Close your eyes and imagine you’re in Tuscany: what do you see?
Maybe golden wheat fields and soft, green rolling hills dotted by hamlets and stone farmhouses; blooming sunflowers and plushatch vineyards; vibrant green meadows, and countryside roads lined with cypress trees.
In short, your imagination took you to Val d’Orcia - which is, more or less, the Tuscany of popular imagination.
In short, your imagination took you to Val d’Orcia - which is, more or less, the Tuscany of popular imagination.
PS: Our pick: a helicopter wine tour in Val d'Orcia for those who want to look at things from a different - an adventurous! - perspective! And... A yummy cheese-making demonstration (and tasting!).
The Val d’Orcia is a valley that stretches in southern Tuscany, roughly from Siena to Monte Amiata. Its rare and almost untouched beauty made it a favorite of artists of all sorts, from Renaissance painters to modern photographers and directors, who immortalized it their works.
Not only is its landscape terrific, but it also carries a deeper and historical meaning whose cultural importance made the Val d’Orcia a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004:
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.
Food and Wine
This region is very rich in high-quality local products that you should definitely taste.
Both Montalcino and Montepulciano are a stone’s throw away, so you’ll easily find Brunello and Vino Nobile - but keep in mind that the Val d’Orcia has its own DOC wines!
And how can we not mention Pecorino di Pienza?
We Tuscans sometimes call it ‘cacio’. It’s a cheese made from sheep’s (‘pecora’, in Italian) milk and it’s named after the above-mentioned town.
There’s not only one type of pecorino. Its aroma and flavor vary according to production and ageing methods, and the herbs and grasses of which the sheeps’ diet consists.
