La Guardiola

Val d'Orcia


The pretty terrace at this wine bar next to the historic gate is a popular spot for lunch, a merende (afternoon snack) or aperitivo.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Val d'Orcia attractions

1. Museo Diocesano

2.4 MILES

Set in the Palazzo Borgia, this museum displays an intriguing miscellany of artworks, illuminated manuscripts, tapestries and miniatures. Highlights…

2. Palazzo Borgia

2.4 MILES

The future Pope Alexander VI, then just Cardinal Roderigo Borgia, was gifted this palace by Pius II and subsequently modified and enlarged it in 1492. It…

3. Duomo

2.41 MILES

Pienza's duomo was built on the site of the Romanesque Chiesa di Santa Maria, of which little remains. The Renaissance church with its handsome travertine…

4. Piazza Pio II

2.41 MILES

Stand in this magnificent square and spin 360 degrees. You've just taken in an overview of Pienza's major monuments. Gems of the Renaissance constructed…

5. Palazzo Piccolomini

2.44 MILES

This magnificent palace was the residence of Pope Pius II, and is considered Bernardo Rossellino's masterpiece. Built on the site of the pope's family…

6. Pieve di Corsignano

2.77 MILES

Look out for this Romanesque church at the western edge of Pienza. It dates from the 10th century, when Pienza was called Corsignano, and boasts a strange…

7. Chiesa di San Biagio

3 MILES

Designed by Antonio da Sangallo (Sangallo il Vecchio) and constructed in the late-16th century, this splendid Renaissance church in the valley below the…

8. Duomo

3.3 MILES

Montepulciano's 16th-century duomo is striking, largely because its unfinished facade gives the building a stern, heavily weathered look. Inside, don't…