san quirico d’orcia ➜ radicofani
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san quirico d’orcia ➜ radicofani
From San Quirico d’Orcia to Radicofani
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LENGTH: 32.3km
Facilities
ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE ASCENT: 950m
Bars and restaurants in Bagno Vignoni; between Bagno Vignoni and Le Briccole, two fountains with a rest area. All kinds of facilities in Radicofani.
ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE DESCENT: 550m DIFFICULTY: very
demanding
Public transport
Places to stay
Autobus Tiemme, B24 Abbadia San Salvatore–Sarteano, runs once a day, weekdays, stops in Radicofani; route F_T9 Chiusi–Radicofani–Abbadia San Salvatore, runs three times a day, weekdays; route R52 San Quirico–Arcidosso, stops in Bagno Vignoni, runs once a day, www.tiemmespa.it.
CASTIGLIONE D’ORCIA: Podere Rossello, locality Ripa d’Orcia, t. 338-20.89.174, info@rosselloweb.it, www.rosselloweb.it, 8 b., €23–27.50, (Y). RADICOFANI: Ostello comunale, Piazza Anita Garibaldi 2, t. 331-52.91.556, infostelloradicofani@libero.it, 50 b., €12–16, (Y).
The crossing of the Val d’Orcia – among the most beautiful stages of the Via – follows the old Via Cassia for some stretches; it is without much traffic and partially a dirt road, in a landscape that becomes increasingly wild and solitary. As late as the 18th century travellers found the passage from Radicofani difficult, and considered it one of the toughest on the route. Even today, this long and tiring stage is testing, but it does give you the experience of a walk in landscapes of astounding beauty, with interesting places to stop, such as the “piazza d’acqua” in Bagno Vignoni.
From the collegiate church you go along the whole of Via Dante Alighieri and, after passing the church of Santa Maria Assunta, go right into Via Matteotti, continuing straight on into Via Garibaldi, then onto Strada di Ripa d’Orcia as far as a junction where two dirt roads branch off. Go left in the direction of Vignoni on a dirt road lined by cypresses. At another junction, turn left for Vignoni and Bagno Vignoni. A little further on, with a short detour, you can go uphill to the charming fortress of Vignoni Alto (495m) 205
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san quirico d’orcia ➜ radicofani
CastigLione D’orCia. View of the countryside and Rocca d’Orcia.
[36.1-km 3.6], where you can visit the village and the small Romanesque
church of San Biagio. Alongside the church you go through the gate: the paved mule track goes downhill, becomes a path along a wall and rejoins the dirt road that you left a little earlier. Go down steeply to the left on the trail, which further ahead has stretches with a cement roadbed, with a beautiful panoramic view of the vineyards, Rocca d’Orcia and CASTIGLIONe d’Orcia. At the end of the valley you can also see the winding ribbon of the Via Cassia heading towards the fortress of Radicofani, already visible on the horizon as you leave San Quirico. A little before the junction with the asphalt road, go right to visit Bagno vIGNONI (309m) [36.2-km 5.3] and its “piazza d’acqua” (water square), on the pedestrian route that runs along the side of the car park. Then you leave the town on its access road, which leads to the Via Cassia; after around 250m, you come to a dirt road on the right that goes downhill to the pedestrian bridge on the Orcia, a recently constructed all-wooden bridge that replaces the older bridge, of which the remains are visible. Continue straight on past a hotel, but leave the road immediately to take the path to the right that ascends and enters a wood. The path becomes a rural track and arrives on the SP 323 next to an agritourism farm. Cross it and continue on the path that runs alongside a vineyard and an olive grove and goes uphill onto a dirt road, which you take to the left, with beautiful views over the wheat fields of the Val d’Orcia. The road leads to Podere Liti (362m) [36.3-km 7.6]. Cross the courtyard with its various agricultural outbuildings and go uphill onto the dirt road to the right that leads to the provincial A-road. Before reaching asphalt, go left onto the trail that runs parallel to the main road. After around 200m, before the trail begins to descend bending eastwards, go uphill to the right on a path that is not clearly visible that leads to a dirt road, on which you continue to the left, 206
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san PeLLegrino aLLe briCCoLe. Pilgrims stopping to rest by the church.
still heading south. Ignore various detours, still remaining on the very wide road for around 3.5km (watch out for cars, which are quite rare but generally move fast). Go down to a bridge and walk alongside the Fosso Spinella ditch, along which you go upwards to a junction (423m) [36.4-km 12.3]. A little further on, at an isolated house, there is a rest area and a fountain. Follow the ridge road for around 1.5km in an open landscape cultivated almost exclusively with wheat. At Podere Acquasalsa (430m) [36.5-km 13.9], go right on the trail that goes downhill and joins a dirt road at the Casale Morello. A little further on, there is another fountain and a rest area. At Podere Passalacqua (an agritourism farm), go right onto the trail covered with grass that goes around the property and downhill on a path to the Via Cassia, finding, before the asphalt, a dirt road that crosses the Torrente Vellora, the first of a series of easy fords. In summer, it is so effortless that you barely realise you are crossing a water course. In spring, save for exceptional weather, it should not be a problem. A little past the stream, the trail joins a dirt road, which you follow for a short stretch. At the three-way junction, turn left onto the rural road that comes to a large sheep pen (336m). Next to this is the church of Le Briccole [36.6-km 17.7], an ancient “mansio” on the Via. The hostel of San Pellegrino de Obricolis, remembered by Sigeric as Abricola, stage XI from Rome, stood there. The rural road comes to an asphalt road (SP 113), which you cross and continue, immediately finding the ford of the Torrente Rofanello, followed, in a barren environment, by two other ditches. The rural road joins an asphalt one by the ruined houses of Sant’Achille. Continue on an unused stretch of the Via Cassia, finding Sant’Alberto (an agritourism farm) a little further on. Continue on the road for a further 3km or so to the old postal station of Ricorsi [36.7-km 22.6] – with a 13th-century structure and an ancient “mansio” on the road – where you join the variant of the Via Cassia. On the opposite side of the road (take care as the traffic is 207
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fast and heavy) there is a pedestrian footpath that runs alongside the road for a stretch, then goes downhill towards the Torrent Formone. The trail goes under a viaduct (the road for Radicofani, SP 478), then fords the stream. Ignore the dirt road that climbs up to the road and continue on the trail that goes beneath the Via Cassia and continues not too far from the course of the stream. A little further on, it goes beneath a bridge of the Via Cassia again and comes to a dirt road that goes uphill to the provincial A-road for Radicofani. You immediately leave the dirt road to take a path that continues beside the stream to a bridge that allows you to cross the stream. You enter the courtyard of Podere San Giorgio [36.8-km 25.6] and take its access road. Before this joins the provincial A-road for Radicofani, go right onto the dirt road that goes uphill, which is the oldest route of the Via Cassia and is still partly paved. You return to the asphalted A-road just before the farms of La Conie. You continue to climb, and at a junction by some houses, go left towards rAdICOFANI. Follow the road for a further 2km (in a panoramic stretch) until, within sight of the town’s fortress, you join a dirt road [36.9-km 29.8] that enters the wood and which you follow, still heading south. The trail joins a dirt road, which you go along to the asphalt road. Go right here for a short stretch as far as the uphill access to the town. At the junction, cross the provincial A-road to take Via Renato Magi, which goes through the historic centre, lying in the shadow of the high fortress tower (896m – km 32.3).
Alternative route for Abbadia San Salvatore The alternative route begins on the old Via Cassia, just before reaching the posthouse in Ricorsi. Just past the barrier, rather than going uphill along the dirt road, take the path on the right that follows the edge of the property until it goes uphill past the agritourism farm. When you have arrived outside a hamlet, take a steep stony track that, after a long and tiring stretch, emerges onto the provincial A-road that links Campiglia and Bagni San Filippo. Go along it downhill to Nucleo Pietrinieri, where you turn right onto a dirt road, and after a little while you start to climb again along a dirt road that is very steep in stretches. Walk alongside the old cinnabar mines and continue to the provincial A-road of Monte Amiata, which you cross and go along an uphill and downhill stretch to an asphalted road, where you turn left downhill to reach the Trefossata agritourism farm. Turn right here onto a forest road, cross a bridge on a stream and go uphill again on the opposite slope, first on a dirt road and then on asphalt. When you reach the first houses of Abbadia San Salvatore, continue straight uphill and turn right onto a pedestrian path that emerges in Via Cavour. Here you can turn right to visit the abbey, which is very worthwhile, otherwise the route continues to the right into Via Neri and goes through the historic centre. Go downhill along a cart track to the Dei Combattenti provincial A-road, which you follow for 1–2km before leaving it to take a rather uneven dirt road that goes downhill towards the Val di Paglia as far as the industrial area in the proximity of the Via Cassia. Here you cross the A-road and go uphill again on the opposite slope on a cart track that runs alongside first a quarry, then a hamlet, and then goes downhill to Ponte a Rigo, where you rejoin the official route of the Via Francigena. 208
san quirico d’orcia ➜ radicofani
abbaDia san saLVatore. The church of San Salvatore in the town square.
What to see Castiglione d’Orcia Clearly visible from Vignoni Alto, the fortress of Tentennano dominates the whole Val d’Orcia and the houses of Rocca d’Orcia. The municipality consists, in fact, of various wards (Rocca, Vivo, Ripa, Campiglia, Bagni San Filippo), that are dotted around the fringes of Monte Amiata, an ancient volcano that you can already see on the horizon when you leave Siena. The route described enables you, with a short uphill stretch, to reach the provincial capital, Castiglione: a cluster of stone houses, sloping paved streets, and a square with a 15th-century cistern.
Bagno Vignoni and the medieval thermal baths You should not think that medieval pilgrims subjected their bodies solely to the penance of a tiring walk. As early as the 9th century, the thermal waters of Bagno Vignoni, appreciated by both the Etruscans and the Romans, became popular again for their beneficial effects on the health and hygiene of those tackling the pilgrimage. From the 11th century, many other spas were reinstated, such as Bagni San Filippo on the slopes of Monte Amiata and Le Terme del Bullicame not far from Viterbo. The latter was mentioned in 1154 by Icelandic Abbot Nikulas of Munkathvera as the Baths of Theodoric. We do not know very much about how these establishments were organised. They were owned by local nobles or by the town, or even by monasteries. The baths were dug roughly out of the rock, and separate baths existed to be used by women. The large rectangular tank around which the town of Bagno Vignoni is clustered was used by both pilgrims and the most illustrious personalities of the medieval age, including St Catherine of Siena. If you have time, walk to the southern edge of the built-up area, the Parco dei Mulini, where you will find the remains of a medieval mill, supplied by the 209
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raDiCoFani. The town seen from the tower on the Rocca.
waters of the thermal springs and in use until the 1950s. Then go downhill on a path to the water collection tanks, which are cold at this point, but where it is possible to have a healthy, refreshing foot-bath.
Radicofani The first evidence of the existence of a fortification, called Callemala, dates back to 876 as the property of the Abbey of San Salvatore on Monte Amiata. The location is impregnable, positioned as it is on the summit of a hill visible a huge distance away. A mighty fortress, of which the ruins remain, it reveals various phases of construction, between the 12th and the 16th century. We warmly recommend that you visit the fortified complex, because of the beautiful panoramic view it offers from the top of its tower. The Romanesque church of San Pietro, built in the 13th century, is home to various works in glazed terracotta by the school of Andrea della Robbia and the workshop of the Buglioni, and a wooden Madonna by Valdambrino. The town clusters around the central Via Roma, with its beautiful dark stone houses. Along the Via Cassia, which goes around the town to the south, is the Renaissance posthouse, an ancient Medici hunting house, later transformed into a border hot. Illustrious personalities such as Charles Dickens, Montaigne and Chateaubriand stayed here. For medieval pilgrims, however, the reception might have been less hospitable. At around the end of the 13th century, the Sienese nobleman Ghino di Tacco was lord of the fortress, and devoted his time to robbing travellers with his gang of ruffians. Not far from here there are also the Medici Fountains, with their monumental covered drinking troughs.
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