The Abbey of Sant'Antimo sits below Montalcino in a quiet valley near Castelnuovo dell'Abate. It is one of Tuscany's loveliest Romanesque churches, built in pale stone that seems to hold the valley light.
The abbey is worth the short drive even if you are not following church architecture closely. Its power is in the whole scene: cypresses, fields, simple arches, and a silence that feels worlds away from the tasting rooms above.