San Quirico d’Orcia, an attractive town which is largely overlooked by tourists.

San Quirico makes an ideal base – Siena, Montalcino and Pienza are easily accessible by car – and traffic controls ensure that there is little noise apart from the buzz of a small Tuscan town going about its business. Although a low-key place, the town has several bars and some good restaurants.

The apartment is dominated by a spacious living room with a view over a cluster of terracotta rooftops to the countryside, where Montalcino, one of Italy’s foremost wine towns, beckons invitingly from a distant hilltop. The views can also be enjoyed from a small upstairs terrace.

Distances: