La Val d’Orcia is a Tuscan territory, in the province of Siena. Its landscapes are characterized by conical hills decorated 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 the 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 create wealth. The change happened according to 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 picturesquely dot the territory today. They also commissioned numerous paintings from artists of the Sienese school that celebrated the image of the region, showing the realized fulfillment of Renaissance utopias on ideal places. Thus, the Val d’Orcia became an example for other intellectuals, artists, and politicians of the era of good governance of the landscape, where man lives productively in harmony with nature.
After the Renaissance, there was a gradual decline in the economic importance of the area. This ensured that the Val d’Orcia never experienced excessive agricultural or industrial development, leaving the landscape essentially unchanged compared to the 15th-16th centuries. With the awareness of this wealth came protections, first with the creation of the Val d’Orcia Local Protected Natural Area, up to the definitive UNESCO designation.
Slow tourism in Val d’Orcia
One of the most fascinating ways to discover Val d’Orcia is with slow tourism. Bicycle routes, on foot, or by steam train offer the opportunity to experience the beautiful landscape in an authentic way.
In Val d’Orcia takes place L’Eroica, the non-competitive cycling event that recalls the cycling of the past. L’Eroica is a cult event for vintage cycling lovers and it is very difficult to participate because the spots are booked in record time by enthusiasts from all over the world. However, during the year its dirt paths remain open and can be traveled by bike 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 and this favored its urban and demographic development during the Late Middle Ages. From Siena the road reaches San Quirico d’Orcia and from here crosses Val d’Orcia, until it arrives 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 way you encounter monasteries, rural churches, and altars that, over the centuries, have accompanied and guided pilgrims.
Another alternative way to enjoy the magnificent landscape of Val d’Orcia is with the historic Asciano-Monte Antico railway. This route, opened between 1865 and 1872, was abandoned after World War II and then rediscovered and enhanced by the State Railways Foundation in recent times. Its 51 Km, traveled without hurry by steam trains, allow you to discover glimpses of landscape otherwise unreachable.
The villages of the Val d’Orcia
The Val d’Orcia is an area belonging to 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 streets of these villages, discovering the countless art treasures they contain, is a true invitation to beauty.
Pienza itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its urban layout was commissioned by Pope Pius II, from whom it takes its name, to Bernardo Rossellino, an architect follower of Leon Battista Alberti. Therefore, it was designed according to the criteria of the Renaissance ideal city, of which Alberti was the main theorist. A curiosity: in the municipality of Pienza is the Quercia delle Checche, a monumental tree 300 years old, the first to receive the green monument recognition in Italy by MIBACT.
Montalcino, a city known for the production of the famous Brunello wine, is entirely surrounded by walls culminating in the perfection of its medieval fortress which is also the venue of the annual Jazz and Wine Festival. Midway between these two locations is San Quirico d’Orcia, a village that rises next to the Via Francigena. At its entrance there is a beautiful avenue of cypresses, one of the most iconic places in this area.
Radicofani is also crossed by the Via Francigena and is dominated by an imposing fortress, visible from kilometers away. In the Romanesque church of San Pietro you can admire a rich collection of artistic terracotta by Andrea Della Robbia. In Castiglione d’Orcia, on the other hand, the characteristic Palio del Boscaiolo takes place, in which the representatives of this traditional craft compete in woodcutting skill contests. Finally, small villages such as Contignano, Bagno Vignoni, Campiglia d’Orcia, Monticchiello and Bagni San Filippo which, administratively, are fractions of these municipalities also deserve a visit.
Val d’Orcia as a source of inspiration
The landscape of Val d’Orcia, with its nature and picturesque villages, has been a source of inspiration for centuries, starting from its 15th and 16th-century representations by painters of the Sienese school who influenced landscape and urban planning design in other areas of Tuscany and central Italy during the same period. In the following centuries, the type of inspiration changed: in the 18th and 19th centuries, Val d’Orcia could be visited during the Grand Tour, during which some months were devoted to Tuscany to discover Renaissance art and culture.
In more recent times, Val d’Orcia has been a source of inspiration for numerous photographers, writers, and film directors. The list of Italian and foreign films shot here is very long. To mention only some of the most famous, there is 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 a very ancient history dating back to the Roman era or even the Etruscans.
For example, the pecorino of Pienza, of which Lorenzo the Magnificent was also a great admirer. When visiting Pienza it is worth stopping in one of the various shops along Corso Rossellino to try the different varieties of this extraordinary cheese. In addition to the different aging periods (from one and a half months to 24 months), there are some variants that add further nuances of flavor to the product: pecorinos with orange/reddish rind, 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 is pici, similar to thick spaghetti, with an irregular shape. The simplest ones are made only with flour and water, but there are also versions with egg or spinach. The most typical seasonings for pici are aglione (a tomato sauce with plenty of garlic), cacio e pepe, with porcini mushrooms or with a game ragù, for example wild boar or hare. The salamis of cinta senese DOP, produced from free-range pigs, are also unmissable. Besides the exceptional flavor, they are generally less fatty than common pork salamis.
All these tasty foods deserve to be accompanied by wines full of personality, capable at the same time of enhancing their flavors. The most famous wines of the area are reds and are based on sangiovese grape. Probably the best known is the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino, made 100% with sangiovese grapes. Smaller but still majority percentages characterize Nobile di Montepulciano and Orcia, the wine with the most recent DOC recognition.
Where to stay 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 choose to reside in the heart of one of the medieval villages, in one of the many historic buildings transformed into bed & breakfasts. If you are traveling in a group, you can rent a country house. Even in this case, the offer is very wide and ranges from simple but comfortable solutions to beautiful historic villas with a swimming pool.
Finally, for those who want to experience the essence of Val d’Orcia amid the comforts of discreet luxury, the ideal solution is the Hotel Fonteverde, in San Casciano dei Bagni. The hotel stands around a Renaissance portico commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici. The infinity pools of its SPA, fed by a nearby thermal spring already known to the Etruscans, allow you to relax while enjoying the benefits of sulfurous water and admiring the landscapes of Val d’Orcia. And, no less important, the culinary offerings of its restaurants range from traditional Tuscan dishes to lighter and balanced ones, which combine taste and wellness. Because good food is also a source of inspiration.
