Val d’Orcia is a Tuscan territory in the province of Siena. Its landscapes are characterized by conical hills adorned with cypress trees, often topped by a fortified village. Today’s Val d’Orcia is like a photograph of the ideal Renaissance rural landscape: for this reason, it was inscribed in 2004 by UNESCO on the World Heritage list.
The Renaissance Landscape of Val d’Orcia
The transformation of the Val d’Orcia territory began in the 15th century. From that moment, local merchants and bankers invested in the agricultural development of the area so that it would become productive and generate wealth. The change happened following a typically Renaissance mindset, with the very rational goal of profitability but without neglecting aesthetics.
It was the local entrepreneurs themselves who promoted the creation of villages, fortresses, and monasteries that still picturesque the territory today. They also commissioned numerous paintings from artists of the Sienese school who celebrated the image of the region, showing the fulfilled realization of Renaissance utopias on ideal sites. Thus Val d’Orcia became an example for other intellectuals, artists, and politicians of the time of good landscape governance, where man lives productively in harmony with nature.
After the Renaissance, there was a gradual decline in the economic importance of the area. This meant that Val d’Orcia never experienced excessive agricultural or industrial development, leaving the landscape essentially unchanged since the 15th-16th centuries. With the awareness of this richness came protections, first with the creation of the Val d’Orcia Local Protected Natural Area, culminating with the definitive UNESCO recognition.
Slow Tourism in Val d’Orcia
One of the most fascinating ways to discover Val d’Orcia is through slow tourism. Routes by bicycle, on foot, or on a steam train offer the opportunity to experience the beautiful landscape authentically.
The Eroica takes place in Val d’Orcia, a non-competitive cycling event that recalls cycling of the past. The Eroica is a cult event for vintage cycling enthusiasts and participation is extremely difficult because the places are booked in record time by fans from all over the world. However, during the year its dirt trails remain open and can be traveled by bicycle or motorcycle.
The Via Francigena passes through Val d’Orcia, the ancient route that since the Middle Ages connected the two most important pilgrimage destinations in Europe: Rome and Canterbury. Siena was located along the route, which favored its urban and demographic development during the Late Middle Ages. From Siena, the road reaches San Quirico d’Orcia and from there crosses Val d’Orcia until arriving at Acquapendente, where the route connects to the Via Cassia. Traveling the Via Francigena is not only a hiking experience, but also a spiritual one: along the road you encounter monasteries, rural churches, and altars that have accompanied and guided pilgrims over the centuries.
Another alternative way to enjoy the magnificent landscape of Val d’Orcia is the historic Asciano-Monte Antico railway. This line, opened between 1865 and 1872, was abandoned after World War II and later rediscovered and enhanced by the State Railways Foundation in recent times. Its 51 km, traveled unhurriedly by steam trains, allow discovering glimpses of landscape otherwise unreachable.
The Villages of Val d’Orcia
Val d’Orcia is the territory of five municipalities: Pienza, Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, Radicofani, and Castiglione d’Orcia. These are small centers perched on panoramic hills, from which you can admire the beautiful landscape. Exploring the narrow streets of these villages, discovering the countless art treasures they hold, is a real invitation to beauty.
Pienza itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its urban plan was commissioned by Pope Pius II, from whom it gets its name, to Bernardo Rossellino, an architect follower of Leon Battista Alberti. Therefore, it was designed according to the criteria of the ideal Renaissance city, of which Alberti was the main theorist. A curiosity: within the municipal territory of Pienza lies the Quercia delle Checche, a 300-year-old monumental oak tree, the first to receive the recognition of a green monument in Italy from MIBACT.
Montalcino, known for producing the famous Brunello wine, is entirely surrounded by walls culminating in the perfection of its medieval fortress, which also hosts the annual Jazz and Wine Festival. Halfway between these two locations is San Quirico d’Orcia, a village located next to the Via Francigena. At its entrance is a beautiful avenue of cypress trees, one of the area’s most iconic spots.
Radicofani is also crossed by the Via Francigena and is dominated by an imposing fortress, visible for kilometers around. In the Romanesque church of San Pietro, you can admire a rich collection of artistic terracotta works by Andrea Della Robbia. At Castiglione d’Orcia, the characteristic Palio del Boscaiolo is held, where representatives of this traditional craft compete in skill games in woodcutting. Lastly, the small villages like Contignano, Bagno Vignoni, Campiglia d’Orcia, Monticchiello, and Bagni San Filippo also deserve a visit; administratively they are fractions of these municipalities.
Val d’Orcia as a Source of Inspiration
The landscape of Val d’Orcia, with its nature and picturesque villages, has been for centuries a source of inspiration, starting from its 15th and 16th-century depictions by artists of the Sienese school who influenced the landscape and urban planning designs of other areas in Tuscany and central Italy during the same period. In subsequent centuries, the type of inspiration changed: in the 18th and 19th centuries, Val d’Orcia was visited during the Grand Tour, during which several months were dedicated to Tuscany to discover Renaissance art and culture.
More recently, Val d’Orcia has been a source of inspiration for numerous photographers, writers, and filmmakers. The list of Italian and foreign films shot here is very long. To name just a few well-known ones, there are Gladiator by Ridley Scott, The English Patient by Anthony Minghella, Brother Sun, Sister Moon and Romeo and Juliet, both by Franco Zeffirelli, and Nostalghia by Andrei Tarkovsky.
Where to Eat in Val d’Orcia
Val d’Orcia, thanks to the extraordinary variety of flavors of its typical dishes, foods, and wines, is a perfect destination for lovers of food and wine tourism. Some products have an ancient history dating back to the Roman or even Etruscan times.
For example, Pienza pecorino, of which Lorenzo the Magnificent was also a great admirer. When visiting Pienza, it is worth stopping at one of the various shops along Corso Rossellino to try the different qualities of this extraordinary cheese. Beyond the different aging periods (from one and a half months to 24 months), there are some variants that add further flavor nuances: pecorinos with orange/red rinds, for example, are rubbed with tomato and olive oil before aging; others are wrapped in leaves, while others are rubbed with wine must.
The typical fresh pasta of Val d’Orcia are pici, similar to thick spaghetti with an irregular shape. The simplest are made only with flour and water, but versions with egg or spinach also exist. Typical condiments for pici are aglione (a tomato sauce with abundant garlic), cacio e pepe, with porcini mushrooms, or with a game ragù, for example wild boar or hare. Also unmissable are the DOP cinta senese salamis, produced from free-range pigs. Besides their exceptional flavor, they are generally less fatty than common pork salamis.
All these tasty foods deserve to be accompanied by wines rich in personality, capable of enhancing their flavors simultaneously. The most famous wines of the area are reds based on Sangiovese grapes. Probably the best known is the precious Brunello di Montalcino, produced 100% from Sangiovese. Smaller but still majority percentages characterize Nobile di Montepulciano and Orcia, the wine with the most recent DOC recognition.
Where to Sleep in Val d’Orcia
A vacation in Val d’Orcia is a source of inspiration for everyone, especially if you choose to stay in authentic accommodations. You can stay in the heart of a medieval village, in one of the many historic palaces converted into bed & breakfasts. If traveling in a group, you can rent a country house. Here too, the offer is very wide, ranging from simple but comfortable solutions to beautiful historic villas with pools.
Finally, for those who want to experience the essence of Val d’Orcia amidst the indulgence of discreet luxury, the ideal choice is Hotel Fonteverde in San Casciano dei Bagni. The hotel rises around a Renaissance portico commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici. The infinity pools at its SPA, fed by a nearby thermal spring already known to the Etruscans, allow relaxation while enjoying the benefits of sulphurous water and admiring the Val d’Orcia landscapes. Equally important, its restaurants offer a culinary range from traditional Tuscan dishes to lighter and balanced ones, combining taste and well-being. Because good food is also a source of inspiration.
