Abbadia San Salvatore

Abbey of Sant'Antimo

Albarese

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anghiari

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Badia di Coltibuono


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Barberino Val d'Elsa

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montecalvello

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Walking in Tuscany
             
 
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The famous winding road with cypresses from la Foce to Monticchiello

The famous road lined with cypress is just southeast of Monticchiello, a small town south of Pienza. As you approach Monticchiello on the main road from the south, the zigzagging cypress lined road is on your right just before Monticchiello.

album Surroundings
       
   

Monticchiello

   
   

Monticchiello is a small centre in the heart of the Orcia valley whose beauty derives from its geographical position and the harmonious integration of its medieval architecture.
Monticchielo, not far off the main road between Montepulciano and Pienza, is best known for its plays titled "Teatro Povero", which are presented in July and August.

Monticchiello still retains its old walls, towers and castle, the village inside the fortifications has maintained intact its medieval characteristics. Walking down the main street, there is the church of S. Agata. The 13th century Church of Santo Leonardo e Cristóforo, with a Gothic facade, contains an altar-piece of the Madonna con bambino by Pietro Lorenzetti.

Monticchiello was the main center of the defensive organization on the oriental border of Siena and so during its history was often object of wars and assaults, destruction and occupations. The whole system of the fortifications is chained to the Torre del Cassero, set in the highest point of the hill where the hamlet rises. The Torre del Cassero is the only tower of medieval fortress that remains intact. The tower is private property. In 1967 it was purchased by the sculptor Eila Hiltunen [1] and her husband.

Special event is the il Teatro Povero, the Poor Theatre, a most impressive and clear sign of the town's vitality. Every year a new production, written, conceived and directed by the people of Monticchiello' returns to speak of past, present and future events of this community.

Villa La Foce, between Montepulciano and Pienza, is located near the site of an Etruscan settlement and a burial-place dating from the 7th century BC. The harmony between this garden and the surrounding nature makes la Foce an ideal example of Tuscany’s architectural and cultural evolution in the 20th century. The Villa itself was built in the late 15th century as a hostel for pilgrims and merchants traveling on the via Francigena. In 1924 the property was bought by Antonio Origo and his wife Iris. The gardens and estate of La Foce constitute one of the most important and best kept early twentieth-century gardens in Italy. [2]

The chamber music festival Incontri in Terra di Siena, was founded in 1989 by Benedetta Origo and her son, Antonio Lysy, in memory of Iris and Antonio Origo. The festival is held each year at the end of July / beginning of August.>

Incontri in Terra di Siena - 2009 Season

Restaurants Monticchiello

For a couple of restaurant suggestions stop by either La Taverna di Moranda or Osteria La Porta. See the link below for reviews of both. If you are looking for outdoor seating with a view of the valley then opt for Osteria La Porta. If the view is not of concern (as it may be dark) then consider La Taverna di Moranda.

Osteria La Porta | Via del Piano 1, 53026 Monticchiello | www.osterialaporta.it
The tavern is located next to the medieval main gate of Monticchiello. During the summereit is possible The terrace offers a wonderful sight on Pienza, the Val d'Orcia and Monte Amiata.

Ristorante Taverna Di Moranda | Via di Mezzo, 17, Monticchiello | www.tavernadimoranda.it
The Taverna di Moranda, along the main street of the village, almost carved into the mountain stone, offers a traditional cuisine, with some twists of innovation. Seasonal truffles and game, home-made pasta and desserts, and a rich wine cellar with Tuscan, Italian and French wines will accompany your meal.


 


Monticchiello, one of the towers

 

Monticchiello, chiesa dei Santi Leonardo e Cristoforo



Photo gallery Monticchiello

 

   
MonticchielloPanoramaSW2   Monticchiello, panorama   Pieve dei Santi Leonardo e Cristoforo a Monticchiello

Monticchiello, panorama

 

  Monticchiello, panorama  

Pieve dei Santi Leonardo e Cristoforo a Monticchiello

 

MonticchielloTorreCassero   MonticchielloTorriMura1   Monticchiello, Porta Sant Agata

Monticchiello,Torre del Cassero

 

 

Mura di Monticchiello, visto da sud-est, Monticchiello (frazione di Pienza)

 

  Monticchiello, Porta Sant Agata
   
Pienza

 

It was Pienza that Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice after Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace.

He transformed the original fortified village of Corsignano, a Piccolomini feud and Aeneas's birthplace, and renamed it Pienza by papal bull in 1462. The architect Bernardo Rossellino was commissioned to design the monumental piazza with its splendid cathedral and palaces, all built between 1459-64. A particularly good sheep's cheese (pecorino or cacio) is made in the district. Piazza Pio II , laid out by Bernardo Rossellino, is a remarkable example of Renaissance town planning. It shows the influence of Leon Battista Alberti, Rossellino's master. To one side of the beautifully paved piazza is an elegant well, also designed by Rossellino, flanked by two slender columns with finely carved capitals and an architrave.
Its luminous cathedral, Cattedrale dell'Assunta, houses panel paintings by the most renowned Sienese artists of the period.
The Duomo which dominates the center of the piazza, has a facade that is one of the earliest designed in the Renaissance manner. Though the tripartite division is conventional, the use of pilasters and of columns, standing on high dados and linked by arches, was novel for the time. The bell tower, however, has a Germanic flavor as is the layout of the Hallenkirche plan, a "triple-nave" plan where the side aisles are almost as tall as the nave; Pius, before he became pope, served many years in Germany and praised the effects of light admitted into the German hall churches in his Commentari.[2] Works of art in the duomo include five altar paintings from the Sienese School, by Sano di Pietro, Matteo di Giovanni, Vecchietta and Giovanni di Paolo.
Next door, the imposing family residence Palazzo Piccolomini is graced with a loggia offering a fabulous panorama over val d' orcia.
The town hall and the Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop's quarters) with its museum display homogeneity of style.The church dedicated to San Francesco (13th century), the city walls and the austere Pieve di Corsignano, first documented in 714, all date back to the medieval ages.
The Romanesque Pieve of Corsignano is located in the neighbourhood.


 

 


Pienza


Pieve of Corsignano



The monastery of Sant'Anna in Camprena was founded in 1332-1334 by Bernardo Tolomei as a hermitage for the Benedictines; it was remade in the late 15th-early 16th century, and several times in the following centuries. The refectory houses frescoes by il Sodoma (1502–1503).
The monastery of Sant'Anna in Camprena was founded in 132-1334 by Bernardo Tolomei as a hermitage for the Benedictines. Bernardo Tolomei was the founder of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Blessed Virgin of Monte Oliveto. The monastery was remade in the late 15th-early 16th century, and several times in the following centuries.
One can recognize this spot as the refuge of The English Patient, a serene Romanesque compound with a Renaissance chapel that houses a fresco by Pinturicchio. In the refectory there is a beautiful cycle of frescoes. dating from 1503-1504, depicted on the back wall. The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. On the entrance wall three scenes with an enthroned S. Benedict surrounded by monks, the Pietà, the Madonna with Child, S. Anna and two Olivetan monks. All are the works of Antonio Bazzi, called Sodoma, a brilliant Piemontese artist (Vercelli 1477-Siena 1549).

Accademia delle Crete Senesi is Philippe Herreweghe’s Festival in Tuscany. The concerts of the “Accademia delle Crete” take place in small but marvellous churches, among them Sant'Anna, chosen because of their adequate acoustics for the repertoire on the program.

A road south from Pienza, providing the best view of the garden façade of Palazzo Piccolomini and the great apse of the Duomo, leads to Monticchiello.

 

Sant’Anna in Camprena

The medieval castle of Castelluccio (literally little castle) lies on the summit of a hill on the La Foce estate. Each summer, the cultural association La Tartaruga organizes art shows at the medieval castle Castelluccio. The curator, Plinio de Martiis (known for his important gallery in Rome) has in recent years brought the work of renowned artists such as Kounellis and Manzoni to Castelluccio, as well as promoting young, less famous artists.

The Pieve di Santa Maria dello Spino, between Monticchiello and Bagno Vignoni, is used on the annual Corpus Domini procession, the Processione del Corpus Domini. The church of Santa Maria dello Spino, which nowadays belongs to the Gonzi family and lies just 2 km. from Le Fontanelle, is one of the most important little churches of the Val d'Orcia.
[read more]



 


Castelluccio di Pienza


Pieve di Santa Maria dello Spino

The Castello di Spedaletto, situated half way between Bagno Vignoni and Monticchiello, was built in the 12th century by the monk Ugolino da Rocchione, to host the pilgrims and wayfarers who travelled the old Via Francigena, one of the most important roads in Europe in the Middle Ages. Already in the year 1200 the castle was administrated by the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala and had surely the function of a fortified farm as well as hostel for the pilgrims. In the Middle of 15th century the castle was restored and got additional fortifications.

The huge Downy Oak (or Pubescent Oak) at Le Checche

The huge oak tree at Le Checche is situated near Spedaletto, along the provincial road no. 53 which goes from Bagno Vignoni to Radicofani, across the Val d'Orcia. The downy oak tree is 360 years old, it is 20 mt high, with a diametre of 19 mt. The girt of the trunk is of 4,65 mt. See map.

 

 

PienzaSpedaletto3
Castle of Spedaletto, former Grancia



Villa La Foce, a fabulous villa with famous garden Villa La Foce, was created by Iris Origo and Cecil Pinsent. Pinsent worked from 1927 onwards at La Foce, developing a romantic garden around a villa that had originally been a pilgrim hospice on the via Francigena.
Villa La Foce is the main house on La Foce Estate, consisting today of 450 hectares of
farmland and several farmhouses. It was originally built at the end of the XVth century as a wayside tavern, but soon became the centre of an estate belonging to the great Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena. In 1924 it was bought by Antonio and Iris Origo.[2]

There are many cultural activities organized by and around La Foce, held mainly in the ‘Castelluccio’, a medieval castle only 1 mile away.


Gardens in Tuscany | Villa La Foce

Anello La Foce – Riserva Lucciola Bella – Castelluccio | 12,5 km

 

 

 

Castelluccio Bifolchi

Moonlight in Maremma at @podersantapia, a splendid location in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma

 

   
   

 

Monticchiello and Villa La Foce are within an hour's drive from Podere Santa Pia.>
The frazioni Monticchiello, Cosona, La Foce and Spedaletto are part of the community Pienza.

Siena Communities near Monticchiello are Chianciano Terme · Montalcino · Montepulciano · Pienza ·San Casciano dei Bagni · San Quirico d'Orcia · Sarteano


View Larger Map 
 

Restaurants

Osteria La Porta | Via del Piano 1, 53026 Monticchiello | www.osterialaporta.it

Ristorante Taverna Di Moranda | Via di Mezzo, 17, Monticchiello | www.tavernadimoranda.it

Even now I miss Italy dearly, I dream about it every night – Eila Hiltunen

 

[1] Eila Hiltunen The sculptor Eila Hiltunen was born on November 22, 1922, in Sortavala, Eastern Finland The life and career of Eila Hiltunen, who has significantly influenced the history of Finnish art, is rich.

Italy has become Eila Hiltunen's second home country. In 1967 the artist and her husband found a tower of a medieval fortress in the village of Monticchiello near Siena and after a renovation it has become dear to the artist. Hiltunen has received magnificent feedback from Italy. She has been awarded with a gold medal in the Fiorentino Biennial, Florence 1971, she has held a large solo retrospective in the Palazzo Venezia in Rome 1985, and an exhibition in the museum of Santa Croce basilica in Florence 1990. The city of Rome received her steel sculpture Orchid in 1997.

Links

www.eilahiltunen.net





Monticchiello, Torre del Cassero

[2] Iris Origo (1902-1988), the Marchesa Origo, was an Anglo-Irish-American writer, who devoted much of her life to the improvement of the Tuscan estate at La Foce, near Montepulciano, that she purchased with her husband in 1924.

Iris Margaret Cutting was born on 15 August 1902, the daughter of William Bayard Cutting, the son of a rich and philanthropic New York family and Sybil Cuffe. Her parents travelled widely after their marriage, particularly in Italy.

Following the early death of Bayard Cutting in 1910, Sybil Cuffe settled with her daughter Iris in Italy, buying the Villa Medici in Fiesole, one of Florence’s most spectacular villas. In 1918, Iris’s mother married the architectural historian Geoffrey Scott, who later embarked on a relationship with Vita Sackville-West. The marriage was to last until 1927; following their divorce, she was to marry for a third time, to the essayist Percy Lubbock. She died in 1943.
On 4 March 1924, Iris married Antonio Origo, the illegitimate son of Marchese Clemente Origo. They moved together to their new estate at La Foce, near Chianciano Terme in the Province of Siena. It was in a state of bad disrepair but which, by much hard work, care and attention, they succeeded in transforming.
They had a son, Gian Clemente Bayard, Gianni, who died of meningitis, and two daughters, Benedetta and Donata. It was following the death of Gianni that Iris embarked on her writing career, with a well-received biography of Giacomo Leopardi, published in 1935. During the Second World War, the Origos remained at La Foce and looked after refugee children, who were housed there. Following the surrender of Italy, Iris also sheltered or assisted many escaped Allied prisoners of war, who were seeking to make their way through the German lines, or simply to survive.

The gardens and estate of La Foce constitute one of the most important and best kept early twentieth-century gardens in Italy.
Passionate about the order and symmetry of Florentine gardens, she and her husband employed the English architect and family friend Cecil Pinsent, who had designed the gardens at Villa Medici, to reawaken the natural magic of the property. Pinsent designed the structure of simple, elegant, box-edged beds and green enclosures that give shape to the Origos' shrubs, perennials and vines, and created a garden of soaring cypress walks, native cyclamen, lawns and wildflower meadows. Through the wood, a path joins the garden and the family cemetery, considered one of Pinsent's best creations.

Today the estate is run by the Origo daughters, Benedetta and Donata, and is open to the public one day a week.

Opening hours: the garden is open to the public every Wednesday afternoon. Guided tours leave from the Fattoria courtyard every hour from 3 to 7 PM (April-September) and 3 to 5 PM (October-March).

Gardens in Tuscany | Villa La Foce

Selected Works by Iris Origo

Allegra (1935), a short life of Byron’s daughter
Images and Shadows (1970), an elegiac autobiography
Leopardi (1935), a biography of Giacomo Leopardi
The World of San Bernardino (1963), a life of Bernardino of Siena

Links

Caroline Moorehead, Iris Origo, Marchesa of Val d’Orcia (London, John Murray, 2000)


 


The gardens of La Foce,
Monte Amiata in the background

 


The gardens of La Foce

[3] The activity of the Teatro Povero has roots in Monticchiello which go back earlier than the date of its formal beginnings. Various evidence shows that theatre has been an important component of the life and history of this village over a long period.
The earliest plays performed had more the character of a traditional popular festival, and were seen as a recreational sideline to village life.
However, theatre rapidly took on a new and important meaning for Monticchiello, when it was realized that this complex ‘ritual’ could help the village to overcome the threat of isolation and social breakdown.

www.teatropovero.it

 

   

Photo album Van d'Orcia

 

   
Cypress trees between San Quirico d'Orcia and Montalcino   Sant'Angelo in Colle  
San Quirico d'Orcia - lo.tangelini
Cipressi tra San Quirico d'Orcia e Montalcino   Sant'Angelo in Colle  

Val d'Orcia album

 

San Quirico d'Orcia, Capella della Madonna di Vitaleta   Pienza, panorama  

Gallina, chiesa di La Scala

Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta, nei pressi di San Quirico d'Orcia

 

  Pienza  

Gallina, chiesa di La Scala

 

         
 
   
Riserva Naturale Lucciola Bella

   

The Nature Riserve Riserva Naturale Lucciola Bella is situated south east of Pienza and Montichiello, in the Val d’Orcia, which stretches up to Chianciano Terme. The riserve is in a small corner of the typical landscape of the crete senesi.
The Crete are geographical features of clay, harsh and wild, difficult to cultivate by anyone who is not an expert and who doesn't respect the laws of nature.
This area was made famous by the Battle of Montaperti between the Florentines and the Sienese in 1260, which took place here.
In fact the striking feature of the nature reserve is this unusual landscape of the calanchi and biancane, typical erosive features of the Crete Senesi landscape, mainly linked to grazing activities: they house important and exclusive vegetational and ornithological aspects.

The Crete Senesi

The area to the south east of Siena, with its unique and at times lunar landscape, is known as the Crete Senesi. The road that leads from Siena to Montalcino crosses the heart of the Crete and is among the most beautiful sections of countryside in Italy.

As the name implies, this terrain is particularly rich in clay. The landscape is made up of soft, rolling hills and winding roads, with here and there white, dune-like hillocks that give an almost other-worldly feel to the panorama. Those who first visit this region will be struck by its unreal quality and by the extraordinary changes that come over the landscape at different times of day and season, ranging from bright orange at sunset to grey.

The Crete Senesi abound in Medieval hamlets, churches, castles and fortresses, as well as many farms that indicate the strong peasant traditions of this area. Inhabited since the Etruscans, the town of Asciano is among the area’s loveliest hamlets and stands at a crossroads between a number of ancient roads such as the Via Lauretana, the Via di Rapolano and the Monte Sante Marie dirt road.

Sections of the fortifications are still standing and the interior of Asciano is a mesh of narrow Medieval streets and ancient palazzi. The Basilica of Sant’Agata contains works by Signorelli and Sodoma, while the gothic Church of San Bernardino houses the Museo Etrusco. Not far from Asciano, the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore – founded originally by Bernardo Tolomei – is one of the most important monastic complexes of the entire Siena area.

The area around Serre di Rapolano also has a number of travertine marble quarries. The first official mention of these quarries dates back to 1597, when the quarries are listed as having supplied the raw materials for the building of the Church of Santa Maria in Provenzano, in Siena. The same quarries later supplied travertine for the construction of the Church of San Biagio in Montepulciano and for the façade and bell tower of the Cathedral of Pienza.

 

 

Crete Senesi, Biancane hills in the badlands of Accona Desert

Walking and trekking in Tuscany | Walking in the Val d'Orcia    
Walking in the Val d'Orcia

The walk takes off at Piazza Dante Alighieri, through the Viale S. Caterina, direction Pieve di Corsignano.

Map

  From Montepulciano to Pienza | 11 km, 3 hours

 

A gentle up & downhill walk from the magnificent town Montepulciano to the perfect place Pienza along the beautiful scenery of Toscany. The walk starts at the Piazza Grande, next to the Duomo.

Map

   

 

Walking in the Val d'Orcia | 7 best walks around Pienza

 

   
     
Trekking in the Val d'Orcia, stunning landscapes between Monticchiello and Pienza

Pienza - Monticchiello | 5 km

   
 

From Monticchiello to Pienza you walk on the balcony of Val d'Orcia, a valley among beautiful rolling hills, framed by wheat fields, and occasional dark green pinnacles of cypress. Walk
The walk sets out immediately on quiet dirt roads with sweeping views.

Pienza - Monticchiello | 7 km

   
       
Maps: Multigraphic Val d'Orcia, Kompass nr. 662 Lago trasimeno and Kompass nr. 653 Pienza-Montalcino-Monte Amiata.

       

Tuscany's Best-Kept Secret | Podere Santa Pia



         
Podere Santa Pia
 
Podere Santa Pia
 


Montepulciano
Arcidosso
Val d'Orcia" between Montalcino, Pienza and San Quirico d’Orcia.
The Val d'Orcia    

South of San Quirico, approached from by-roads on either side of the Via Cassia, is the Val d'Orcia, the beautiful valley of the Orcia river. West of the Cassia are well-preserved villages, castles and thermal baths in the foothills of Monte Amiata, while to the east the valley widens out on either side of the river with a landscape of eroded clay slopes and small sharp ridges known as calanchi , much of it part of the huge estate of La Foce. Just south of San Quirico, reached through beautiful countryside, is the tiny village of Vignoni, from which there is a fine view. It has a truncated medieval tower, and a 15C palace on the main street which leads to the Romanesque church on the edge of the hill. The road continues to climb towards Ripa d'Orcia, a castle surrounded by ramparts in a spectacular, isolated position overlooking the Orcia Valley (it is now a hotel residence,   0577 530 23). Bagno Vignoni is a tiny medieval spa on a small plateau. The hot water spring, known since Roman times, bubbles up into a large piscina, constructed by the Medici, in the charming and perfectly preserved piazza. It forms one of the most unusual and evocative sights in Tuscany, especially in winter when the condensation from the hot spring water creates a mist. Castliglione d'Orcia (540m) is another picturesque little village, built round a ruined castle. The main piazza, named after the 15C artist Vecchietta, traditionally believed to have been born here, preserves its old paving of brick and pebbles and there is a well in the centre, dated 1618. The pieve of Santi Stefano e Degna, a Romanesque church with a Renaissance façade, has a Madonna enthroned with four Saints by Giovanni di Bartolomeo (1531), a large Crucifixion by Fabrizio Boschi and two early 16C frescoed lunettes. The pretty borgo has narrow streets with some medieval houses and a little Romanesque church, the Chiesa delle Sante Marie. There is a fine view over the Orcia valley. Nearby is Rocca d'Orcia a particularly well-preserved medieval village on a slope, dominated by its spectacular castle, the Rocca di Tentennano where exhibitions are held (open in summer, 10.00-13.00, 15.30-19.30, in winter at weekends, reduced hours). The piazza has a large octagonal stone well in the centre. The parish church of San Simeone preserves a fresco of the Madonna of Mercy by a follower of Bartolo di Fredi and a Madonna of the Rosary by Francesco Rustici. Farther south is Campiglia d'Orcia in an elevated position (811m) on the north slope of Monte Amiata, facing Radicofani. It has picturesque medieval streets and a tall bell-tower built on a rocky spur. In the church of San Biagio is a Madonna and Child with Saints attributed to Sebastiano Folli.
On the road to Monte Amiata is Vivo d'Orcia (870m), surrounded by woods, near the spring of the Vivo torrent. Near the bridge is the Eremo del Vivo, an impressive late Renaissance building overlooking the valley. A Camaldolese monastery in the early 12C, it became the property of the Cervini of Montepulciano who built a fortified palace here in 1536. The architect is said to have been Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. The church of San Pietro, opposite, has a Romanesque apse. Nearby are some interesting old farm buildings. Close to the Cassia is Bagni San Filippo. Here the hot sulphurous springs, known since ancient times, are said to be named after St Filippo Benizzi (1238-85), of the Servite Order. There is a thermal station and beautiful cascades. In the village is the church of San Filippo which has an 18C stucco statue of St Filippo and busts of St Filippo Benizzi and St Filippo Neri.

 

 


Bagno Vignoni






Bagni San Filippo, Balena Bianca

Dal Vivo d'Orcia all'Eremo e all'Ermicciolo fino alle sorgenti del Vivo

   
PUNTO DI PARTENZA E ARRIVO: Vivo d’Orcia (sentiero circolare). LUNGHEZZA: 10 Km circa.
DURATA: 3 ore circa.

   
L’escursione inizia dall’ufficio postale nel centro di Vivo d’Orcia. Seguire l’indicazione “Contea del Vivo/Eremo” e percorrere la “Via Amiata” che diventa “Via dell’Eremo” e che conduce fuori dal paese. La strada asfaltata finisce in una abetina e immediatamente ci si trova presso un ponte di pietra molto romantico (a sinistra). Attraversare il ponte e quindi il torrente del Vivo e raggiungere la “Contea del Vivo”. Sulla destra si erge l’imponente castello “Contea” della famiglia Cervini, ad oggi ancora abitato dalla famiglia stessa. (Nel corso della passeggiata si può ancora notare, da una certa distanza, una costruzione del tardo medioevo). Passare sotto l’arco e raggiungere il meraviglioso borgo dell’Eremo. Prima della chiesa girare a sinistra attraversando la fila di case e proseguire su un sentiero di rena che conduce fuori dal piccolo Borgo. Al primo bivio prendere la strada a destra. (Eventualmente se il recinto è chiuso, lo si può aprire per passare). Fino ai mesi estivi, qui sul sentiero si intersecano due o tre ruscelli. La strada è in salita e dopo circa 40 minuti si giunge a una strada a sterro. Qui girare a sinistra e proseguire per un breve tratto fino a raggiungere la strada asfaltata (SP 129). Attraversare la strada e prendere il sentiero, che va su nel bosco, tra le indicazioni per Vivo d’Orcia/Abbadia San Salvatore e il segnale di confine delle province di Siena e Grosseto. (Qui inizia una salita di circa 40 minuti). Al bivio tenersi sulla destra e camminare lungo il confine delle province. (Per orientarsi servirsi dell’insegna ATC dell’autorità preposta alla caccia delle province di Siena e Grosseto). All’incrocio seguente dopo circa 20 metri, di fronte a un frammento di roccia che si trova sulla destra del sentiero, andare in alto a sinistra. (Il punto di questo incrocio non è molto chiaro da riconoscere perchè ...FINO ALLA SORGENTE DEL VIVO l’indicazione potrebbe essere coperta da cespugli e ramoscelli!) La strada si biforca ancora una volta e bisogna tenersi sulla sinistra (notare i segni rossi e bianchi su un faggio). La salita finisce definitivamente in un’ ampia strada sterrata, sulla quale si prosegue verso sinistra. (...)

[Fonte: www.amiataturismo.it]


 

Borgo dell'Eremo
e la Chiesa di San Marcello

Monte Amiata and the Val d'Orcia, view from La Foce
The Val d’Orcia extends from the hills south of Siena to Monte Amiata. It is characterised by gentle, carefully cultivated hills occasionally broken by gullies and by picturesque towns and villages such as Pienza , Radicofani (home to the notorious brigand-hero Ghino di Tacco) and Montalcino (the Brunello di Montalcino is counted among the most prestigious of Italian wines). It is a landscape which has become familiar through its depiction in works of art from the Renaissance painting to the modern photograph. In 2004 the Val d’Orcia was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.