Valdichiana

valdichiana

Terre di Siena

valdichiana CHIANCIANO TERME VAL DI CHIANA TOURIST AGENCY WELCOMES YOU TO THE TERRE DI SIENA

val di chiana

Terre di Siena

val di chiana: terre di siena’s rhapsody in blue

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welcoming from prehistoric times

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porsenna and saint mustiola, legends of chiusi

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medieval val di chiana: between myth and legend

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poliziano and the pearl of the sixteenth century

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the red demon of sarteano

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madonna in the sienese manner

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the ancient tradition of sharecropping

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the thermal springs, cinema, people: val di chiana at the centre of the world

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ancient waters, brand-new thermal springs

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towns of the val di chiana

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cetona, chianciano terme, chiusi, montepulciano, san casciano dei bagni, sarteano, sinalunga, torrita di siena, trequanda

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firenze siena

tuscanyitaly

Terre di Siena

val di chiana cetona chianciano terme chiusi montepulciano san casciano dei bagni sarteano sinalunga torrita di siena trequanda

Radda in Chianti

San Gimignano

Gaiole in Chianti

Poggibonsi Castellina in Chianti Colle di Val d’Elsa Monteriggioni Casole d’Elsa

Castelnuovo Berardenga

Siena

Rapolano Terme

Sovicille Radicondoli

Monteroni d’Arbia

Asciano Sinalunga Trequanda

Chiusdino

Murlo

5 Torrita di Siena

Monticiano San Giovanni d’Asso Buonconvento

Montepulciano

San Quirico d’Orcia

Pienza

Montalcino Chianciano Terme

Castiglione d’Orcia

Chiusi

Sarteano Cetona Abbadia San Salvatore

Piancastagnaio

Radicofani San Casciano dei Bagni

The Val di Chiana painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. Reproduced by gracious permission of Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II.

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Just beyond the Chiana they gather at the baths. (Pliny)

val di chiana: terre di siena’s rhapsody in blue

The Val di Chiana has soft borders: the rising of its dawns, the reddening of its dusks reflected in the stationary sea of the ‘Crete’ hills, its charming ‘Biancane’ range, the gorges of the Orcia. They flicker on Chiusi and Montepulciano’s lakes, are lost in the mysterious Etruscan civilization and penetrate the Porsena labyrinth, reflect the ruggedness of Cetona, then gush forth into the fountains of Chianciano Terme and San Casciano dei Bagni. A visit musically attunes you to its history fading into the legends and mysteries of the Etruscan civilisation pulsing throughout all the region. To enjoyable well-being in San Casciano dei Bagni’s miraculous waters and appreciating Montepulciano’s great wines, Sinalunga’s gastronomic splendour and Trequanda’s extra-virgin olive oil. To beauty incarnated in the scenery and architecture of Sarteano, Torrita di Siena and the noble rurality of Cetona; legend suspended in Chiusi’s natural oasis, the cold austerity of Monte Cetona and the regional trait of total harmony.

Remember the mythic Porsena, the Etruscan king who dared challenge Rome and defeated her, leaving a trail of half-truths in his wake. And Horace, who records that Chianciano was home to the favoured thermal springs of the Emperor Augustus. Remember the Abbot of Cluny, who became more guest than prisoner of Ghino di

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Tacco, the lord and gentleman-bandit of Radicófani. And Lorenzo the Magnificent, who entrusted the education of his princess-daughter to Agnolo Ambrogini, otherwise known as Poliziano; the poet’s influence on the Medici dynasty led the Florentine court to appoint the centre of the Sienese Renaissance, Montepulciano, its ‘buen retiro’. More recently, Gabriele D’Annunzio conceived his poetic ‘Halcyon’ here, while Federico Fellini devised and set his cinematic masterpiece 8 1/2 in Chianciano.

From Cetona and Sarteano, the Val di Chiana has restored the body and souls of Nobel prize-winners and great artists.

Perhaps there’s a link between these events and the Etruscan spirit which seems more ingrained in this region than any other. The whole length of the Val di Chiana, from Umbria to the plains of Lazio, still touches the core of the Etruscan epic. The Sienese part is home to bounteous wisdom: first agriculture, then art, then the solid, vital foundation of water.

Three elements that define the civilization of ‘living life to the full’, embodied in a Chianina steak or a glass of Nobile, which as far back as the seventeenth-century was christened by Francesco Redi in his ‘Bacchus in Tuscany’ as the king of wines. A peaceful walk through old medieval centres, a healthy dip in hot springs or a sip of revitalizing thermal water.

Today translated into the highest level of hospitality, or perhaps into some wisdom imparted by a local craftsman. This is why the Val di Chiana is so special, roots of humanity and nature make this place a wonderful habitat for those lucky enough to live here and render it welcoming to visitors. A kind of spiritual ecology illuminated by a rainbow of senses, the colours of which are the Val di Chiana’s towns, its synthesis our rhapsody in blue. An Etruscan blue.

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hospitable since prehistoric times In the Val di Chiana one can experience the thrill of visiting caves that were inhabited 50,000 years ago. Situated in dense woods at the base of Monte Cetona, the underground caverns, like the Archeodrome with its faithful reproduction of a Bronze Age village, are not only natural attractions, they also provide evidence of a lifestyle choice that dates back to ancient times – the choice to live in an area that is enviable for its environment, climate and strategic position. These values have been passed down since the dawn of time, and they’re reaffirmed by the decision that many people still make today to put down roots in this area.

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porsena and saint mustiola, legends of chiusi Porsena was the prince who defeated the Romans, that thereafter - according to the Histories of Tacitus - ‘could not touch Porsena after the surrender of their city’. Legend has it that he was buried in a majestic mausoleum, set in an intricate labyrinth surrounded by startling array of precious objects including thousands of golden chicks. An underground labyrinth does in fact exist beneath Chiusi – and can be visited but it is only an ancient Etruscan aqueduct. Another legendary figure from Chiusi was a relation of Emperor Claudius: Mustiola. For the mere crime of converting to Christianity, her Emperor-uncle threw her in prison. Managing to escape, she reached the lake at Chiana, near Chiusi.

Pursued by soldiers and throwing her cloak onto the water, it miraculously carried her away. Henceforward it is said that on the evening of the 3rd of July, a golden streak of light is visible over the waters, in memory of the saint’s journey.

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medieval val di chiana: between myth and legend Medieval Val di Chiana is still evident, albeit reshaped and reinterpreted by the inescapable passing of time, in its stones, scenery and myths.

Testimony are castles, fortresses and churches dotting historically-bounteous hillsides. The original stream from which the valley takes it name and that today serves as a system of canals, was once an elusive river, whose name mutated from Medieval Latin into the female ‘Chiana’.

We half-expect to see the reflections of its ancient villages and their inhabitants in its medieval relicts, the ‘Chiari’ of Chiusi and Montepulciano.

Such as Mustiola, the local martyr, who endeared herself to the ‘foreign’ Lombards, or Chiusi’s other saints, who lived when Rome was still centre of this vast empire. Later we find the heroic Ghino di Tacco, whose rebellion against the growth of the town’s municipal infrastructure and the armies and merchants who had ‘invaded’ his region (the original lands of the Scialenga family towards Torrita, Asciano and Sinalunga) became romanticized over the centuries.

the poliziano and the pearl of the sixteenth century November 1484: a Medici legation, sent by Lorenzo the Magnificent to Rome to pay homage to the new pope, Innocent III, stops at Montepulciano. The early winter weather is cold and misty, but one of the delegation, the poet Angelo Poliziano, feverishly searches all over the town of his birth, to rave over a new work of art: a terracotta panel. The episode is indicative of what has happened in Montepulciano; as a sort of outpost in Sienese and papal lands, the town’s painting, sculpture and architecture were obliged to demonstrate clearly visible ‘signs’ of their Florentine allegiance. This is how 16th century Montepulciano, with its affinity for inspiration and zest for its most illustrious son, Poliziano, came into being long ago.

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the red demon of sarteano A red demon, driving a cart drawn by two lions and two griffons, dominates the corridor wall of this marvellous tomb in Sarteano’s Pianacce necropolises. This enigmatic figure, unique in Etruria, is either of a demon as yet unknown or, more likely, a completely new version of Charon, the demon that - like the Greek Caronte - accompanies dead souls to the Underworld. The other walls of the room are dominated by enormous monsters in vivid colours: a three-headed serpent with beard and crest, and on the lower pediment a seahorse: a marine metaphor for the journey to the afterlife. In addition to these creatures, two very-human portraits are depicted on the final part of the corridor: these are the dead, pictured in an unusually-emotional embrace at a banquet in the Underworld. The extraordinary pictorial cycle, whose colours are exceptionally well-preserved, is a new addition to the host of Etruscan museums and tombs in the area.

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madonna in the sienese manner ‘The Annunciation’ is one of the masterpieces of the undisputed champion of Sienese Mannerism, the extraordinary Domenico Beccafumi. Its highly expressive features include its Virgin and Angel, and the contrast between the dusk in the house of the Madonna and the symbolic divine light that illuminates the faces of the two figures. Splendid too is the lacustral scenery in the background, evoking views of the Tuscan countryside. If the Florentine artists could be said to be drawn to macabre and often very harsh subjects, the Sienese style is more subtle and refined. A clear masterpiece of this school, ‘The Annunciation’ is found in one of Sarteano’s little churches, like many works of art, it is not preserved in a museum. One of many of the Val di Chiana’s beautiful faces.

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the ancient tradition of sharecropping Vestiges of the vanished past can still be discerned in local festivals and agricultural produce. The ancient sharecropping tradition still influences present-day celebrations where food often plays a central role, while improved methods of production guarantee a very high-quality of regional produce. This is home of the ‘Chianina’, a long-esteemed indigenous breed famous for its Florentine steaks. And also its Vino Nobile, preserved in Montepulciano’s historical cellars, while regional cuisine is enhanced by flavours from Lazio, Arezzo and Umbria. Its pici, a famous sort of thick, mismatched hand-made spaghetti. Or fish from Chiusi’s lake, used in the traditional brustico and tegamaccio recipes. Not forgetting the multi-prizewinning olive oil from the Trequanda area, traditionally kept in decorative terracotta jars from Petroio. And vegetables and fruit such as Montepulciano’s plums - are also testimony to its extraordinary local traditions.

the thermal springs, cinema, people: val di chiana at the centre of the world The Chianciano Terme features in Fellini’s dreamlike masterpiece 8 1/2 and was regularly visited by the famous film director. Federico Fellini was a staunch devotee of Val di Chiana’s ‘cure’, as was Nobel prize-winner Luigi Pirandello, who set one of his short stories in the town. Little has changed from those days: the region still draws artists and famous people who choose its countryside and numerous hot springs as a place to live or to run an agriturismo estate. Meanwhile novels and famous films continue to be set in its streets, historic piazzas and thermal springs, following the tradition set by Fellini. Think of The English Patient, A Midsummer Night’s Dream or the recent Don’t Move, set in the prestigious thermal baths of San Casciano dei Bagni.

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ancient waters, new spa An American magazine described the hot springs at San Casciano dei Bagni as “the most beautiful in the world in the most beautiful place in the world.”

Recently renovated, they are the jewel in the crown of a region whose life has revolved around water since its inception. Another “offspring” of the waters is the new “Terme Sensoriali” in Chianciano Terme. A true hot springs temple, the spa integrates architecture, technology, and the traditional philosophy of Ayurveda, in a unique language that expresses itself in twenty, natural, wellbeing treatments. Beginning with its name, The “Museo Archeaologico delle Acque” (Archaeological Museum of the Waters) in Chianciano Terme, bears witness to the importance of the thermal waters dating from Etruscan times, through the period of the Roman baths, followed by the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. But above all, it demonstrates the splendour that brought queens, heads of state, and men of culture and the arts, to what has remained one of the most important mineral springs locations in Europe.

This legacy is underscored by the Terme di Montepulciano, which is increasingly identified with wellbeing. In addition to the spas, water has had a significant impact on the development of other parts of the region. At one time, the Val di Chiana was completely under water, a situation that even drew the attention of Leonardo da Vinci, who was involved in a project to drain the valley. The swamp began to disappear during the era of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, leaving as its legacy the “chiari” (lakes) of Chiusi and Montepulciano, and restoring the Val di Chiana to its original fertility. Water flowed beneath Chiusi, in an intricate Etruscan aqueduct, it collected in Roman cisterns, and it is still present today in the fountains and wells of the town’s historic centre.

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towns of the val di chiana

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Towns produce an array of senses. This composition of life and nature’s colours gives birth to the blue rhapsody of the Val di Chiana. A forty-odd kilometre itinerary – worthwhile in its entirety - that takes in nine places: Cetona, Chianciano Terme, Chiusi, Montepulciano, San Casciano dei Bagni, Sarteano, Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena and Trequanda. The Val di Chiana circuit can be started at four possible points.

From the north, coming down from the Crete, or from the east skirting Lake Trasimeno before descending into lush olive groves. Or from the West climbing along the Orcia, savouring, from Sarteano on, the sweet air of these seemingly-timeless places. Or lastly from the south, perhaps from the Autosole motorway, exiting at Chiusi. The crazy pace of the motorway melts to thoughtful wonder with the first hairpin bends, perhaps taking the La Foce road from Montepulciano to San Quirico. The road immortalized in a thousand adverts as the perfect representation of how scenery can be artificially constructed with the local perspective in mind. Less well known is that La Foce - now a permanent fixture of Tuscan imagery - was ‘designed’ by an American lady who, along its bumpy hairpin bends, wished to replicate a living synthesis of every Tuscan landscape. A tranquil descent affords views of cypresses and cluster pines, cottages and fields: a perfect synthesis of local beauty.

Cetona: the emerald frozen in time A place that exists in space as in time: frozen time. Protected by the mountain to which it clings, Cetona is as delicate and intense as the emerald green of its woods, patterned by columns of cypresses, shaded by holm-oaks, embellished by olive trees. Chosen by the European intelligentsia as a ‘buen retiro’ since here history impressively reveals itself in the stronghold with its powerful keep that commands over the village, while its ancient pavements and archaeological zones form its skin. Not to be missed is the two-fold splendour of the Belvedere Archaeological/Nature park which testifies to Cetona’s very remote origins and is well-documented in the Museo Civico Per La Preistoria Del Monte Cetona. In the historical centre, the churches of San Michele and Santa Trinità are worth a visit, while the buildings that frame Piazza Garibaldi - in particular the Town Hall - testify to its ancient nobility. Wandering through Cetona’s alleys and clambering up its pathways is an act of regeneration, as if this primitive village was created to put Man at peace with God. The almost-severe linearity of its architecture blends with the softness of the horizons outlined by the hills. Cetona acts as a starting point for exploration of the most rural and authentic parts of the Val di Chiana. Here - as in the rest of the territory - the finest gastronomy can be enjoyed, in particular its ‘country’ olive oils.

A bottle of intensely green extra-virgin olive oil recalls the meadow, a flavour that ranges from sweet to sharp and the best souvenir because it really is the ‘juice’ of this region and confirmation that Cetona is truly an emerald.

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information centre: Piazza Garibaldi 63, t-fx 0578 239143 proloco@cetona.org www.cetona.org

23 Monte Cetona Civic Museum of Prehistory and Belverde Archeological Naturalist Park via roma 37, t 0578 237632 www.museisenesi.org museo@comune.cetona.si.it The museum records the various phases of human settlement in the region, from the Paleolithic period up to the end of the Bronze Age. Discoveries from Monte Cetona area’s countless caverns testify to a human presence in this area as early as the Middle Paleolithic (Neanderthal man). The finds, which number among them rock tools and remains of animal prey, are displayed according to the latest educational methods.

Closely linked to the museum is the Belverde Archaeological/Nature park, where the main prehistoric settlements are located. what to see in cetona. Besides the small, well-maintained and beautiful mediaeval village, an excursion to the Monte Cetona Archaeological and Naturalist Park is a must. Here one can visit the caves, which were an important Neanderthal settlement, and the Archeodrome, with its faithful reconstruction of a prehistoric village. But in reality, the whole mountain deserves a thorough exploration, beginning with a scramble up one of a thousand trails leading to the top (1,148 metres). From there one can take in the entire panorama of the Val di Chiana.

ApT, Piazza Italia 67, t 0578 671122/3 fx 0578 63277 infoaptchiancianoterme@terresiena.it www.terresiena.it www.vivichiancianoterme.it

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Chianciano Terme: the purity of the diamond of water Precious and pure as its water, this sacred town has provided its guests, from the time of the Etruscans to ‘Apollo Salutare’, with a kaleidoscope of life as infinite as the shards of light emanating from a diamond. Today Chianciano’s thermal resort prescribes water-drinking cures - it has four springs, Acqua Santa, Acqua Fucoli, Acqua Sillene and Acqua Sant’Elena - set in a charming region of worldly pleasures and private comforts.

It rediscovered its ancient grace in Fellini’s masterpiece 8 1/2, conceived here by the great director. A fantasy that dreamily recounts Chianciano’s true calling as a place for regeneration. Its history so action-packed to appear mythic. Inhabited as far back as the Neolithic period, it was sacred to the Etruscans and their major stopping-point on route to the Tyrrhenian ports. Domain of the Lombards and Farolfingi lords (in the early Middle Ages it took the name of Clancianum), it was contested over by Florence and Siena and ruled over by Cosimo Medici I. Ancient vestiges are its historical centre - with the Manenti castle, the Collegiata museum, the Clock Tower, the Immacolata church all worth a visit while its thermal springs were once celebrated by Horace, who recommended the cure to Emperor Augustus: today recorded in the very interesting Museo Civico-Archeologico Delle Acque. Now it is a prominent European centre of regeneration whose up-to-date well-being complex combines style and hospitality, offering some innovative shopping based on Sienese crafts and the flavours of an internationally high-standard of cuisine deriving from local produce. In a setting of harmony between old and the new, it is the capital of well-being.

The sights of Chianciano Terme. Chianciano offers more than just shops, hotels and thermal parks. The town, famous for fashionable well-being, also boasts a very ancient history, dating from the Etruscan civilization. The most interesting remnants of its past are exhibited in the extensive Museo Archeologico, that includes the intact contents of tombs and the world’s largest collection of Etruscan Canopic vases. Another must-see is the historical centre with its small piazzas and maze of alleyways.

museo civico archeologico delle acque viale dante 80, t 0578 30471 Inaugurated in 2002, its up-to-date and innovative displays instantly put a town known mainly for its tourism on the international archaeological map. Its spacious rooms house reconstructions of tombs – including a perfectly-preserved aristocratic one – splendid Etruscan and Greek illustrated vases, the colossal pediment of a temple, as well as specimens of gold and bronze jewellery. Its collection of painted Canopic vases is the finest in the world. museo della collegiata via solferino 38, t 0578 30378 As small as it is, this compact museum houses many of Chianciano Terme’s treasures. These includes a striking crucifix of the school of Duccio di Buoninsegna and a Madonna with Child, also of the fourteenth century Sienese school. Interesting too, as much as a historical document, is a panel of San Giovanni supporting fifteenth-century Chianciano.

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Terme di Chianciano Spa Via delle rose t 0578 68111 fx 0578 60522 info@termechianciano.it www.termechianciano.it Sorgente Sant’Elena Spa Viale della libertà 112 t 0578 31141 fx 0578 31369 info@termesantelena.it www.termesantelena.it

information centre: Piazza Duomo 1, t-fx 0578 227667 prolocochiusi@bcc.tin.it www.comune.chiusi.si.it

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Chiusi: the gold from an age-old mine Chiusi is a gold mine of perceptions. The catacomb-like aqueduct of Porsenna’s labyrinth melts into legend and is reflected in the blue sapphire of a subterranean lake, testimony to Chiusi’s prominence in the Dodecapoli - the league of 12 Etruscan cities - a run of unbroken civilization.

An overview of Chiusi is gleaned by observing the two towers known as ‘Get this’ (Beccati questo) and ‘Get the Other’ (Beccati quest’altro) which overlook the border of Tuscany and Umbria, legacy of feudal struggles in a strategic location. Chiusi’s mysteries are waiting to be discovered everywhere and require a ‘beauty-digger’ to unearth them. First the ‘Chiari’, lakes created from reclamation of the marshes. The expanse of Chiusi’s lake reflects the sky and natural surroundings. Ask for a brustico, an Etruscan bass recipe, blackened on a cane fire then seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil and accompanied by a cool Val di Chiana white wine. Alternatively around the lake and nature reserve of neighbouring Montepulciano, where the Chiana meets the Astrone, there is a sense of vibrancy. Chiusi closely guards its history in its townscape and its Museo Archeologico Nazionale, perhaps the most striking collection of Etruscan finds in existence. Wander from the Town Hall to the Clock Tower, from the Santa Maria Loggiato and the San Francesco church, entering the town through the Porta Lavinia to overlook it from the Piazza Duomo. Such a impressive historical grouping that never smacks of mummification. For a timeless dimension just look beyond the necropolises to the famous Scimmia, Leone and Pellegrina tombs. Confirmation of the gold within Chiusi’s veins are the Santa Mustiola and Santa Caterina catacombs, reminders of the long line of humanity connected to this place.

Museo Archeologico Nazionale / Via Porsenna 93, t 0578 20177 sba-tos.museochiusi@beniculturali.it Newly-redesigned, Chiusi’s museum is one of the world’s most important Etruscan collections, displaying finds from the Bronze Age to Lombard times. The Etruscan period features thousands of pieces, some priceless, such as a set of decorated heavy bucchero pottery and sculptures in fetid limestone, as well as bronze objects, Canopic funeral vases, utensils and jewels. Particularly valuable is the large collection of black and red figurative pottery from Greece.

Museo Civico (Civic Museum) – The Underground City / Via II Ciminia 2, t 349 5544729 www.labirinto.info prolocochiusi@bcc.tin.it The museum is laid out in three sections: the Labyrinth, Production Activities and Epigraphs, the latter exhibited in underground tunnels. There are more than 140 metres of subterranean galleries, which host the only exhibit in Italy of Etruscan funerary inscriptions – about 300 urns and 200 inscribed tombstones.

The itinerary ends with a visit to the famous underground pond.

Museo Della Cattedrale (Porsenna labyrinth) / piazza Duomo, t 0578 226490 prolocochiusi@bcc.tin.it Next to the beautiful cathedral - one of Tuscany’s finest - as many as 21 extremely beautifully-illustrated liturgical codices form part of a valuable collection of artworks dating from the 2nd century B.C. to the 19th century. It also houses the entrance to a maze of underground passageways known as the Porsena labyrinth, a complex water system in Etruscan times. A visit makes an unusual and attractive trip into the town’s underbelly.

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Chiusi sights. The Etruscan influence on Chiusi can hardly be overstated. But there’s more on offer than Chiusi’s unique archaeological heritage. One of its treasures is its lake, what remains - along with the neighbouring lakes of Montepulciano and Trasimeno - of the great marine lagoon that invaded a major section of Central Italy. Chiusi’s lake is small and shallow but rich in fauna, while its reeds are home to an incredible number of nesting birds. Boats can be hired to explore its most attractive parts.

information centre: Piazza Don Minzoni, t-fx 0578 757341 info@prolocomontepulciano.it www.prolocomontepulciano.it Vino Nobile Route information centre: Piazza Grande 7, t 0578 717484 fx 0578 753749 info@stradavinonobile.it www.stradavinonobile.it

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montepulciano: the ruby of the art of living A place of beauty and goodness, a town of the art of ‘living life to the full’, an artistic jewel set on a hill between the Orcia and the Chiana, whose green wave-like vineyards snuggle its townscape so tightly that it seems to be floating on a cloud of pleasure. Montepulciano, the centre of the Tuscan Renaissance (recalling the locally-born Renaissance poet, Poliziano, is as much involuntary as a duty) now heralds the Second Tuscan Renaissance, that of harmony and joy of life, but based on culture rather than current trends. Such as enjoying a glass of Nobile. Deriving from a special type of Sangiovese grape, Francesco Redi extolled the wine in his seventeenth-century ‘Bacchus in Tuscany’ as the most important Tuscan red. Without a doubt one of the region’s most prominent reds and consequently one of the world’s most important wines, like many products of the Val di Chiana it has kept a healthy balance between quality and price. And an overview of Montepulciano is not complete without tasting its ‘blood’: its wine, the centrepiece of a Renaissance pageant, the Bravìo Delle Botti, a unique palio staged in its medieval streets. It goes without saying that the town has more than its fair share of beauty: from the San Biagio Temple and the Town Hall designed

by Michelozzo, to the Palazzo Contucci, the Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi and the Palazzo Neri-Orselli, not forgetting the Palazzo Del Capitano Del Popolo and the Pozzo Dei Grifi e Dei Leoni, whose majestic architecture was designed by renowned Renaissance architect Sangallo (behind many of the town’s buildings) and serves as the symbol of the town. A town whose churches (Gesù, Sant’Agnese and Sant’Agostino) hold artistic treasures, is also home to architectural oddities such as the Logge del Grano and the Pulcinella Tower. A town steeped in culture and art, yet whose philosophy is ‘living life to the full’, as testified to by its jewel-like thermal springs or on the shores of its lake (10 km out of town), where a visit to its Natural History Museum provides an overview of the region.

museo civico pinacoteca crociani via ricci 10, t 0578 717300 The museum is subdivided into various sections and displays many important pieces. To be enjoyed are sixteenth and seventeenth-century terracottas of the school of Andrea della Robbia, and various pictorial masterpieces from the fourteenth-century Sienese school. The museum also houses valuable illustrated choir-books of the Florentine school, eighteenth-century silver objects and a rich collection of the contents of Etruscan and Roman tombs.

The sights of Montepulciano. The pearl of the sixteenth century, a jewel of a town: Renaissance Montepulciano has been the subject of thousands of books. The town has a vast municipal territory that includes a large part of the Sienese Val di Chiana. In the heart of the valley is set a small expanse of water, Montepulciano’s lake, one of Italy’s most important wetlands, where more than 130 migratory and indigenous bird species, many of them rare, find shelter. A visitor centre has been created on its shore in conjunction with a system of strategic observation points.

Terme di Montepulciano SpA Via delle Terme 46 Fraz. Sant’Albino t 0578 7911 fx 0578 799149 info@termemontepulciano.it www.termemontepulciano.it

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San Casciano dei Bagni: the sapphire of well-being It seems miraculous that God created such a harmonious place here on the southern slopes of the austere Monte Cetona. Yet as far back as you can go, San Casciano dei Bagni has been a major thermal resort. The Etruscans discovered it, the Romans developed it into a spa, in the Middle Ages it was visited by feudal aristocracy and in the Renaissance it became notorious. Today, up-to-date modernisation has transformed it into one of Europe’s most prominent, popular and attractive thermal resorts. Its springs are as countless as local opportunities for enjoyment.

Even the regular presence of society elite has failed to alter its rurally-authentic features. Leaving aside its thermal pleasures, a break at San Casciano dei Bagni becomes an immersion in a historic rural civilization. The old centre - that like the whole of the Val di Chiana offers local food and wine - is home to the Collegiata, the adjacent Oratory of Sant’Antonio and the Basilican Church. The Fighine castle is also worth a visit. Set at end of a track that climbs a hill for a few kilometres, it lords over a stunning panorama of untamed nature where the thermal pools glisten under the sun’s rays, like sapphires set in the greenish-ochre of the countryside.

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information centre: Piazza Matteotti 14, t-fx 0578 58141 ufficioturistico@sancascianobagni.org www.sancascianodeibagni.org

The sights of San Casciano dei Bagni. This charming small village is still in its original natural setting of thick woodlands and panoramas; the ideal place to reattune. And what better location for what one prestigious American magazine described as the world’s most beautiful thermal springs? And for those who think that San Casciano has little more to offer than its water - as hot as it is the Palazzone area offers the heart of its culture in the form of wine and oil.

Not far away, on a rise that commands over the Paglia valley, the charming small village of Celle sul Rigo can be found, for several years the home of the poet Giosuè Carducci.

Fonteverde Thermal Centre Loc. Terme 1 t 0578 57241 fx 0578 572200 info@fonteverdeterme.it www.fonteverdeterme.it

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Sarteano: the topaz of medieval refinement It is hard to find a village for which the medieval period - beyond its influence on architecture and folk revivals - has left more than a trace.

But for Sarteano the medieval lives on in the unchanged character of its people and their physical surroundings. What is more, Sarteano boasts the thermal Canalette spring (nearby is a fully-equipped campsite which offers top accommodation in the heart of nature) and a rural setting that guarantees a high standard of tasty enogastronomic fill. Sarteano also shares features of both the Chiana and Orcia regions, welcoming its visitors with its imposing stronghold, a reminder of how this region was subjugated, first by the Lombards, then by the Manenti family, in strict agreement with Frederick I (nicknamed Barbarossa or Redbeard). Its historic centre - still surrounded by its medieval wall is home to various architectural treasures such as the Arrischianti theatre and the San Francesco, Collegiata and San Martino churches. The castle and the esteemed Town Hall are both impressive, but what makes Sarteano really worth a visit is the genuinely-noble rurality of its surroundings, highlights of which are Castiglioncello del Trinoro and the Spineto abbey, reached by tackling the steep track that leads from the ancient walls. Today this natural setting forms a backdrop of sharply contrasted colours; woodland greens, earthy ochres and the glaring reflection of its walls like drops of topaz illuminated by history.

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information centre: Corso Garibaldi 9, t-fx 0578 269204 info@prolocosarteano.it www.prolocosarteano.it

The sights of Sarteano. The historical centre nestles around the very pretty, impressive medieval stronghold, testimony to its very distinguished past. Older still are the exhibits in its extensive Archaeological Museum. Just outside the town walls is a very attractive swimming-pool complex set within a lush and shady park. The water gushes forth unremittingly at 24Âş to provide continuous turnover for the large pools. A few kilometres away, alone on a ridge, the small medieval village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro provides an amazingly-tranquil setting of a handful of houses, age-old walls and a view to take your breath away. Nearby is the monumental ancient beechwood of Pietraporciana, where barbecues can be enjoyed in the special areas designated by the ComunitĂ Montana del Cetona.

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Museo Civico Archeologico Via Roma 24, t 0578 269261 This recently-opened museum has rapidly taken its place as one of the province’s most important collections, displaying finds from excavations in the Sarteano area. Particularly interesting is the reconstruction of a chamber tomb with two Canopic vases, unique of its kind. There are also numerous other pieces dating from Etruscan times to the Late Roman period, with entire grave hoards consisting of goblets, vases, caskets, statues and very beautiful decorated Canopic vases.

information centre: Piazza della Repubblica 8, t-fx 0577 636045 info@prolocosinalunga.it www.prolocosinalunga.it

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sinalunga: the agate of elegance A private, secluded living-museum of architectural refinement, Sinalunga is also a thriving centre of economic activity. Perched on a hill that lords over a lush countryside Sinalunga’s austere townscape is home to artistic highlights such as the Collegiata, the Palazzo Pretorio, the Pinsuti theatre and Santa Croce church. Vestiges of its past hark back to its thriving periods: the Bronze Age, its strategic importance in Etruscan times, the Middle Ages (a strange and cruel testimony is the surviving pillory) up until the Risorgimento with the imprisonment, in its Palazzo Agnolucci, of Giuseppe Garibaldi, to prevent him from reaching Rome. Yet what is striking about Sinalunga is its pace of life, which perfectly fuses rural customs and a highly-esteemed and industrious craft industry. You will be amazed at the local textiles, wrought iron and ‘cocci’ that match those of the nearby Petroio: one of the world’s most renowned centres of terracotta production. Sinalunga is also home to a high-quality enogastronomic tradition (don’t miss its pride and joy: cold meats and salami), the high-point of which are the Chianina breed of cattle, raised in the surrounding areas. Well-worth a visit are the nearby San Bernardino convent on Poggio Baldino and the beautifully-preserved walled village of Scorfiano, overlooked by its castle. Sinalunga’s surroundings are the ideal place for a relaxed holiday in agriturismo’s, with the option of horse-riding or exploring the Rigomagno, Guazzino, Bettolle and Scrofiano areas. This is Sinalunga’s hidden charm, a place awaiting to reveal itself only to those in the know.

Sinalunga’s sights. In addition to its historical centre that boasts a

charming theatre and many impressive buildings, Sinalunga’s churches contain valuable artistic works. The oldest of these and of the region as a whole, is the Pieve of San Pietro ad Mensulas, set in the lower part of the town, right on the ancient Cassia way. A simple church that evokes ages past, it dates from the XI century, but also seems to have been reconstructed on the site of an older church dating as far back as the sixth century, in turn the site of an ancient Roman temple. Testimony to the area’s religious calling.

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Torrita di Siena: the acquamarine of peacefulness A clear gem whose walls reflect the blue sky. This is Torrita di Siena, that comes into view, on leaving Sinalunga, from the short stretch of road that climbs the hairpin bends. The birthplace of the gentleman-bandit of Radicófani, Ghino di Tacco, its medieval pride is retained in its architecture. Still set within its predominantly-intact walls, life passes tranquilly, scented by the surrounding woodlands. Not to be missed are its Town Hall, and its tower – from which its name probably derives (having been built by the Sienese to protect from the ‘menacing’ Florentines installed at Montepulciano) and the Church of Saints Flora and Lucilla that houses rare works of Bartolo di Fredi. Torrita conveys an overall sense of internal peace, blessed by a cuisine that employs local produce; a microcosm protected by ancient walls that still preserves its traditions, such as that of its famous group of flag-wavers.

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pro loco: Via Maestri 18, t-fx 0577 685571 ufficioturistico@comune.torrita.siena.it www.comune.torrita.si.it

37 The sights of Torrita di Siena. The origin of the town’s name becomes obvious on passing through its medieval walls to the tower of its Town Hall set in its main square. Few know that the famous thirteenth-century outlaw, Ghino di Tacco, whose name has always been linked to the town of Radicófani, was born in this area on the site of a farm - La Fratta - which exists to this day.

On high, a few kilometres away, partially hidden amongst the thick vegetation, is Montefollonico, a small, quiet village also surrounded by a solid wall.

information: Via Roma 4, t-fx 0577 662296 info@trequandaproloco.it www.trequandaproloco.it

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Trequanda: the quartz of the everyday Trequanda sees the civilizations of the Orcia and the Chiana merge. A tiny village whose austere, graceful architecture mirrors every scent and hue of its surrounding oak and beech woodlands. Yet the most striking element of Trequanda is its absolutely pure light. This is one of the blessed places in the Val Di Chiana to give birth to small and large daily pleasures: Trequanda’s famous bread, eaten with its very tasty extra-virgin olive oil. Who can not marvel at Trequanda’s cuisine of ‘Chianina’ meat, cold cuts of ‘Cinta Senese’ pork and ‘Pecorinì’ cheeses, that match those the neighbouring ‘Crete’? Then the Sangiovese-based wines that rival those of the Orcia. It is truly a gourmet’s paradise.

Trequanda also offers small artistic treasures such as the Romanesque Church of Saints Pietro and Andrea, overlooking the town’s chocolate-box square, and the remains of the old castle: the round tower.

The sights of Trequanda. The first thing that comes to mind when entering this little village is that it must be the perfect place to live. For a host of reasons: the untainted Tuscan scenery, the thousand living traditions, its oil, wine and other local produce or perhaps a combination of all of these. A few kilometres away is Petroio, where the masters of the ancient-art of terracotta can be admired, while further on is Castelmuzio, whose farm boasts a very high-quality organic olive oil.

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Museo della Terracotta via valgelata 10 (fraz. petroio), t 0577 665188 A direct testimony of a highly-skilled art that dates from the Middle Ages. Displays are both old and new: from crockery to warmers, oil jars to washing basins and garden pots. High-points include the reconstruction of a kiln and the live commentary of a ‘concaio’, explaining the whole craft process.

international code +39

Produced by Chianciano Terme Val di Chiana Tourist Agency Via Sabatini 7 53042 Chianciano Terme (Si) t 0578 67111 fx 0578 64623

Terre di Siena

Info ApT Chianciano Terme Information Centre Piazza Italia 67 53042 Chianciano Terme (SI) t 0578 671122/3 fx 0578 63277 infoaptchiancianoterme@terresiena.it www.terresiena.it www.vivichiancianoterme.it prenota@terresiena.it Editorial coordinator Luigi Pagnotta Text Carlo Cambi, Petra Carsetti, Maria Teresa Cuda, Diego Mancuso, Mario Marrocchi, Alessandra Minetti, Luigi Pagnotta Photos Archivio ApT, Bruno Bruchi, Grazia Neri “Terre di Siena� Images Claim Communication Graphic design ArtefattiAd&P

5.000/06/2009

PROVINCE OF SIENA COMMUNES OF: Cetona Chianciano Terme Chiusi Montepulciano San Casciano dei Bagni Sarteano Sinalunga Torrita di Siena Trequanda APT Chianciano Terme Val di Chiana tourist office piazza Italia 67 - 53042 Chianciano Terme (Si) t +39 0578 671122-3 fx +39 0578 63277 infoaptchiancianoterme@terresiena.it www.vivichiancianoterme.it www.terresiena.it To book guided tours and other tourist services prenota@terresiena.it