Itineraries: the gentle rocks of Castiglione d’Orcia

Castiglion d’Orcia stands like an ancient jewel set in the heart of the Val d’Orcia. This medieval village, shrouded in an aura of mystery and millennial history, captures the imagination of travellers with its timeless beauty. It is located less than 9 kilometres from San Quirico and just 4 kilometres from Bagno Vignoni, and to get there you have to drive up a steep and winding slope adorned with several hairpin bends, flanked by thick woods and tidy farms. The road to get there is itself part of the spectacle…

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The heart of the town is the historic centre, marked by ancient buildings and numerous small squares, overlooked by several refreshment stands offering the best of Tuscan food and wines. When the weather is fine, it is difficult to resist the temptation to sit outside to eat and drink, preferably in company, kissed by the sun and immersed in the pure and – usually – cool air even in summer.

Castiglion d’Orcia boasts a whole series of viewpoints, starting with the one located just outside Porta di Sopra (literally: Upper Gate), also known as Porta della Fracta, with a bench from which one can admire a scenery that has few equals: hills, woods, and the mighty Mount Amiata.

Here the Val d’Orcia shows itself in its lesser-known side. It is intense, rougher, it screams at you to go and get to know it, to walk its paths and smell the earth and the trees. It is marvellous.

But also shout loudly the two giants that dominate and protect Castiglion d’Orcia: the Rocca di Tentennano and the Rocca Aldobrandesca.

The Rocca di Tentennano dominates the tiny village of Rocca d’Orcia. Built around the middle of the 13th century, this fortress stands on a rocky spur from which the entire Val d’Orcia can be admired. It is a massive, imposing fortification, but in perfect harmony with the nature in which it is immersed.

At its foot, the handful of houses that make up the beautiful village of Rocca d’Orcia could serve as the set for any film with a medieval setting.

The Rocca Aldobrandesca was restored and opened to the public in August 2023, and has therefore only recently entered the list of attractions to see (absolutely, I might add) in the Val d’Orcia. Built by the Aldobrandeschi family in the early Middle Ages to defend the Via Francigena, it offers a 360° panoramic view thanks to the walkways that can be walked in their entirety, for a truly unforgettable experience, with your gaze free to wander wherever you wish. You are at the top, higher than you only birds of prey suspended in the air waiting for prey on which to swoop down.

Enjoy this spectacle, imprint it in your soul and relive it when you feel the need to think back to something extraordinary.

In the centre of Castiglion d’Orcia is Piazza Vecchietta (Vecchietta Square), dedicated to the painter Lorenzo di Pietro (1412-1480) known as il Vecchietta, who until 1970 was believed to have been born in Castiglione d’Orcia, whereas he was actually originally from Siena. Overlooking the square, at the centre of which is a 16th-century travertine well, is the historic town hall, inside which is a fresco of the Sienese school (Madonna and Child with Two Saints) from Rocca d’Orcia.

Among the numerous sacred buildings in the area, I would like to mention the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, which struck me for the purity of its essential lines. The church has a single nave, Romanesque features and a semicircular apse from the 12th century with a bell gable. The façade dates back to the 13th century.

Castiglion d’Orcia offers several very characteristic corners: churches, historic palazzi, narrow streets and sloping alleys that often open onto views that appear even more beautiful because they open unexpectedly behind a building or beyond an arch. It is a pleasure to wander around the historic centre, but an even greater pleasure perhaps is to stop and discover the local delicacies, which are quite numerous and tasty.

Finally, a recommendation for gourmets: if you can, pop into Castiglion d’Orcia on the first weekend in August (but check the dates with the Pro Loco di Castiglion d’Orcia), because that is when the Sagra del Crostino e dei Pici fatti a mano (Festival of Crostino and Handmade Pici, the “crostino” is a slice of bread topped with all sorts of ingredients: cheese, ham, sauces…) takes place, now in its forty-first (!) edition. The food is genuine and delicious, the wine excellent and plentiful, and the company festive.

What more could you possibly want from a Summer evening?

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Eating and sleeping

There is no shortage of places in Castiglion d’Orcia where you can eat and drink well and sleep comfortably. Below are a few, but if you search the web you will find many more.