Panoramic itinerary between Val d'Orcia e Valdichiana Senese

Chiusi, Pienza & San Giovanni d'Asso - History and Tradition in small villages

Driving across Valdorcia is a unique experience in every season. Before reaching Pienza, a rare example of Renaissance urban planning, a stop in Monticchiello is a must. Here, in the mid-1960s , the "Teatro Povero" came alive:  a dramaturgical reality  involving all the inhabitants in the staging of works based on tradition and contemporaneity, that every year, between July and August, gathers spectators from all over the world and that has made possible to set up a sort of museum-archive of the history of the Teatro Povero.

A natural passageway between the Val d'Orcia and the Crete Senesi, San Giovanni d'Asso is an important center for white truffles harvest. The Truffle Museum is dedicated to this precious product, with experiential paths involving all the senses.

A few steps from the museum, there’s the Bosco della Ragnaia, a woodland and garden park created by the American artist Sheppard Craige, where the wild beauty of nature well integrates with artistic creativity.

The beautiful urban structure provides a striking example of how around a castle a medieval village was built and developed, with churches of great historical and artistic value. San Quirico d’Orcia rises along the ancient Via Francigena and owes its charm to the medieval atmosphere, with picturesque views of beautiful churches and well-preserved buildings.

Here, in a land vocated to wines but also rich in cereals, there’ is a craft brewery that is definitely worth a visit. Cetona allows you to retrace a journey to the origins, thanks to the skilful reconstruction of a prehistoric village at the Archaeological Naturalistic Park and the presence of Prehistoric Caves.

In the historical center of Chiusi, in addition to the National Etruscan Archaeological Museum, the Underground City, with access from the Civic Museum, is worth a visit.