Val d'Orcia

To south of Siena, along the ancient road - Cassia or via Francigena -, among hills that softly arise toward the mountain, we find the Val d'Orcia with its Castles, the Fortresses, the Abbeys and ancient Villages: "……… wild place which enchants You and gives You peace in your heart " (Saint Caterina from Siena)

The landscape is a continuous varying of colours: from the always green of Mediterranean Stain, to the red and yellow of the fields in flower.

They grow spontaneous the Orchids and in every where you can admire the Herons, the Roes, Fallow deer, the Buzzards.

The old villages of the Val d'Orcia are situated on natural terraces, and from the towers and castel one can admire the panorama which spreads from the pennines to the Tyrrhenian sea.

The territory of the "gole dell'Orcia" to the woodland slopes of Mont Amiata is a carpet of colours, from the wild Mediterranean bush to fields of a thousand colours, with the vinecards climbing towards the chestnut groves and higher still to the huge trees which adorn the mountain side.

Between the soft rolling hills, calanchi and calcium deposits of the thermal springs, together with the spontaneous growth of wild orchids, one can admire the wildlife, deer, birds etc.

The town Councils of the Orcia Valley enjoy a territory rich in natural beauty and of historical testimonies of artistic works belonging to its ancient culture. Following the antique Via Cassia (Francigena) one finds the Castels of Aldobrandeschi, the Fortress of Salimbeni, the St. Antimo Abbey……

Fortified villages and "City of Artists" like Pienza:
historial presences which have not detrate from the natural beauty of the territory.

Famous artist like Simone Martini, Lorenzo di Pietro, known as "il Vecchietta", Pietro Lorenzetti and famous architechs have left their testimony of the high level culture of the Val d'Orcia troughout the centuries.