Val d'Orcia
Val d'Orcia is an area of southern Tuscany, in the province of Siena, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004
Updated 20 July 2026
Val d'Orcia
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The story
The story of Val d'Orcia
Geography and territory
Val d'Orcia lies in the southern part of the province of Siena, following the course of the Orcia river, between the Crete Senesi to the north and the Monte Amiata massif to the south. The area includes the municipal territories of Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia, Castiglione d'Orcia, Radicofani and part of Montalcino, along with hamlets such as Bagno Vignoni and Rocca d'Orcia. The landscape alternates clay hills shaped by erosion, badlands and gullies, with rows of cypress trees, olive groves and wheat fields, forming an agrarian mosaic that has made the area famous worldwide for its scenic beauty.
History and identity
A crossroads of the Via Francigena, Val d'Orcia was a land of passage for pilgrims, merchants and armies heading to Rome, and it still preserves parish churches, hospices and watchtowers along the ancient route. In the 15th century, Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini in Corsignano, transformed his native village into the ideal Renaissance city of Pienza, entrusting the project to architect Bernardo Rossellino. Montalcino and Radicofani, with their fortresses, instead testify to the area's strategic and military role in the disputes among Siena, Florence and the Papal States. In 2004 UNESCO recognised Val d'Orcia as a World Heritage Site.
Landscape and nature
The Val d'Orcia landscape is one of Italy's most photographed and painted: gentle hills covered in wheat that change colour with the seasons, solitary cypresses or rows of them along white gravel roads, terraced olive groves and oak woods towards Monte Amiata. The clay formations of the crete create badlands with an almost lunar profile, while the Orcia river flows quietly through the fields. At Bagno Vignoni, thermal waters have flowed naturally for centuries, feeding an ancient basin at the centre of the village. The territory is protected as a UNESCO site for its scenic value as well as its historical and cultural significance.
Villages and places to see
Pienza, with its Piazza Pio II, the Cathedral and Palazzo Piccolomini, is the area's finest example of Renaissance town planning. San Quirico d'Orcia preserves the Romanesque Collegiate church and the Italian-style gardens of the Horti Leonini. Castiglione d'Orcia overlooks the valley from the Rocca a Tentennano fortress, while nearby Bagno Vignoni is famous for its thermal water square, the ancient basin also mentioned by Dante. Radicofani stands out for its imposing medieval fortress linked to the legend of the outlaw Ghino di Tacco. Montalcino, with its 14th-century Fortezza, is the historic and productive centre associated with the celebrated Brunello wine.
Food, wine and traditions
Val d'Orcia is a land of gastronomic excellence: Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino, DOCG and DOC wines, are among the most renowned Italian reds worldwide, made from the Sangiovese Grosso grape. Pienza produces the famous Pecorino di Pienza, a sheep's milk cheese aged in various ways, often under walnut leaves or ash. Among the typical dishes, pici stand out, a handmade fresh pasta usually served with meat ragù or with garlic and tomato sauce. Extra virgin olive oil, honey, saffron and sheep-farming products are also plentiful, the basis of a rural tradition still practised on the area's farms.
Not to be missed
- Piazza Pio II in Pienza, the heart of the ideal Renaissance city
- The thermal square of Bagno Vignoni with its ancient basin
- The Rocca a Tentennano fortress above Castiglione d'Orcia
- The Montalcino Fortezza and the Brunello wine cellars
- The medieval fortress of Radicofani
To see
What to see in Val d'Orcia
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Routes in Val d'Orcia
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