Val d'Orcia

30-07-2009

18:24

Pagina 1

www.terresiena.it

VALDORCIA_COP_UK

PROVINCIA DI SIENA COMUNI DI CASTIGLIONE D’ORCIA MONTALCINO PIENZA RADICOFANI SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA APT SIENA Via dei Termini 6 – 53100 Siena tel. +39 42209 - fax +39 0577 281041 aptsiena@terresiena.it www.terresiena.it APT CHIANCIANO TERME VAL DI CHIANA Via Sabatini 7 - 53042 Chianciano Terme tel. +39 0578 671122 - fax +39 0578 63277 aptchiancianoterme@terresiena.it www.terresiena.it In collaborazione con VAL D’ORCIA S.r.l.

Via Dante Alighieri 33 - 53027 San Quirico d’Orcia tel. e fax +39 0577 898303 info@parcodellavaldorcia.com

val d’orcia

VALSORCIA_COP_F

30-07-2009

18:19

Pagina 3

Terre di Siena

120.000/2007

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:47

Pagina 1

val d’orcia THE TOURIST BOARDS OF THE PROVINCE OF SIENA AND THE MUNICIPALITIES OF CASTIGLIONE D’ORCIA MONTALCINO PIENZA RADICOFANI SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA WELCOME YOU TO TERRE DI SIENA

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:47

Pagina 2

Val d’Orcia

Terre di Siena

Pienza, Piazza Pio II

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:47

Pagina 3

a land of wind and desert

6

a journey through val d'orcia

10

the val d’orcia park / footpaths

12

an itinerary through waterways

16

the water mill park / vivo d’orcia and its medieval waters

18

the scents and flavours of val d'orcia / renowned wines

20

the nature train

22

roads and monuments built by faith

24

pope pius II and his ideal city / castles and fortresses

26

around towns and in museums

28

events in val d’orcia

34

the val d’orcia festival / the teatro povero of monticchiello

36

to find out more

38

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

firenze siena

toscanaitalia

Terre di Siena

Val d’Orcia castiglione d’orcia montalcino pienza radicofani san quirico d’orcia

Pagina 4

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

San Gimignano

Pagina 5

Radda in Chianti

Poggibonsi

Castellina in Chianti Colle di Val d’Elsa

Gaiole in Chianti

Monteriggioni

Casole d’Elsa

Siena

Castelnuovo Berardenga

Sovicille Rapolano Terme

Radicondoli

Monteroni d’Arbia

Asciano Sinalunga

Chiusdino

Monticiano

Murlo

Trequanda

San Giovanni d’Asso

5

Torrita di Siena

Buonconvento

Montepulciano Pienza

Montalcino

Chianciano Terme

San Quirico d’Orcia

Sarteano Castiglione d’Orcia

Chiusi

Cetona Radicofani Abbadia San Salvatore Piancastagnaio

San Casciano dei Bagni

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 6

a land of wind and desert

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 7

... The pause in this crossing that I hold dearest, the stop that my spirit desires with fits of impatience and greediness – is that in the high Orcia valley, beyond San Quirico, in the lands reaching to Montepulciano and Pienza. Its vision appears as the seabed of the memory or a land of dreams where some mysterious exalted sense perceives the chill of an unexplainable wind.

Up there, in fact, the wind turns into the planet’s enigmatic breathing.

The morning breeze blows out toward the sea and returns warmer in the evening toward land.

In that oasis which welcomes my exodus I sense the idleness of old men, I listen to the dull, mounting din of birds breaking into song, to silence, to the cry of joy that greets the day, to the sounds of life in the valley that are deflected, with the clinking of artisans meeting the moans of plows furrowing the land. Then there is that silence which is “not silent”, being the language of nature and the universe.

7

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 8

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 9

Not only – it is also an ongoing locution that we risk interrupting with our sudden, fragmented comments.

And so, in this refuge of solitude, as the day takes leave for men and all life, abandoning the hollows of the hills and eclipsing among the crevices of arid mounds, the soul is filled with nostalgia for loved ones and contact with the human world: because it is precisely in isolation that

9

wholeness may be best appreciated.

The heart passes from a state of melancholy to one of universal generosity that is born of an acute perception of the frailty of humanity, life and beauty – of all that is hoped for and promised.

Mario Luzi from ‘Terra di vento e di deserto’ in Mi guarda Siena

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 10

a journey through val d'orcia Pienza

10

The sweetly rolling hills in Val d’Orcia, crossed by the old Cassia road and guarded by hamlets and imposing medieval fortresses, offer some of the most characteristic landscapes around Siena.

The mystique of this land lies not only in its landscape, but also in its nature, its vineyards and its history.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 11

In the heart of the Sienese countryside dwells an essential, yet perfect landscape. It is made up of hills, ravines, a winding riverbed and cypress trees that crown hilltops in perfect isolation or run along country roads with geometrical precision.

Oak woods, olive groves and vineyards where Brunello di Montalcino and other great Tuscan wines are born watch over enchanting hillsides, villages and historical monuments.

To the west the view takes in Monte Amiata, Italy’s highest extinct volcano. But it is the hills that impress you first.

Val d’Orcia is now protected as an artistic, natural and cultural park. Trails, guides, brochures and museums all offer different means for exploring its treasures, although this most beautiful of Tuscany’s valleys is first and foremost an emotion in itself.

You’ll feel it in Radicofani if arriving from Viterbo or Rome, while crossing the Foce pass if arriving from Chianciano or Chiusi or at the Rocca a Tentennano after passing through Monte Amiata’s dark forests. Wide-open, rolling and welcoming, Val d’Orcia unfurls for travellers like one great, embracing smile.

If arriving from Siena or Florence to the north, the transition from the Crete area to Val d’Orcia is more sublte. The landscape remains arid as the hills rise and predominate and the wide Ombrone riverbed makes way for a narrower, winding valley. Clay outcroppings and ravines become fewer and farther between.

The hamlets crowning the hilltops suddenly become splendid villages steeped with history and monuments.

This is the most forbidding approach, described by poet Mario Luzi and by numerous other travellers.

This is the route to Val d’Orcia taken in the past by pilgrims, Popes, mercenaries and merchants.

Of these we may mention Charlemagne, the 11th-century Archbishop Sigeric and members of the Medici family on their way to the curative waters at Bagno Vignoni.

Along the Cassia road, waystations, hostels and eventually hotels multiplied to accommodate travellers and the fortresses

11

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

12

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 12

The Val d’Orcia Park “Welcome to the park” read the signs for visitors, frequenly located in front of exceptional views, marking the boundaries of the valley.

Just as are the wine, the landscape and the air itself here, this park is special. Created through the combined efforts of cultural figures from outside the area and local inhabitants and administrators (who often met at the Taverna di Bronzone before the plays at Teatro Povero di Monticchiello), this park has slowly but surely evolved into a hard reality.

Conceived by the local institutions with help from an illustrious team of experts including Vieri Quilici, Alberto Asor Rosa, Paolo Leon, Paolo Urbani e Giorgio Pizziolo, the Val d’Orcia Artistic, Natural and Cultural Park comprises the municipalities of Castiglione d’Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza, Radicofani and San Quirico d’Orcia. It aims to protect the local landscape but also to promote the local economy and quality of life..

The park is recognised by the region of Tuscany as a protected natural area of local interest. It seeks to promote and facilitate all economic undertakings that are compatible with the defense of the local environment.

Furthermore, in recent years it has become increasingly involved in the protectiion and promotion of traditional local agricultural products.

The park and its goals are the result of a precise philosophy. In Val d’Orcia the landscape is not entirely a work of nature.

Rather, it has been modelled over the centuries (and continues to be so today) through human intervention.

Therefore the aim of the park, however utopistic it may be considered, is to use history and traditional culture as primary sources of economic growth so that the area may be protected without transforming it into a museum. Enea Silvio Piccolomini, the Pope so devoted to harmony, would have offered his support.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 13

at Radicofani and Tentennano were contstructed to ensure safety. In this way the road influenced the face of this valley.

Val d’Orcia leaves its mark on all those who pass this way.

Those born here are fiercely bound to their land, and can scarcely live anywhere else. The bishop Enea Silvio Piccolomini frequently returned to his home town even after becoming Pope in search of the harmony he knew awaited him there.

Even today, travellers who spend just a few hours passing through are instantly struck and seduced.

They suddenly realise they must come back.

Iris Origo, author of the best-selling book Guerra in Val d’Orcia (War in Val d’Orcia) was struck over twenty years ago when she arrived at the Foce estate and became a foremost advocate for the preservation of local wheat cultivation.

The director Anthony Minghella was similarly struck and set his materpiece film The English Patient, a saga about travelling, love, life and pain in Pienza and the monastery at Sant’Anna in Camprena.

More than anything else, Val d’Orcia means nature. The river this valley is named after is little more than a stream for most of the year. In the summer heat it practically dries up, but the autumn rains transform it into a raging river that seems to consume all it encounters. It springs forth in the hills between Radicofani and Sarteano, descends into a wide cultivated valley and then heads west toward Pienza, San Quirico, Montalcino and Castiglione. It skirts Monte Amiata and delves into a deep canyon, then passes through the hills of Maremma and finally feeds into the Ombrone river.

The Orcia river is not the valley’s only source of water.

In Bagno Vignoni and Bagni San Filippo, thermal waters heated in the heart of the volcano bubble to the surface and form mineral outcroppings of rare beauty while offering well-being and pleasure to those who arrive from near and afar, as they have done for centuries.

Then there’s the land, tinted with that striking terra di Siena hue, that forms hills, deep valleys and ravines.

13

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

Terrapille, near Pienza

14

18:48

Pagina 14

Abbey of Sant’Antimo

Footpaths Val d’Orcia is not a place to be rushed through. Trails, paths and dirt roads let you take your time and enjoy what you see, stopping to take in the view and visit monuments or simply to marvel at details such as country houses, cypress trees and ravines.

Whether you travel on foot, by bike or on horseback, should you strike out on your own or hire a guide through a specialised agency, the timeworn trails through Val d’Orcia offer an endless variety of itineraries. You don’t need to be an expert hiker or cyclist.

Even if you’re just driving down the Senese road, a few hours are enough for a satisfying walk along one of the many well-marked trails.

All you need is a pair of good walking shoes, a backpack, a wind-breaker in case of rain and a hat to protect you from the summer sun.

Discovered by English and German trekkers and bikers, the web of trails and dirt roads that covers this valley makes it possible to create an endless variety of itineraries.

Wine lovers may climb up to Montalcino through Brunello vineyards. Breathtaking panoramas are in store along the hill crest from Radicofani to Contignano, just opposite Monte Amiata.

The trail along the Orcia river bed offers Mediterranean flora and atmosphere.

The trail that follows the course of the Orcia from Bagno Vignoni leads to Ripa d’Orcia, with a twentieth-century reconstruction of a fortress that originally belonged to the Salimbeni and Piccolomini families. Ripa and its panorama toward Monte Amiata may also be reached via San Quirico, along a dirt road that passes by the hamlet and tower at Vignoni.

The climb from Castiglione d’Orcia to Vivo d’Orcia heads into the forests of the extinct volcano.

Travelling from Monticchiello to Pienza, or in the area of Sant’Anna in Camprena, the view takses in the rolling silhouette of the hills that seems to go on forever.

Thanks to its central location, Val d’Orcia is also a meeting point for several long-distance itineraries.

Here pass the trails that link Siena to Monte Amiata and Pienza to Montepulciano, as does the Sentiero Italia trail that links Florence and Rome.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 15

Throughout the world this land has become synonymous with yellow, red and ochre-tinted shades of brown.

It is contrasted by strokes of wild broom, wild rose and hawthorn. In the midst of yellow wheat fields, poppies explode into mauve and scarlet blooms. Those who observe patiently are awarded with the delicate colours and shapes of countless varieties of wild orchids.

Cypress trees are another landmark of primary importance here. Their orderly rows zig-zag up hillsides, offering an ideal subject for painters and photographers, even for ad agencies in search of a natural exemplification of Italian elegance.

Travellers from the world over know they have reached Tuscany when they see their first cypress trees. It might disappoint some to learn that according to botanists, these beloved trees originated in central Asia, were brought to Europe by Etruscans and Phoenicians, and became widespread thanks to their use in Roman villas and gardens.

In Val d’Orcia nature is to be actively enjoyed. Dirt roads and walking trails offer a chance to live out a slow-speed adventure on foot, horseback or by mountain bike.

You can enter the heart of the valley and appreciate its most minute details, far removed from traffic and chaos, while enjoying the total harmony of your surroundings.

Many species of rapacious birds glide over the hills of Val d’Orcia during their hunts. Here you may observe not only the nibbio bruno, the albanella minore and the lodolaio, to be found throughout most of Italy, but also the lanario, one of Europe’s rarest falcons, and the elegant biancone, a small eagle that hunts snakes and builds its nests high in the trees.

In the fields, wild brush and along riverbanks you may observe rare bird species such as the passero solitario, the averla capirossa and the occhione.

Those not keen on birdwatching may be left breathless to encounter a roe on their path (this being one of Italy’s most densely populated areas) or to witness the passage of a porcupine where the trail is suddenly covered with quills.

15

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 16

Bagni San Filippo

an itinerary through waterways 16

The volcanic origins of Monte Amiata come to light at the thermal springs in Bagno Vignoni near San Quirico d’Orcia and in Bagni San Filippo near Castiglione d’Orcia.

Made famous by illustrious regular visitors such as Lorenzo il Magnifico Medici and Saint Catherine from Siena, the springs at Bagno Vignoni have been enjoyed since Roman times.

The waters rise up from a depth of 1000 metres and reach the surface at 52° C°, flowing into a magnificent pool measuring 49 metres in length by 29 in width. This water-filled town square is the undeniable focus of the village.

Due to its concentration of magnesium sulphate and calcium sulphate, this water is considered curative for disorders of the skin, bones and mucous membranes.

Bagni San Filippo has also been known since ancient times.

Some maintain it was even used by the Etruscans, and evidence has been found of constructions dating to the Imperial Roman age.

These hot springs became particularly popular at the end of the 1700s, when clinical tests first proved their benefits in treating rheumatic, arthritic, respiratory and skin disorders. In the 1800s a new complex was constructed and hotels began to appear.

Nearby we may admire the rock formations known as Fosso Bianco, where a calcium-rich waterfall has created a breathtaking phenomenon known as “the white whale”.

At the Grotta (cave) San Filippo, carved out of a block of travertine marble, Saint Filippo Benizi sought refuge from those who in 1267 would elect him Pope and instead ended his life as a hermit.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 17

Bagno Vignoni

17

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 18

A water mill at work

18

The Water Mill Park The water mill park was created to safeguard and better appreciate one of the more important milling complexes in the province.

Comprising four water mills, it represented an enormous milling capacity for the Val d’Orcia area, which has always been an area of intense grain cultivation but has always also lacked water, due to its highly impermeable clay soil and the modest altitude of the surrounding hills.

Here the steady flow from the hot springs made it possible to mill even in summer, when most mills were left idle because of the low level of the rivers. This complex was in use until the second World War but its abandonment led to rapid deterioration.

The milling technique used at Bagno Vignoni is the same found throughout southern Europe, with a horizontal wheel which is locally known as a ritrecine. The technology is relatively simple, with the wheels located below ground level and connected to the grinding stones by means of a vertical mast. The wheels are set in motion by a powerful stream of water from a collection area above.

What makes the mills at Bagno Vignoni special is their setting, as they are carved directly into the travertine marble created by the calcium carbonate deposits of the spring water.

At present we lack records which might offer details on the construction of these mills, but it is safe to say that such complex and grandiose projects were sponsored by feudal families, and perhaps by the Tignosi family itself, which ruled over Rocca a Tentennano and Bagno Vignoni from the end of the twelfth to the beginning of the thirteenth centuries.

They were property of the Sienese republic until its fall in 1559, and in 1676 were passed on to the Chigi Zondadari family and in particular Cardinal Flavio, nephew to Pope Alexander VII. During that period improvements and remodelling were undertaken, including the addition of showering quarters aimed exclusively at enjoyment of the hot spring waters.

The mills stopped working about half-way into the 1900s and were bought by the municipality of San Quirico d’Orcia in 1999. That marked the beginning of restoration work, partly funded by the European Union.

Giovanni Comi

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 19

Amiata, waterfall

Vivo d’Orcia and its medieval Waters Set against one of the views of Monte Amiata dearest to the medieval artist Sassetta, lush with greenery and bubbling waters of timeless origin, Vivo d'Orcia is a lovely outlying ward of Castiglion d'Orcia set in a valley that time forgot.

Its castle overlooks the Vivo river, which springs forth in Ermicciolo. Mills, paper factories, and iron works have grown up along its course since medieval times, and a hydroelectric generator was first built here in the 1920s.

Some traces of these old constructions may still be noticed under a cover of vines, in one of the most enchanting landscapes in the area.

In Ermicciolo you may also admire the river’s spring, where the water gushes from the rocks. Here the Festa delle Acque (Water Festival) is held every 22 March.

The trail that leads from Ermicciolo to l'Eremo along the course of the river is one of the finest in the Amiata area.

You may stop to admire the falls and a little dam in the middle of the woods, as well as the caves where the Italian Resistance fighters sought refuge during the second World War. Here archeological sites have yielded artifacts from the Mesolithic and Etruscan periods.

If you’re lucky you might even catch a glimpse of the rare green woodpecker, whose cry echoes among the centuries-old trees.

The valley of the Vivo river is one of the few places in this world where you can feel as though you’re still in the Middle Ages.

Paolo Conti

19

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 20

Wine cellar

the scents and flavours of val d'orcia

20

Renowned Wines Montalcino was already famous for its red wines in the 1400s. It was Ferruccio Biondi Santi, however, who first had the idea of leaving out the Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and Colorino grapes which were part of the traditional Chianti recipe, using instead only the Sangiovese variety.

A bottle in the family collection dated 1888 may be considered the first outcome of that grand experiment.

Brunello di Montalcino was among the first Italian wines to be awarded with the DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) appellation in 1966 and with the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) appellation in 1980.

Before Brunello can be put up for sale it must age for a minimum of five years (six years for Reserve quality), two of which must take place in oak casks. Instead, Rosso di Montalcino is ready for drinking after only one year of ageing.

The town also produces Moscadello di Montalcino and Sant’Antimo, with this latter including a wide variety of whites and reds.

In the 1990s the list of Tuscan DOC wines grew with the addition of Orcia DOC, which is produced in a territory comprising Abbadia San Salvatore, Buonconvento, Castiglione d’Orcia, Chianciano Terme, Montalcino, Pienza, Radicofani, San Casciano dei Bagni, San Giovanni d’Asso, San Quirico d’Orcia, Sarteano, Torrita di Siena and Trequanda.

Its varieties include Orcia Rosso, Orcia Novello, Orcia Bianco and Orcia Vinsanto, which is ready for sale following three years of ageing.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 21

The Sienese countryside is also famous for its flavours.

Apart from the wine – Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Orcia DOC – visitors to Val d’Orcia may taste, purchase and take back home exquisite olive oil, honey, cheeses and cold meats.

There are traditional Tuscan specialties, others which have been adopted here, and others yet which had been lost but have recently been rediscovered.

One such case of rediscovery is that of saffron, the fragrant spice made from the pistils of selectively bred crocus flowers.

Prized even by Pliny the Elder and Galenus for its healing properties, saffron was cultivated in Val d’Orcia throughout the middle ages, when it was also exported, especially to Germany. Production ceased in the 1500s and has resumed only recently.

Today a considerable amount of Italy’s saffron is again grown in Val d’Orcia.

Pienza’s now world-renowned sheep cheese (known as pecorino or cacio) tells a happy tale of cultural encounter and exchange.

Archeologists have unearthed great terracotta boilers, testifying to the practice of cheese making even in prehistoric times.

With the advent of the industrialisation in Italy, the 1960s witnessed a widespread abandonment of farm estates in the area followed by the arrival of Sardinian shepherds and their herds, who contributed to a transformation of the local cheese.

Now pecorino di Pienza may be purchased throughout Italy.

Its unique flavour has always depended on grazing lands rich with fragrant herbs such as savory, thyme, helychrisum and absinth.

The variety of local flower fragrances also contributes to the exquisite quality of the local honey, often produced in Val d’Orcia for national firms.

A variety of flavours ranging from field flowers to chestnut, sunflower, lucerne and mountain flowers awaits you, all rich with the natural essence of this harmonious valley.

21

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 22

An old steam locomotive

22

The nature Train Even the train may be a precious means for exploring Val d’Orcia. Left behind by ordinary traffic in 1994, the line connecting Siena with the stations in Monte Antico and Grosseto via Asciano, Torrenieri and the Asso valley is currently serviced from spring to autumn by Treno Natura.

These trains allow you to appreciate the hills and woodlands, stop off in all the stations and enjoy the villages and isolated monuments.

Trekkers and bikers may get off in one station, strike out on their own, and then board again later in a different station.

On occasion, local festivals, food fairs or concerts by choir groups or town bands lend the trip an atmosphere of a travelling show.

Usually Littorine wagons from the 1950s run on this line, but sometimes old third-class centoporte wagons with wooden seats are led by a puffing steam locomotive from the beginning of the 1900s.

The slow haul of the steam locomotive is particularly in tune with the harmony to be found in Val d’Orcia.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

Ripa d’Orcia in Val d’Orcia

18:48

Pagina 23

When speaking of cold meats, the primary interest of most visitors is in the cinta senese, a lean, hardy swine who is at home in these woods and whose meat and hams are highly prized for their flavour.

It was first bred by the Etruscans and later by the Romans and was an integral element in local farms up to the beginning of the 1900s.

It was then generally replaced with breeds offering a higher weight yield, and risked extinction.

It is now making a rapid comeback.

Last but not least, olive oil is undoubtedly an essential staple in Tuscan agriculture.

It is produced in Val d’Orcia as well as in other areas of the Sienese province, and the extravirgin DOP appellation is made with moraiolo, frantoio and leccino olives.

It has a fruity fragrance and a slightly spicy, tangy taste.

Beautiful olive groves may be admired throughout the five municipalities that make up the valley.

It is possible to taste and purchase local products practically everywhere!

23

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 24

roads and monuments built by faith Val d’Orcia, like the rest of Tuscany, has earned itself a reputation as a bastion of secular culture. Even the smallest hamlets are proud of their independence and local political matters are discussed everywhere you go. But at the same time, Val d’Orcia’s hills and cypress trees are criss-crossed by one of the most important “paths of faith” in Europe. During the Middle Ages, churches and abbeys of great splendour grew up along its course.

“In 990 Sigeric was appointed archbishop. That same year he travelled to Rome” we may read in the Anglosaxon Chronicles, the foremost document on British medieval history. Like thousands of forgotten pilgrims, this prelate travelled for 80 days to reach Rome and for another 80 to return home, moving on horseback (or by mule) at the slow pace of the clerics and assistants walking alongside.

He stayed in Rome for three days, during which he visited a total of 23 churches and basilicas and received the solemn blessing of Pope John XV.

24

Spedaletto

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 25

25

Montalcino Montalcino

Then he headed back to Canterbury. His diary of this journey is for us a precious map of the Via Francigena (the road from France to Rome). It relates a meagre list of town names, with days spent on the road and nights in mansiones, but it also offers us a portrait of medieval Europe.

From the shores of the English Channel he travelled through the Flemish flatlands, stopping at Reims and Besançon, and then climbed the Giura pass and ultimately the Alps. The route then crossed the Po river at Piacenza, passed through the Appennines at the Cisa pass and crossed the Arno river in Fucecchio. At this point it headed south toward Siena, crossed through Val d’Orcia with stops in Torrenieri, San Quirico, le Briccole and Sce. Peitr in Pail, a place in the Paglia valley whose specific location has been forgotten. It ultimately headed south toward Viterbo, Sutri and Rome. Without taking into account the Francigena road and its illustrious wayfarers it would be impossible to make sense of the profusion of religious monuments in Val d’Orcia. According to a legend which historians fail to confirm, Charlemagne received the holy remains of St. Sebastian and St. Antimo some time between 774 and 781 from Pope Hadrian I, and decided to found one of the most important monasteries in Tuscany in their honour. Even if the king of the Franks and future Emperor didn’t actually pass through Val d’Orcia, it is certain that Sant’Antimo Abbey had already been inaugurated in 814. Its architecture, which recalls that of the great French Romanesque churches, further underlines the influence of such an important itinerary on these hillsides. But even earlier, another king from the north – the Longobard King Rachis – had founded the abbey Santissimo Salvatore at Monte Amiata. For centuries this abbey ruled over most of the Sienese province and consolidated the surrounding area by building castles such as the Rocca in Radicofani and a multitude of smaller churches.

Instead, the destiny of the abbey at Sant’Anna in Camprena, built between 1324 and 1334 on the hills to the north of Pienza and made famous in 1996 by the film The English Patient, is linked to that of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. This is because it was founded by the Sienese Bernardo Tolomei, who also founded Monte Oliveto. Even the fifteenth-century frescoes in the dining hall at Sant’Anna are by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, known as Sodoma, who also painted the great courtyard at Monte Oliveto.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 26

26 Pienza, Piazza Pio II

Pope Pius II and his ideal City In 1405 Enea Silvio was born of the noble Piccolomini family in the medieval fortified village of Corsignano. His family, which had long played an active political and economic role in Siena, had been forced to take exile in Val d’Orcia in the mid-1300s.

Young Enea soon proved to be bright, curious and an avid traveller.He quickly found his way into the humanistical circles in numerous Italian cities, including Siena, Florence, Padua, Ferrara and Milan. He then explored Europe’s foremost intellectual fora: the Council of Basel, the Imperial court and the Roman court. A true Renaissance man, he became an expert in classical and legal matters, studied literature, wrote poetry, was a respected diplomat and an exquisite speaker. At forty, having already enjoyed an intense and exciting life, he undertook a brilliant ecclesiastical career and was soon appointed bishop of Trieste, then of Siena, then cardinal, and finally pope in 1458, when he assumed the name Pius II. The new pope was an adamant admirer of natural beauty and vestiges of antiquity. He sought to discover new, ideal ways to recover the knowledge lost since antiquity. The humanistic ideal of reviving classical culture and creating a new harmony between nature and history seemed within reach. Pius II always remained enamored of his childhood home, of the wide-open spaces in Val d’Orcia and Monte Amiata, which he rendered so poetically in his “Commentarii”. He decided that Corsignano should serve as a laboratory where the ideal city might become a reality. Thus, thanks to “the fondness in his heart and his dream of perfection” (as described by the Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli) Pienza was born as Pope Pius’ ideal city. It was the outcome of the Pope’s dream, Leon Battista Alberti’s theories and the plan drawn up by Rossellino during just over three years, from 1459 to 1462.

Carlo Prezzolini

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:48

Pagina 27

27 Radicofani

Castles and Fortresses Which view reaches the farthest? From the Rocca a Tentennano you can discern Siena’s Torre del Mangia, while from the tower at Radicòfani you may admire Lake Bolsena and Lake Trasimeno. Peeking out between the merlons overlooking Montalcino, the hills of Maremma seem to roll out straight to the sea. Val d’Orcia’s strategic position lies at the heart of its multitude of imposing fortifications. Here passed the border between Aldobrandesco territory in Grosseto and the Sienese republic. Later the border divided Tuscany under the Medici from Umbria and Tuscia under Papal dominion. The importance of commerce and travel along the Francigena road explains the power wielded by Radicòfani and its baron Ghino di Tacco, mentioned both by Boccaccio and by Dante. Restored during the 1990s, the fortress in Radicofani was originally built before the year 1000 and was enlarged during the 1500s with the addition of the massive San Rocco, San Giovanni and San Pietro bastions. The surrounding pine woods sweetens the view of the fortress from afar. Nothing could sweeten the appearance of the stern Rocca a Tentennano that overlooks Castiglione and Rocca d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni and the ravine carved out by the river over the millennia. Here too the original structure dates to before the year 1000. This castle served as one of the outermost possessions of Siena in its ongoing conflict with Florence, which ended in 1559 with Siena’s defeat by its more powerful neighbor. St. Catherine of Siena lived for several years in the nearby hamlet of Rocca d’Orcia and from here would write her letters to the world’s potentates. The Rocca’s uppermost terrace offers a vast panorama overlooking dozens of smaller fortifications. Little remains, for example, of the castle of Corsignano where Enea Silvio Piccolomini decided to build his “ideal city” of Pienza. Monticchiello, the eastern outpost of the valley, still proudly displays its city walls complete with gates, towers and fortress.

The twelf-century Rocca in Montalcino remains an unmissable stop for visitors to the area, with the stunning view from its high walls captivating even the most nonchalant, especially at sunset.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 28

28 Pienza, Pieve di Corsignano

around towns and in museums A veritable drawing board for nature and landscapes, Val d’Orcia is home to some of the most interesting historical centres in the Sienese province and all of Tuscany.

The characteristic winding streets, quaint squares and mesmerizing churches are surrounded by the wide-open countryside, where castles, villages, towers and isolated monasteries are the perfect complement in this fascinating portrait of an unsullied world.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 29

CASTIGLIONE D’ORCIA Castiglione d’Orcia marks the border between Val d’Orcia and the forests of Monte Amiata. This ancient land holding of the Aldobrandeschi family was contended by the Salimbeni family and Siena in the 1300s.

The focus of the town is a square dedicated to the painter and sculptor Lorenzo di Pietro, better known as Il Vecchietta, where the town hall overlooks a well in travertine marble bearing the date 1618.

The church dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena, as well as that dedicated to Santi Stefano e Degna are well worth a visit.

The historical centre is overshadowed by the remains of the Rocca Aldobrandesca and the Rocca a Tentennano fortifications.

Visitors to Rocca d'Orcia may admire the Pieve di San Simeone (13th century), and the churches dedicated to Compagnia di San Sebastiano and Madonna del Palazzo, with the latter now transformed into a house.

A cistern marks the centre of the town square. Outlying areas of the municipality include Vivo d’Orcia, a family resort bordering on Monte Amiata’s beech woods. Just a short distance from the centre lies l’Eremo del Vivo (or “Contea”), a late-Renaissance structure designed by Antonio da Sangallo the younger.

A walk uphill from the spring of the Vivo river and acqueduct leads through beech woods to the tiny church at Ermicciolo and some interesting constructions believed to represent the oldest settlement in Vivo d’Orcia.

Another worthwhile destination is Campiglia d’Orcia, which has conserved its medieval appearance with narrow streets, ramps of stairs and covered walkways. Nearby lie the remains of the tower known as Campigliola.

29

Sala d’arte San Giovanni Via San Giovanni 10 It is housed in the historical home of the confraternity of the same name. It displays paintings by some of the greatest artists of the Sienese school during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Rocca di Tentennano This massive medieval tower is adorned with a terrace which offers breathtaking views over Val d’Orcia. It also hosts temporary exhibits.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 30

MONTALCINO This town has been made rich and famous by its Brunello namesake, one of the world’s best red wines.

But Montalcino is actually a town full of artistic treasures, perched above its 3000 hectares of vineyards (1500 of which are dedicated to Brunello).

Wedged between the Ombrone and Orcia valleys, this historical centre is dominated by the Rocca built in 1361 to mark the passage of Montalcino under Siena’s dominion. The view from its walls stretches toward Monte Amiata, across the Crete to Siena, across Val d’Orcia and the hills of Maremma, which in the words of poet Mario Luzi, here begin their “sprint toward the sea”.

Montalcino is also symbolised by the slender tower that graces its town hall, built between the 13th and 14th centuries.

Below lie the main square known as Piazza del Popolo and its characteristic gothic loggia.

Also worth visiting in town are the churches dedicated to Sant’Egidio (14th century) and the Museo Civico e Diocesano, whose exhibits include painting and scultpure ranging from the 1300s to the 1900s and glazed terracotta from the Della Robbia workshop.

The surrounding country roads wind through vineyards to Torrenieri, Sant’Angelo in Colle and Poggio alle Mura.

By way of Castelnuovo dell’Abate a road leads to the splendid Sant’Antimo abbey, one of Italy’s most memorable works of Romanesque architecture.

30 Museo Civico e Diocesano d’Arte Sacra Formerly S. Agostino convent Via Ricasoli This museum displays artifacts from the municipal, parish and archeological collections. Of particular interest are the oil paintings on panel and the painted wooden sculptures.

Fortezza Piazzale della Fortezza

Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) Poggio alle Mura Castle

This massive military structure dates back to 1300. The ramparts offer a fine view over the surrounding panorama. Outdoor concerts and other events are occasionally held here.

A collection of glass instruments and precious glass objects ranging from Roman times to the present.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 31

PIENZA The town conceived by Pope Pius II was built on top of the medieval castle of Corsignano, which marked the border between the possessions of Siena, Florence and Orvieto. It has been designated as part of the “world-wide heritage of humanity” by UNESCO. In 1458 Enea Silvio Piccolomini decided to transform his childhood home into a symbol of the Italian Renaissance.

In three years, from 1459 to 1462, the town reborn as Pienza witnessed the birth of several landmark works of architecture.

Its luminous cathedral, Cattedrale dell’Assunta, houses panel paintings by the most renowned Sienese artists of the period.

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.

Instead, 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.

To the south, the road rises and falls amidst the hills and leads to Monticchiello, where various medieval constructions may be admired, including the fortress with its extensive walls and the 13th-century church dedicated to Santi Leonardo e Cristoforo with its fascinating, if damaged, frescoes.

Theatrical productions by the “Teatro Povero”(literally, the Poor Man’s Theatre), began in 1967 and have become an annual event of international importance.

31 Museo Diocesano Corso Rossellino 30 This museum displays artworks by the Sienese school, and in particular renowned works from the 14th century. The precious cope donated to the cathedral by Pope Pius II may be admired.

TE.PO.TRA.TOS Museo del Teatro Tradizionale Popolare Toscano Monticchiello The museum houses ample documentation of the town’s famous “Teatro Povero” and of other traditional forms of local rural entertainment.

Museo Palazzo Piccolomini Piazza Pio II, 2 This elegant Renaissance structure was commissioned by Pope Pius II. The courtyard leads to the fabulous hanging gardens.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 32

RADICOFANI At the southern border of Val d’Orcia lies one of the most impressive fortresses in Tuscany, which for centuries has regulated passage between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal territories. Even though the Etruscans and then the Romans had previously built on this site, this fortress was first built some time before the year 1000 and then repeatedly remodelled, with bastions capable of resisting artillery fire added on in the 1500s. The tower was rebuilt in the last century and offers an extraordinary view over Val d’Orcia, Monte Amiata, the Appennines and Lakes Trasimeno and Bolsena. The churches dedicated to San Pietro (13th century) and Sant’Agata conserve a considerable collection of terracotta pieces from the Della Robbia workshop and wooden sculptures. The forbidding Palazzo Pretorio is still the town hall.

Palazzo della Posta on the old Cassia road is actually a Medici villa first transformed into a customs house and then into a hotel that over the years hosted many illustrious guests. A country road curving through the ravines leads to the medieval town of Contignano.

32 Radicofani

Rocca di Radicofani This grand fortification was built over a long period, from 1154 onwards.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 33

SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA On the northern edge of Val d’Orcia, San Quirico d’Orcia has grown up on the site of the medieval village of Osenna. In 1256 it became part of Siena’s territory, and today it still appears to us with its original medieval street plan. In its town centre, encircled by fortified walls, a stop should be made at the Collegiata dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta with its magnificent Romanesque-Gothic doorways as well as at the Misericordia and Santa Maria di Vitaleta churches, at the Palazzo Pretorio (town hall) and at Palazzo Chigi. The Horti Leonini gardens are a splendid example of giardini all’italiana: they were designed in about 1540 by Diomede Leoni and periodically host temporary exhibits of contemporary sculpture.

A final stop should be made to admire the Santa Maria Assunta church, the Giardino delle Rose (rose garden) and the centuries-old Scala hospital.

To the south along the Cassia road lies Bagno Vignoni, a hot spring resort famous since medieval times for its “water-filled town square”.

The slope that descends toward the river is home to the water mill park, a fascinating reminder of the constructions and technology that made use of these waters even in medieval times.

33 San Quirico d’Orcia, la Collegiata

Palazzo Chigi Designed by Carlo Fontana for Cardinal Flavio Chigi and built from 1679 onwards, this noble residence is full of paintings

by Roman artists.

It has recently been restored and now also hosts temporary exhibits.

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 34

events in val d’orcia Val d’Orcia is home to special events year-round.

Cultural attractions such as theatre, music and art are rivalled by festivities celebrating local cuisine and wines.

34

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 35

CASTIGLIONE D’ORCIA

PIENZA

Il Maggio - Il Maggio Festival 30 April

Teatro Povero di Monticchiello (Theatre at Monticchiello) July – August

Sagra del Crostino - Canapè Festival August Rocca estate a Rocca d’Orcia Rocca Estate festival in Rocca d’Orcia August Sagra del Fungo a Vivo d’Orcia (Mushroom Festival) October Sagra del Marrone a Campiglia d’Orcia (Chestnut Festival) October Incontri in Terra di Siena Chamber Music Festival July Festival Internazionale di Montalcino e Festival della Val d’Orcia The Montalcino International Festival and The Val d’Orcia Festival July – August Gran Fondo del Brunello e della Val d’Orcia (road race) September

MONTALCINO Jazz & Wine July Torneo di apertura delle cacce (Celebration of Hunting Season Opening) Second Sunday in August Settimana del Miele (Honey Week) September Sagra del Galletto a Camigliano (Cockerel Festivalk) First Sunday in October Sagra del Tordo - (Thrush Festival) Last Sunday in October

Fiera del Cacio - (Cheese Festival) First Sunday in September RADICOFANI Mercatino dell’usato - (Flea Market) First Sunday of the month from April to September Festa medievale - (Medieval Festival) August Sagra del Raviolo a Contignano (Ravioli Festival) August SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA Arte a Palazzo Contemporary Art Exhibit in Palazzo Chigi April - December Festa del Barbarossa (Festival celebrating Barbarossa’s passage) Third Saturday and Sunday in June Forme nel verde International Sculpture Exhibit In the Horti Leonini gardens August - November Festa dell’olio - (Olive oil festival) December

35

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 36

The Val d’Orcia Festival As a sign of growing collaboration, the municipalities comprising Val d’Orcia’s Artistic, Natural and Cultural Park are continuing in their ambitious project aimed at rediscovering and better appreciating their territory in order to promote sustainable development for this pristine land and to create a kind of shared social and cultural identity.

In 1996 this premise led to the birth of the Val d’Orcia Festival – the Montalcino International Festival (with this latter having already been inaugurated in 1980). The festival has become a yearly cultural itinerary, with every July and August witnessing a variety of events throughout Val d’Orcia, in both renowned and little-known venues.

The calendar of events leads enthusiasts into town squares, castles and churches for a harmonious but varied multimedia collage of music, theatre, dance and art cinema. Although this land is the reign of earth and sky, it is clearly also the reign of art, culture and history.

This is borne out by the long, noteworthy history of theatre in Montalcino and the fantastic summer music and art festivals in Castiglione d’Orcia, Pienza, Radicofani and San Quirico d’Orcia that make up a single ongoing spectacle in which national and international events receive a rare opportunity for direct contact.

Monticchiello

36

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 37

Vitaleta

The Teatro Povero of Monticchiello Almost total isolation – both cultural and physical – is the best way to describe the environment in which this theatrical experiment came about in the mid-1960s. This isolation was due a lack of public transportation in the area, the terrible condition of the then-unpaved roads and the progressive emigration of sharecroppers, with immediate effects on the local agricultural economy.

The first theatrical production was presented in 1967, following lengthy meditation on the disastrous demographic trend under way.

Thus Monticchiello’s theatre is the product of a specific cultural climate.

It certainly never aspired to change the town’s destiny, but it undoubtedly aimed to inform its audience and the relative institutions of the tragedy which was about to spread throughout the nation, worsening over the years.

Thus the content of the plays presented every summer (written and executed by members of the community in a complex process defined as “autodrama” by Giorgio Strehler) is rooted in these questions, with a parallel presentation of the living heritage of local farm culture and of the difficulties encountered in these times.

Over the years, as a meaningful existence has become an increasingly unattainable goal for this village (although this dilemma is certainly no longer faced exclusively here), the focus of the presentations by this “Poor-man’s Theatre” has tended to concentrate on the relationship between a society geared toward convenience and massification and the small communities destined to slowly lose all meaning, at best becoming destinations for visitors passing through, without recognising the devastating effects of this process for the entire nation.

Small towns risk being left devoid of their spirit, their identity and their livelihood, except possibly in the form of occasional tourists passing hurriedly through in search of “peace and quiet” or “quaint worlds to discover”.

Andrea Cresti, Director of the Teatro Povero di Monticchiello

37

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 38

to find out more

38

Orcia river

Where to look and who to contact for advice and useful information before and during a trip through Val d’Orcia.

Sant’Anna in Camprena, frescoes

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

Informazioni Turistiche APT Siena Piazza del Campo 56 Tel. 0577 280551 Fax 0577 281041 www.terresiena.it infoaptsiena@terresiena.it Informazioni Turistiche APT Chianciano Terme Val di Chiana Piazza Italia 67 Tel. 0578 671122-23 Fax 0578 63277 www.terresiena.it infoaptchiancianoterme@ terresiena.it Informazioni Turistiche APT Amiata Via Adua 25 Tel. 0577 775811 Fax 0577 775877 www.amiataturismo.it info@amiataturismo.it Val d’Orcia S.r.l.

Via Dante Alighieri 33 San Quirico d’Orcia Tel. e Fax 0577 898303 www.parcodellavaldorcia.com info@parcodellavaldorcia.com

18:49

Pagina 39

CASTIGLIONE D'ORCIA Informazioni Turistiche Via San Giovanni, 8 Tel. e Fax 0577 888986

Informazioni Turistiche Pro Loco Via Fiume, 9 Campiglia d'Orcia Tel. 0577 872722 MONTALCINO Informazioni Turistiche Costa del Municipio 8 Tel. e Fax 0577 849331 www.prolocomontalcino.it info@prolocomontalcino.it PIENZA Informazioni Turistiche Corso Rossellino, 30 Tel. e Fax 0578 749905 pienza@sistemamuseo.it www.comunedipienza.it RADICOFANI Informazioni Turistiche Via Renato Magi, 57 Tel. 0578 55684

Informazioni Turistiche Pro Loco Piazza della Torre, 3 Contignano Tel. 0578 52062

SAN QUIRICO D'ORCIA Informazioni Turistiche Piazza Chigi, 2 Tel. 0577 899724 Fax 0577 899721 www.comunesanquirico.it ufficioturistico@comunesanquirico.it

Informazioni Turistiche Bagno Vignoni Tel. 0577 888975 infobagnovignoni@libero.it www.comunesanquirico.it

39

VALDORCIA_INT_ING

30-07-2009

18:49

Pagina 40

Abbey of Sant’Antimo

Published by: APT Siena APT Chianciano Terme Val di Chiana APT Amiata Val d’Orcia S.r.l.

The Municipalities of: Castiglione d’Orcia Montalcino Pienza Radicofani San Quirico d’Orcia Edited by The Tourist Boards of Siena, Chianciano Terme Val di Chiana, Amiata

Terre di Siena

Editing coordinator: APT Siena, Luigina Benci

Text by: Stefano Ardito We would like to thank Giovanni Comi, Paolo Conti, Andrea Cresti, Carlo Prezzolini, for their precious collaboration The text by Mario Luzi, is taken from “Terra di vento e di deserto” in Mi guarda Siena, Provincia di Siena, 2002 Translated by: Marylin Kies Photography by: Stefano Ardito, Umberto Bindi, Bruno Bruchi, Enrico Caracciolo, Mario Sturaro Cover photo: Bruno Bruchi Printed by: Nidiaci Grafiche – San Gimignano

VALSORCIA_COP_F

30-07-2009

18:19

Pagina 3

Terre di Siena

120.000/2007

30-07-2009

18:19

Pagina 1

www.terresiena.it

VALSORCIA_COP_F

PROVINCIA DI SIENA COMUNI DI CASTIGLIONE D’ORCIA MONTALCINO PIENZA RADICOFANI SAN QUIRICO D’ORCIA APT SIENA Via dei Termini 6 – 53100 Siena tel. +39 42209 - fax +39 0577 281041 aptsiena@terresiena.it www.terresiena.it APT CHIANCIANO TERME VAL DI CHIANA Via Sabatini 7 - 53042 Chianciano Terme tel. +39 0578 671122 - fax +39 0578 63277 aptchiancianoterme@terresiena.it www.terresiena.it In collaborazione con VAL D’ORCIA S.r.l.

Via Dante Alighieri 33 - 53027 San Quirico d’Orcia tel. e fax +39 0577 898303 info@parcodellavaldorcia.com

val d’orcia