From time to time, I post about sights outside of the Chianti region but within easy reach for visitors who are making Chianti their Tuscany base. One of the most famous and beautiful regions of Tuscany is what my friend Anna Maria Baldini calls “big sky country” – the Val d’Orcia. In contrast to the Chianti hill country, the Val d’Orcia, which is located south of Siena, is characterised by rolling hills and wide open vistas, many of them so photogenic as to be among the iconic sights of Tuscany.
A classic view of a Val d’Orcia ridge in Autumn
The Val d’Orcia is not purely landscape, but also some beautiful towns embedded in this landscape, foremost among them, in my opinion, Pienza, the miniature Renaissance town created by Pope Pius II, himself a “Renaissance Man”. Other must-see towns are San Quirico d’Orcia and Montalcino. There are hot springs at Bagno Vignoni and one of the most evocative churches in Tuscany is Sant’Antimo, where Gregorian chant forms part of Mass every day. And of course the entire Val d’Orcia is dominated by the unmistakable form of Monte Amiata, the volcanic peak to the south. Wonderful views of Monte Amiata can be enjoyed from the Piccolomini Gardens in Pienza and from the classic garden of Villa La Foce, the home of the late Iris Origo.
More Tourist information on the Valdorcia of Tuscany, Italy.
A photographic and wine tasting tour of the Val d’Orcia.
More about Pienza, Italy.
About Elena Spolaor
Although Elena was born in Venice, she was brought up in Tuscany and is a historian and frequent contributor to online articles about life in Tuscany and Umbria. Her specialities are Tuscan and Umbrian local history and folklore.
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A beautiful Tuscan garden, the Piccolomini Gardens at Pienza in southern Tuscany
Pienza is one of the gems of Tuscany and should on no account be overlooked. Although located near the Val d’Orcia south of Sienna, it is readily accessible as a day trip from Chianti. A beautiful Tuscan garden, the Piccolomini Gardens at Pienza in southern Tuscany, overlooking the Val d’Orcia with Monte Amiata in the… 
Villa Medici at Fiesole, the first true classic Renaissance villa in Tuscany, Italy
Villa Medici at Fiesole, the first true classic Renaissance villa in Tuscany, Italy, was commissioned by Giovanni, the second son of Cosimo il Vecchio and, among other owners over the centuries, belonged to the mother of Iris Origo in the early part of the 20 C. Life there during that period is described by Iris… 
The garden of Villa Gamberaia in Tuscany near Florence
Of all the Renaissance villa gardens of Tuscany, perhaps none is so perfect as the garden of Villa Gamberaia in Tuscany near Florence. The garden of Villa Gamberaia represents one of the finest examples of the integration of an italianate garden into the architecture of a Tuscan villa. Among the outstanding villa gardens of Tuscany,… 
The Cortona farmhouse of Frances Mayes and “Under the Tuscan Sun”
A great many readers were introduced to the Tuscan hilltop town of Cortona via a popular memoir, “Under the Tuscan Sun“, written by Frances Mayes about impulsively buying and then restoring an abandoned house, Casa Bramasole, near this beautiful town. The book was the basis of the film of the same name and one of… 
A Tuscan farmhouse – the beauty of a Tuscan casa colonica
The Tuscan farmhouse is among the most attractive of all forms of vernacular architecture, perhaps equalled in aesthetic appeal only by the villages of the M’zab in the Algerian Sahara. In contrast to the M’zab, Tuscany is, of course, easily accessible to all and a great many of these beautiful Tuscan farmhouses have been sensitively… 
History of Tuscany and Tuscan Culture
Usually I confine my posts to bite-sized morsels of practical Tuscany tourist information. However, today let’s try something cultural and historical. I’ll try to provide some pointers on one way to think about the huge topic of the history of Tuscany and Tuscan culture. One approach is to see the culture of Tuscany in terms… 
Tuscan castles – fortresses, walled hamlets, fortified abbeys and towers in Tuscany
Tuscany is undoubtedly the land of castles. The combination of a turbulent history of contending city states and marauding foreign armies with a ready supply of stone and stone masons has produced a huge number of picturesque Tuscan castles – fortresses, walled hamlets, fortified abbeys and towers in Tuscany. The amazing variety of fortified stone… 
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