Mount Amiata
Monte Amiata is the area straddling the provinces of Siena and Grosseto in southern Tuscany, centred on the extinct volcano of the...
Updated 20 July 2026
Mount Amiata
This season · July · Summer
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The story
The story of Mount Amiata
Geography and Territory
Monte Amiata is an extinct volcano, long since eroded and covered in vegetation, which at 1,738 metres dominates southern Tuscany on the border between the provinces of Siena and Grosseto. Its territory, often called the Amiata area, comprises around a dozen municipalities arranged in a ring around the summit, including Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio, Santa Fiora, Arcidosso, Castel del Piano and Seggiano. The mountain effectively separates the Val d'Orcia from the Maremma of Grosseto and is an important water reserve: its springs feed rivers such as the Fiora, the Albegna and the Vivo, which supply water to much of southern Tuscany.
History and Identity
Settled since Etruscan and Roman times, the Amiata area came under the rule of the powerful feudal Aldobrandeschi family during the Middle Ages, who built the fortresses still visible today in Arcidosso and Piancastagnaio, before passing to the Republic of Siena and later the Grand Duchy of Tuscany under the Medici and Lorraine dynasties. Between the 19th and 20th centuries the mountain became one of Europe's leading mining districts for cinnabar, from which mercury was extracted, above all in the mines of Abbadia San Salvatore, active until 1976. On Monte Labbro, near Arcidosso, the prophet David Lazzaretti preached, a religious and social figure of great importance to nineteenth-century Amiata identity.
Landscape and Nature
The landscape of Monte Amiata is dominated by extensive beech forests, among the largest in the Apennines, covering the mountain almost to its summit, and by centuries-old chestnut groves that for generations sustained local communities. In winter the slopes of Prato delle Macinaie and Monte Labbro welcome skiers and snow walkers, while in the warmer months the mountain is crossed by hiking trails, including a ring path that circles it almost entirely, suitable for trekking and mountain biking. Wild boar, roe deer, badgers and birds of prey live in the woods, while numerous springs feed streams and historic fish ponds, such as the one in Santa Fiora.
Villages and Places to See
Each village in the area has its own character: Abbadia San Salvatore preserves its eighth-century Lombard abbey and historic mining town centre, a historic stop on the Via Francigena; Piancastagnaio retains its Aldobrandeschi fortress and the contrade that bring its palio to life; Santa Fiora, one of Italy's most beautiful villages, offers the Pieve delle Pievi with Della Robbia terracottas and its striking Peschiera fish ponds; Arcidosso is dominated by its medieval fortress and nearby Monte Labbro; Castel del Piano boasts a compact historic centre and a lively historic carnival; Seggiano, amid olive groves, is home to the celebrated Daniel Spoerri Garden, an open-air contemporary art park.
Food, Wine and Traditions
Amiata cuisine grows out of the forest and the mountain farming tradition: the IGP chestnut, once a staple food for local communities, is still celebrated today in numerous autumn festivals and turned into flour, castagnaccio and traditional sweets. Seggiano's extra virgin olive oil, holder of a Protected Designation of Origin, is among the finest in Tuscany, while woods and meadows yield porcini mushrooms, truffles and chestnut honey. Aged Tuscan pecorino cheese, matured in tuff caves, and locally made cold cuts are also on offer, often served in village trattorias alongside handmade pasta and wines from the surrounding hills, in an authentic, seasonal gastronomic tradition.
Not to be missed
- The summit of Monte Amiata, with views over Tuscany and Lazio
- The Abbey of San Salvatore in Abbadia San Salvatore, a historic stop on the Via Francigena
- The Pieve delle Pievi and the Peschiera fish ponds in Santa Fiora
- The Daniel Spoerri Garden in Seggiano, an open-air contemporary art park
- The Monte Amiata Mining Park Museum, tracing the region's mercury mines
To see
What to see in Mount Amiata
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Mount Amiata
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