SIENA, TUSCANY
VAL D'ORCIA
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SIENA, TUSCANYVAL D'ORCIA
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In 2004, UNESCO inscribed, Val d'Orcia as World Heritage site with the following words: the landscape of Val d'Orcia is part of the agricultural hinterland of Siena, re-drawn and developed when it was integrated in the territory of the city-state in the 14th and 15th centuries to reflect an idealized model of good governance and to create an aesthetically pleasing picture. The landscape's distinctive aesthetics, flat chalk plains out of which rise almost conical hills with fortified settlements on top, inspired many artists. Their images have come to exemplify the beauty of well-managed Renaissance agricultural landscapes. | ||
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| The inscription covers: an agrarian and pastoral landscape reflecting innovative land management systems; towns and villages; farmhouses; and the Roman Via Francigena and its associated abbeys, inns, shrines, bridges etc. The Val d’Orcia is an exceptional reflection of the way the landscape was re-written in Renaissance times to reflect the ideals of good governance and to create an aesthetically pleasing pictures. The landscape of the Val d’Orcia was celebrated by painters from the Siennese School, which flourished during the Renaissance. Images of the Val d’Orcia, and particularly depictions of landscapes where people are depicted as living in harmony with nature, have come to be seen as icons of the Renaissance and have profoundly influenced the development of landscape thinking. | |||
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The Val d' Orcia is comprised in the following municipalities, all situated in province of Siena: Castiglione d' Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza, Radicofani and San Quirico d'Orcia. Its territory is constituted from a mainly hilly landscape with sweet shapes. The course of the Orcia river cuts transversally the valley, the dominant element of the landscape is constituted from erosion phenomena, that often put in evidence the argillaceous substrate of light color. All the municipalities of the Val d' Orcia, beyond to the landscaped aspect, are interesting also under the historical-artistic aspect introducing architectonic importances of medieval age (11th-14th century) and Renaissance (15th-16th century). The more important are: in San Quirico d'Orcia (the Collegiate Church, Palazzo Chigi and the Horti Leonini); in Pienza (the Cathedral, the Church of San Francesco, the Pieve of Corsignano, the Ammannati, Piccolomini and Bishophric Palaces); in Montalcino (the Rocca, the Communal Palace, the Church of San Augostino); in Castiglione d'Orcia (the Rocca of the Aldobrandeschi); in Radicofani (the Rocca and the medicean walls). Between the small villages scattered in the Val d' Orcia are signaled: the villages of Monticchiello, Corsignano, Castelluccio and Spedaletto, in the municipality of Pienza; Rocca d' Orcia, Campiglia d' Orcia, Ripa d' Orcia and Vivo d' Orcia in the municipality of Castiglione d' Orcia; Vignoni and Ripa d' Orcia in the municipality of San Quirico d'Orcia; Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the municipality of Montalcino. Of great interest are then the testimoniances of religious architecture scattered in the valley as the camaldolese monastery of San Piero in Campo; that olivetano of Sant'Anna in Camprena; and at end perhaps the most beautiful religious work of all the Val d' Orcia: the wonderful Abbey of Sant'Antimo in the municipality of Montalcino. |
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FOUR SEASONS IN VAL D'ORCIA |
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WHERE TO STAY IN VAL D'ORCIA:SEARCH for HOTELS and ACCOMMODATIONS IN VAL D'ORCIA (with guest reviews) |
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WHAT TO SEE IN THE AREA:San Quirico d'Orcia, Bagno Vignoni, Pienza, Monticchiello, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Sant'Antimo. |
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