Rapolano Terme
Rapolano Terme is a town in the province of Siena, set among the gentle hills of the Crete Senesi and the Val d'Asso valley
Updated 21 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Rapolano Terme now
The story
The story of Rapolano Terme
Introduction and location
Located in the province of Siena, in the heart of Tuscany, Rapolano Terme sits on the border between the Crete Senesi and the Val di Chiana, in a hilltop position offering wide views over the surrounding countryside. The municipal territory includes the main town and several hamlets scattered across the hills, amid a landscape of clay ridges, olive groves and cypress-lined roads. Its proximity to Siena, Arezzo and the main regional roads makes Rapolano Terme a convenient base for exploring rural Tuscany, away from the busiest tourist routes.
History and origins
The origins of Rapolano Terme date back to the Middle Ages, when the area developed as an agricultural and defensive outpost within the orbit of the Republic of Siena, in a territory long disputed with Florentine and Aretine lands. Over the centuries the settlement has retained traces of this past in a few fortified nuclei scattered across the municipal territory. Alongside this agricultural history, the area has a long-standing tradition of travertine quarrying, a limestone rock extracted here since ancient times and used in historic buildings throughout the region. This dual identity, rural and artisanal, still shapes the local economy today.
Nature and landscape
The landscape around Rapolano Terme is typical of the Crete Senesi: soft hills shaped by erosion, clay ridges, and fields of wheat and sunflowers that change color with the seasons. Not far away flows the Asso stream, which gives its name to the valley and has shaped the surrounding countryside over the centuries. The thermal springs found across the territory, fed by naturally occurring sulphurous waters, are another distinctive feature of the local natural setting. Walks along the fields and white gravel roads let visitors enjoy the quiet, slow pace of the Sienese countryside.
What to do and see
In Rapolano Terme, thermal relaxation takes center stage: hot sulphurous waters supply wellness facilities that have been visited since the nineteenth century for their curative properties. Walking through the town's hamlets, visitors encounter settlements with traces of old fortified walls and small medieval-era churches, evidence of the area's defensive and religious past. Countryside lovers can follow secondary roads through olive groves and vineyards, while those interested in local craftsmanship can discover the quarries and travertine processing still active in the area.
Flavors and traditions
The cuisine of Rapolano Terme reflects Sienese rural tradition, made of simple dishes and genuine ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, unsalted Tuscan bread, legume soups and grilled meats. The area's vineyards, part of the broader Sienese wine territory, produce red wines that pair well with local dishes. Village festivals, common throughout the Tuscan countryside, remain the main occasion to taste local specialties in a convivial atmosphere, while local markets offer seasonal, short-supply-chain produce.
Not to be missed
- A regenerating soak in the sulphurous thermal waters
- The quarries and historic travertine workshops
- Walks among the clay ridges and fields of the Crete Senesi
- The fortified hamlets and churches of the municipality
- The genuine flavors of Sienese rural cuisine
To see
What to see in Rapolano Terme
Routes · Trovido Route
