4. PLACES FURTHER AFIELD
Places that we particularly recommend within about an hour are Abbadia Monteoliveto Maggiore; Montalcino and the nearby abbey church of San Antimo; Pienza; San Galgano; and San Gimignano. Further afield, Volterra is a major sight and Massa Marittima is also well worth a visit; the latter can be combined (just) with a visit to the seaside. Smaller and less well-known places of interest include San Quirico d’Orcia and the Cuna granary.
Abbazia Monteoliveto Maggiore and San Giovanni d’Asso
One of the most attractive places in the Senese to visit: a monastery with a delightfully frescoed cloister set in a cypress grove in a spectacular hilly landscape.
Abbadia San Salvatore
A small town on the slopes of Monte Amiata, with the remains of a Lombard church.
Asciano
A town in the middle of the dramatic Creti landscape with an excellent small museum.
Buonconvento, Castiglione del Bosco and Murlo
A small town of some – albeit moderate – interest, on the way to other major sights (Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Monteoliveto). On the way there is a tiny museum of Etruscan finds at Murlo and a chapel with a Pietro Lorenzetti fresco at Castiglione del Bosco.
Cuna Granary
A large, rare and well-preserved fortified medieval granary, little visited by tourists.
Massa Marittima
A beautiful small mediaeval town on the way to the seaside, with one of Italy’s prettiest main squares.
Montalcino and Sant' Antimo
A steep-streeted medieval hill town famous for its Brunello wine but otherwise of moderate interest. Sant' Antimo is a most beautiful Romanesque abbey nearby.
Montepulciano
One of the larger south Tuscan hill towns with attractive churches and palazzi, a good main square and famous red wine. Another town with exceedingly steep streets.
Pienza, Sant'Anna in Camprena and Montichiello
A perfect small mediaeval town, built to order by a pope whose birthplace it was; a monastery with attractive Sodoma frescoes; and a nearby fortified village.
Radicondoli, Mensano and Casole d’Elsa
Three small and ancient towns south of Colle Val d'Elsa, of moderate interest only, but worth a look if you are passing by.
Roselle
Interesting and extensive Etruscan and Roman ruins, little visited.
San Galgano
A romantic ruined abbey and a chapel with a sword in a stone, worth a visit.
San Gimignano
A small and immensely attractive walled town known for its many towers. Also many wonderful works of art.
San Quirico d’Orcia (also Bagno Vignoni, Rocca d'Orcia and Castiglione d'Orcia)
An unspoilt small town with a beautiful Romanesque church and no tourist razzmatazz, and three other small places of interest nearby.
Volterra
A stern but spectacular grey hilltop Etruscan town beyond St Gimignano with good mediaeval buildings and museums; needs two visits to do it justice.
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