Val d'Orcia
The serenely beautiful Romanesque Abbazia di Sant’Antimo lies in a valley just below the village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, 11km from Montalcino. The…
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Val d'Orcia
The picturesque agricultural valley of Val d'Orcia is a Unesco World Heritage site, as is the historic centre of the town of Pienza on its northeastern edge. The valley's distinctive landscape features flat chalk plains, out of which rise almost conical hills topped with fortified settlements and magnificent abbeys that were once important staging points on the Via Francigena.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
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Val d'Orcia
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…
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Val d'Orcia
Built in four stages between 1924 and 1939, these formal gardens were commissioned by Anglo-American expat Iris Origo and her Italian husband Antonio…
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Val d'Orcia
Set in the Palazzo Borgia, this museum displays an intriguing miscellany of artworks, illuminated manuscripts, tapestries and miniatures. Highlights…
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Val d'Orcia
This now-ruined 13th-century Cistercian abbey was one of the finest Gothic buildings of its day. On a hill above is the tiny, round Romanesque Cappella di…
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Val d'Orcia
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…
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Val d'Orcia
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…
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Val d'Orcia
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…
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