The splendid complex of Saint Galgano is at around 20 minutes / half an hour drive from  Siena, located west, between  Monticiano and Chiusdino, in a wild territory, with wonderful landscapes and natural panoramas.

The Abbey of Saint Galgano has represented throughout the centuries an important stop for travelers and pilgrims in the Merse Valley, which was a densely populated territory, rich in  churches, castles, villages and monasteries and that included the municipalities of Monticiano, Chiusdino, Murlo and Sovicille.

Two roads of great historical and economic importance pass here, the Massetana road, connecting Siena with the Sea and crossing Massa Marittima (very important town of the Past) and the Metalliferous Hills and the ancient Maremmana Road joining the center of Tuscany with Grosseto.

I really suggest you to visit the Abbey of San Galgano (Abbazia di San Galgano) and the Montesiepi Chapel (Eremo di Montesiepi) next to it and then to drive forward Massa Marittima passing through Montieri, in a really unspoilt and interesting territory!!

For the history of this magical places, please visit the following website, which I find rich in contents and well written:

San Galgano Abbey

web site

Banfi Castle, Brunello wine producers

In the splendid setting of Montalcino countryside, walking on breathtaking panoramic white lines snaking through vineyards, olive groves, castles and ancient isolated farms… here you are a really unforgettable road that you can do with your favourite means: walking, by bike, horseriding or simply by car… HIGHLY SUGGESTED!!!

If you stop at the beautiful Banfi Castle, Poggio alle Mura, you can stop at the wine shop, drink something, visit the Museum of Brunello, and (only if you have booked some days before!!!) visit the cantines. For more information visit the website of Banfi Castle.  In the Banfi property there are also an osteria (not an economic one:-)) and a very beautiful, chic and expensive restaurant, which is in restoration at the moment.

Castello Banfi

+39-0577-877700

borgo@castellobanfi.it

Another highly suggested stop: Sant’Angelo in Colle, a small pictoresque medieval village with breathtaking panoramas and an hosteria that I always suggest: Trattoria il Pozzo!!! It has a beautiful dehors in the medieval little square of the village…it is very nice to sit down and feel like in an open living-room.

A walk through the vineyards, Tavernelle - Poggio alle Mura - Sant'Antimo - Montalcino

I found this video on YouTube and I decided to put it here in order to show the cornfields of Orcia Valley (Val d’Orcia) in march, april… simply a spectacular lanscape 360°!

Radicofani Fortress, Radicofani, Orcia Valley (Siena)

I appreciated very much the visit of Radicofani Fortress! The fortress is located on the top of an high hill, a very panoramic place that you reach after walking ca. 20 minutes up to the fortress.

The fortress is very fascinating and its long history too as it is also famous because it was occupied for two times by the famous robber Ghino di Tacco, the italian Robin Hood.

If you go to the Radicofani Fortress, I suggest you also to stop for luch in the village of Radicofani in the restaurant La Grotta (better to book, specially on sunday and week-ends: it is always full).  It is a great restaurant, where siennese people enjoy to go, as it is not expensive at all and the food is great. When I went there with my husband and my husband’s grandfather, we tasted a mix of first plates and second plates and the experience was fantastic!

Ristorante La Grotta

Piazza Sant’Agata, 2

53040 Radicofani (Siena)

Ph. 0039 0578 55866‎

The Gladiator - Orcia Valley

Do you remember the beautiful scenes of the Gladiator, when he imagines the Elysian Fields? It is the Orcia Valley, Tuscany, Italy.

The Orcia Valley is always wonderful and continuously changing: you find it like in the movie, with golden cornfields, normally in june, when the grain is ripe in the fields but not yet cut.

I suggest everyone to come and see this fabulous part of Tuscany in june.. with the breathtaking view of the fields of gold (I know that Sting think of barley, when he talk of fields of gold…but I can’t help thinking of corn…sorry!:-))

Monte Oliveto Abbey, Le Crete senesi

Tour of the Crete + Abbazia di Monte Oliveto

a tour with beautiful views (from Buonconvento,

pasing through Asciano,

to Siena) with the deviation for the Abbey of Monte Oliveto

(and guided tour of the abbey with peintings of the Sodoma)

and a stop for lunch in Chiusure

by the very little and typical Trattoria Paradiso

Type of tour: driving tour

Monte Oliveto Abbey

Best period: spring

Interesting points:

driving tour -landscapes

Monte Oliveto Maggiore:

peinture, religious point,

shopping, cantine tour,

restaurant

Chiusure: pictoresque bourg,

osteria

Cypresses of Val d'Orcia (San Quirico, Siena territory)

My first approach with the siennese territory was when I came to visit those that at the time was my boyfriend and now is my husband. It was seven years ago..and he brought me to visit the Orcia Valley: we drived from Buonconvento to Radicofani, on the Cassia road (SP2).

It was love at first sight!

I couldn’t believe my eyes! That was the most beautiful panorama I had ever seen! a continuous succession of gentle hills, like waves in a neverending green see,  a lunar landscape with little medieval villages perched on the hills, isolated farms, fields, so little cars and people all around…

I falled in love with this territory, that gave me the enormous privilege to feel like in the past century with an intonse landscape, fabulous nature, immense art and history.

This is the reason why I decided to write this blog and I beg your pardon because I decided to write it in English:-)

Of course I’m Italian and my English will be full of mistakes! in any case, I hope to be useful to the many people wishing to visit our splendid territory!