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The town of Abbadia is the nearest to the summit of Mount Amiata , it is now one of the most famous tourist centers in the area. “Nature formed a small valley, surrounded by harsh cliffs. The ancients built a village , ... more »
ARMAIOLO is a small village in Val d’Ombrone. It is situated about 1km and a half northwards Rapolano Terme, along the superhighway for Siena. The origin and the etymology of the castle’s name are unknown but we k... more »
The origins of the village get lost in the legend even linked to the foundation of Rome. It seems that, at that time, Remo’ s sons, Senio and Aschio, escaped from the city just founded in Latium from their uncle Romolo,... more »
The Coltibuono Abbey stands at 628 meters , in the middle of magnificent woods and with a fantastic landscape, very close to the main route that connects the Chianti province to the Valdarno province. A Romanesque church with... more »
The name of this ancient village comes from the castle Vignoni, already known in the XI century, whose traces dominate the height over the village, and characterized by the thermal waters, used since the Roman period, as test... more »
It comes from the Latin “bonus conventus” and it means “happy, lucky community”: a good assembly of people which enjoys the land’s fertility and the advantages of the nearness of the rivers Arbia... more »
Campiglia d’Orcia is a High Medieval village that extends between Poggio dello Zoccolino and the Valle d’ Orcia The first human settlements date back to 973 A.D. Even now , Campiglia d’Orcia, maintains the s... more »
Casole d’Elsa, ancient Etruscan settlement, is a village situated on the ridge of a hill from where you can admire a fascinating view. In the XI and XII centuries it was a feud of the Bishops of Volterra. It passed un... more »
Castel San Gimignano is a small village divided in two between the township of Colle di Val d’Elsa and San Gimignano, in the province of Siena. The village stands on the road to Volterra, on the boundary between the pro... more »
The center of Castellina has been entirely restored in the last few years, thanks to the tourist boom tied to the Chianti Classico. Nonetheless, the village isn’t endowed with outstanding architectural structures, altho... more »
Castelmuzio, a village of Etruscan-roman origin, owned by the Cacciaconti della Scialenga family, passed to the Republic of Siena in 1270, then to the Hospital of S.Maria della Scala, to the Salimbeni family , to the Piccolom... more »
Castelnuovo rose in the center of the vast Berardenga territory, that since the X century, belonged to the descendants of a French dynasty, whose leader was Count Berardo, himself a descendant of Count Guinigi from Siena , be... more »
Populated since Etruscan times, the inhabited center wasn’t recorded with the name of “Castiglione” until the X century , when it was a feud of the marquises of Monte Santa Maria. In the High Middle Ages, al... more »
Looking out on the Val d’Orcia, at about five kilometers from Sarteano, on a wide hilltop at about 800 meters, close to the springs of the torrent Oragnano, on the road that takes to the Val d’Orcia, the village, ... more »
Castiglion d’Orcia is a township in the province of Siena with 2.505 inhabitants. Situated in the center of the Val d’Orcia, not so far from Cassia, the main road, on top of a hill, a branch of the northern slope ... more »
As San Casciano, Celle was also part of the properties of the Viscounts of Campiglia, but unlike the thermal baths center and the castle of Figline, didn’t remain under the control of the ancient feudal family, but sinc... more »
The pilgrims , during the XIII century, after coasting the Chiana marsh, and travelling along the secondary route of the Via Francigena, Arezzo – Bolsena, when they would get to Chiusi ,and they would look towards the W... more »
The beneficial quality of the mineral water of this town was already appreciated by the Etruscans and the Romans, that had steadfastly inhabited the area, building an important populated center. The presence in this territory... more »
Chiusi is considered by Latin sources one of the most ancient Etruscan cities. The historian Servio says that it was founded by the hero Cluso, son of the Lydian prince Tirreno, who, according to Erodoto, guided the migration... more »
Ancient village , on the top of which survived the rearranged rests of an ancient castle which is part of Saint Angelo in Luco. It is situated on a high slope which, in the past, was covered with woods, where the Monastery of... more »
Civitella was important in historical age thanks to its strategic positioning regarding the distances towards Siena and Florence, and to its role of garrison in the proximity of the city of Arezzo. The definitive appearance o... more »
Fortified town, disputed for a long time between the Florentines and the Sienese, it fell under the domain of the Florentines in the middle of the 1300, when its economic power was at its maximum. The town is also famous, bec... more »
South of Arezzo, almost at the border with Umbria, rises Cortona, on the steep slopes of a hill which leans on the Alta Sant’ Egidio. Cortona was maybe founded by the Umbrians and became very powerful under the Etruscan... more »
Farnetella is a small village in the township of Sinalunga(SI), situated on one of the hills on the western side of the Valdichiana senese, a few kilometers from the main town, between Scrofiano and Rigomagno. Farnetella is s... more »
Foiano's name, accordin to a legend, derives from the god Janus who, when he went up the Tiber River and settled in the shadow of a hill, called it Flos Janus. Also, a parchment dating back to 842 CE was found in which Lothar... more »
The hamlet of Frosini belongs to the township of Chiusdino, in the province of Siena, in the region of Tuscany. It’s about 9,13 kilometers from the township of Chiusdino, and it stands at about 346 meters at sea level. ... more »
As in other localities in the Chianti area, here also there are traces of Etruscan and later on Roman settlements. The most important findings dating back to the Roman age are preserved in the Pieve di San Marcellino. In this... more »
During ancient times, the village was simply known with the name Elsa , name that already appears on X century documents . Important is the fact that the ancient Via Francigena crossed the village. Between 990 and 994 the Arc... more »
Lucignano is a nice fortified village with a circular plant, which has kept most of the original medieval sarchitectures. To precede the entrance into the village from the sienese door, there is a brick –fountain, of wh... more »
The town area and the hill on which today rises the communal administrative centre , were very populated, like the rest of the whole Valdichiana, already during the “villanovian”and Etruscan time. The area fell un... more »
Since ancient times, Marciano is quite important, be it for its excellent agricultural area that for its strategic position. The Etruscan presence around the IV century B.C. is testified by a great number of archeological fin... more »
The village of Mensano clings on top of a rocky cliff. The first thing that immediately strikes us of the place is the fantastic panoramic view of the Metal Mountains of the Maremma, that made this village, one of great strat... more »
Montalcinello is a hamlet of Chiusdino, in the province of Siena. Its name comes from the great quantity of holm oak trees present on the hill , where the hamlet stands. Its origins date back to at least the X century. As a m... more »
Collocated on a hill 564 metres above sea-level, Montalcino keeps untouched its charm of abcient medieval village. Its territory, which belongs to the Val d’Orcia park, is covered with the cultivations of grapevines, ol... more »
The historical center of the Val di Chiana, enriched by Etruscan and Roman findings, was at its maximum splendor in the second half of 1400’s and in the 1500’s when the family Ciocchi Di Monte, originally from Flo... more »
The village stands on top of a hill (567 meters at sea level) between Valdichiana and Val d’Orcia. At first it developed between the XII and the XIII century with the construction of the Parish of Saint Leonard by the C... more »
Monteguidi, ancient castle of the Aldobrandeschi family for the entire XIII century, is mentioned in Ildebrandino VIII’s will in the year 1208, but we also find it afterwards in all the division stipulations of this fam... more »
Its location , on the ridge of a hill between Valdichiana and Val d’Orcia, has had great influence on the history of the town of Montepulciano and its town plan. The township of Montepulciano counts about 15000 resident... more »
Monteriggioni è uno dei più noti e ben conservati borghi murati d’Italia. Sorge su una collina che si affaccia sulla via Cassia-Francigena e fu costruito dai senesi negli anni 1213-1219. La muraglia,... more »
Monticchiello, già in epoca etrusca e romana fu luogo di incontro di vie che collegavano centri e comunità della zona. Conserva ancora i tratti austeri delle fortezze medievali. Il borgo sorge su un poggio imm... more »
Comunità di origine podesteria medievale venne modificata nel XII e nel XIII secolo in seguito al suo infeudamento. Le prime notizie risalgono al 1189, sotto la giurisdizione del vescovo di Volterra. Nel 1554 Monticia... more »
Il nome della località deriva dal latino "Murulus" che letteralmente significa "muretto", con il significato di luogo murato. La nascita del borgo di Murlo avvenne nel XII secolo, quando vi fu costr... more »
The castle and rural village below is situated in a position overlooking the Val di Chiana. The construction of the castle and the walls is owed to the Florentines; up to the mid 16th century it performed military functions b... more »
Il pittoresco borgo medioevale arrampicato su un colle, si avvolge a spirale attorno ad un'unica ed antica strada. I resti delle vecchie mura, le antiche case ed i palazzi, le chiese, le scalette che si inerpicano fino al c... more »
Il paese di origini medievali si caratterizza per un centro storico dove la pietra grigia la fa da padrona. Originariamente il borgo era uno dei tanti possedimenti dell'Abbazia di San Salvatore per poi essere conteso tra gli... more »
The history of Pienza, unlike that of the near Commune, it is not characterized by long periods of medieval events or wars. The city in fact was a small village until 1462, known with the name of Corsignano. The event which c... more »
I primi reperti di insediamenti umani nel territorio sono preistorici,ma i più importanti risalgono all'epoca etrusco-romana, come testimoniano le numerose piccole necropoli sparsenel territorio, da cui tra l'altro pro... more »
Poggio Santa Cecilia is a splendid village on a hillock few kilometres from Rapolano Terme, to which it is linked by a country road which starts from the ancient Thermae of Querciolaia. The name of this village is mentioned i... more »
L'abitato di Radda si presenta racchiuso all'interno della cerchia muraria in parte conservata. Il centro storico ha un impianto urbanistico costituito da un asse viario principale, sul quale si apre la piazzetta sulla quel p... more »
Radicofani fu per secoli una delle piazzeforti più importanti d’Italia, sorge alle falde di un'elevata rupe vulcanica.Di origine etrusca, come è risultato dal recente accertamento di un tempio dedicato al ... more »
Radicondoli, paese medioevale nella campagna senese, si affaccia sulle colline metallifere sulla strada che porta al mare. Tracce delle sue antiche origini longobarde sono ancora visibili. Antico almeno di mille anni, gi&agra... more »
In the Middle Ages the territory of Rapolano was part of the properties of the Counts of the Scialenga who dominated over the main castle of the area. Very soon( already in the last part of the XII century) the Scialenghi wer... more »
La struttura urbana di Rigomagno, geometrica, molto regolare e razionale; e la sua felice ubicazione sulla sommità di una dolce colline, sono il frutto di una clamorosa ingiustizia di Stato. La storia risale alla seco... more »
L’ abitato è disposto a ventaglio intorno allo sperone calcareo su cui sorge la Rocca di Tentennano. All’interno della cinta di mura ci sono tre minuscoli “terzieri”: la Rocca (intorno alla piaz... more »
La nascita e lo sviluppo di San Casciano dei Bagni sono legati essenzialmente alla presenza numerose sorgenti termali. La tradizione vuole che sia stato il Lucumone etrusco di Chiusi Porsenna a fondare i "Bagni Chiusi... more »
San Gimignano sorse su un sito abitato sicuramente dagli etruschi, almeno dal III secolo a.C., come testimoniano i numerosi ritrovamenti archeologici. Il colle era stato scelto sicuramente per questioni strategiche. Nel Medio... more »
A pochi chilometri da Castelnuovo, si trova il pittoresco borgo fortificato di San Gusmè. Il nome del paese deriva dalla degenerazione di San Cosma a cui era dedicata un’antica chiesa carolingia nel vicino borgo ... more »
San Quirico has Etruscan origins which also in lack of systematic excavations are testified by the findings in the areas of Vignoni and Ripa d’Orcia, of cinerary urns and other objects which were part of the funeral fur... more »
Sant'Angelo in Colle è un borgo che sorge a 440 m. sul livello del mare a circa 9 km da Montalcino, sulla strada che conduce a Grosseto. Si trova su un colle che si affaccia sulle valli dell'Orcia e dell'Ombrone. ... more »
Sarteano è situata a in. 573 s.lm. su un contrafforte del Monte Cetona. I numerosi reperti rinvenuti nel suo territorio testimoniano una continuità della presenza dell’uomo dal Paleolitico all’Et&agr... more »
Le origini dell'agglomerato "attuale" di Scrofiano sono da ricercarsi intorno all'anno mille, anche se Francesco Dini indica una provenienza longobarda del nome. Solo dal sec. XII si hanno notizie documentate di Scr... more »
The village of Serre di Rapolano is situated on a hill sheltered by an opening between the valley of Sentino and Ombrone. Since the ancient times it was extracted here one of the most fine travertine: today the quarries are p... more »
Siena was founded as roman colony at the time of the emperor Augusto and took the name of “Saena Julia”. The scarce reliable information which preceded the foundation talk about the existence of an Etruscan com... more »
Ritrovamenti fossili di età preistorica, effettuati nelle colline della zona, testimoniano la presenza dell'uomo a Sinalunga. Reperti del VIII sec. a.C ci parlano di un nucleo etrusco nei colli di Sinalunga, un insedia... more »
Da lontano Sovicille appare come una piccola isola immersa nel verde dei boschi. Avvicinandosi al paese, balza agli occhi l’imponenza del palazzo Nuti-Palmieri, con la sua elegante scalinata che scende verso il parco. L... more »
Il primo riferimento storico al borgo di Staggia è del 934 dal quale risulta l'esistenza di un borgo munito di Rocca di cui re Berengario conferma la proprietà alla famiglia dei Soarzi. In questo periodo il borg... more »
Oggi Torrita si presenta come l'evoluzione urbanistica di un castello fortificato, circondato per lunghi tratti dall'antica cerchia muraria risalente al XII secolo, nella quale si aprono ancora le porte d'accesso originarie: ... more »
A cavallo di una collina tra la Valdichiana e la valle dell' Asso in un ambiente naturale molto ben conservato, ricco di boschi e di ordinati campi coltivati in cui vigne, olivi, seminativi si alternano alle case poderali sor... more »
Il paese di Vescovado di Murlo si trova nei pressi del borgo di Murlo, situato su una collina a circa 300 m d'altezza. Vescovado rappresenta il centro maggiore formatosi con la fusione dei due villaggi, Andica e Tinoni, che a... more »
Villa a Sesta è il tipico e pittoresco borgo chiantigiano ad economia prevalentemente agricola, situato lungo la strada provinciale che conduce a Brolio. Fino alla metà del secolo IX era posseduta dai conti dell... more »
Probabilmente il castello sorse intorno al X secolo e sorse in quel luogo perché essendo posto sullo spartiacque di due piccole valli, formate da affluenti della Pesa, è facilmente difendibile. Era questo un req... more »
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