Touristic Itineraries and Place to Visit in Tuscany, Siena, Val d'Orcia

San Quirico is a very ancient village probably of Etruscan origin. It is situated 424 metres above sea level on a hill which separates the the Asso and the Orcia Valleys.Entering from north west along Via Dante Alighieri, the ancient Via Francigena which cuts the village in two, you first encounter the Collegiata Church (XIII century). There are three portals on the exterior: The main portal is Romanesque built of  sandstone and travertine marble; the second, built about 1300 may be the work of Giovanni Pisano; and the third is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Inside, in a wing of the transept, there is a polytych by Sano di Pietro (XV century.) Next to the Collegiata Church is the Chigi Zondadari mansion (XVII century) witnessing to the feudal past of the village.Further along the main street you reach Piazza Libertà, the centre of the village. Here there is the church of San Francesco, known as the Church of the Madonna after the ceramic statue of the “Madonna di Vitaleta” by Andrea della Robbia kept there.From a corner of the square you enter the “Horti Leonini”, a real jewel among Italian gardens dating from the XVI century. Here a retreating line of box hedge leads to a travertine stairway surrounded by thick, age-old holm oaks. On the upper level are the ruins of the Cassero tower, once standing 39 metres, which witness to the destruction suffered during the Nazi retreat in 1944.At the opposite end of the village, below the Horti Leonini, stands the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta, first mentioned in 1017, and the “Ospedale della Scala”, where hospitality was offered to pilgrims travelling to Rome.

Montalcino is one of the largest towns in central Tuscany. It is surrounded by woods of ilex, from whence it derives its Latin name – Mons Ilcinus.
The surrounding countryside is now dedicated to the production of Brunello wine, and the younger Rosso di Montalcino, acclaimed throughout the world. There is also a notable production of olive oil and honey in the district.
In the vicinity there are archeological sites dating from the paleolithic and Etruscan periods.
In 814, Ludovico il Pio built the Abbey of Sant’ Antimo, one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Italy, where the monks still sing the Gregorian chant.
Montalcino boasts many fine medieval buildings like the Palazzo Comunale, the gothic Loggiati, and the neoclassical cathedral which was built over the remains of an ancient church of the X century. In the Museo Diocesano many masterpieces by Sienese artists can be seen

Pienza was named by its founder, Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who was pope Pius II.

He was born there in 1405 when the town still had its medieval name, Corsignano. It was a small fortified hamlet known in Roman times built around the original parish church which is a remarkable example of Romanesque architecture.

With the help of the major artists and architects of the time, the most famous of whom was Bernardo Rosellino, Piccolomini decided to transform his birthplace into a town and in so doing left a monument to Renaissance humanism.

In Piazza Pio II stands the famous cathedral with its Renaissance facade and gothic interior containing works by some of the finest artists of the period, the Palazzo Civico, and Palazzo Piccolomini, the papal residence which is now a museum.

Nearby Pienza is the old Olivetan Monastery of Sant’Anna in Camprena where there are wonderful frescoes by Sodoma to be seen.

Situated in the middle of the Val D’Orcia, and above the river of the same name, the town is surrounded by a natural environment which has remained, on the whole, unchanged. Both farmland  and woodland are carefully maintained, as they have been for centuries. Grape vines and olive groves cover the hillsides, producing wine and above all, a very good olive oil.

Nearby, Rocca D’Orcia is a delightful medieval hamlet dominated by the XIV century castle of Rocca a Tentennano.

The towns of Campiglia D’Orcia and Vivo D’Orcia are surrounded by chestnut forests. In these woods there are many splendid walks to places such as Sorgente dello Scodellino and the Parco dell’ Ermicciolo.

Monticchiello is a small town, renowned in the Middle Ages for its fortresses. War-torn throughout the centuries, the town saw battles between fascists and partisans during the Second World War. Although the population of the town is greatly reduced, it has found a certain stability, A sign of this is the Teatro Povero, an open-air theatre which began in 1967 and takes place during the last two weeks of July. Topics close to the hearts of the local people are acted out by the villagers themselves.

Radicofani on the medieval highway known as the Via Francigena offers unforgettable views across to Mount Amiata, the Appenines, Lakes Bolsena and Trasimeno, and the Tyrrhenian coast.

The village, situated on the slopes of a basaltic hill is of Etruscan origin. From the time of the last Lombard king, Desiderio, Radicofani had an important role because of its strategic position on the main route for travellers.. Even its name seems to be of Germanic origin, coming from the german Rachis Kofen, meaning the land held by King Rachis, the founder of the nearby Abbadia San Salvatore. Its hospice was for many centuries the principal stopping place for pilgrims on their way to Rome. The castle, built in the Carolingian era was the refuge of the Ghibelline rebel,  Ghino di Tacco. The Palazzo Pretorio which now houses the Comune was built in 1255.

A fine ceramic altarpiece by Andrea della Robbia is in the church of Sant’Agata.

The town of Montepulciano is a splendid example of the Italian Renaissance style, and the home of the celebrated Nobile di Montepulciano wine. Its wonderful square and the famous church of San Biagio on the outskirts of the town, which is a perfect example of the Renaissance style, were both created by Antonio da San Gallo. From Montepulciano you can look down into the Val di Chiana, rich in works of art and natural environments.

Bagno Vignoni is a very ancient village of Roman origin, appreciated by the Emperor Augustus for its spa waters. There are thermal baths here and a beautiful panoramic thermal swimming pool which is open to the public. The waters, springing from a depth of 1000 metres at a temperature of 52c, collect in a vast tub in the centre of the town. The waters are particularly rich in magnesium and calcium sulphate and thus are recommended in cases of bone and mucous disorders, as well as being a tonic for the skin. Lorenzo the Magnificent and Saint Catherine of Siena are both known to have taken the waters here.

This is a thermal locality situated on the wooded slopes of the volcanic cone of Mount Amiata.

The waters here are recommended for problems of the ear, nose and throat, the respiratory system and the skin because of their sulphurous, sulphate and bicarbonate qualities.

Not to be missed, because of its large calcareous deposits, is the nearby Fosso Bianco.