In this article we want to suggest you an itinerary of “green beauty”, discovering the most beautiful parks and gardens of this splendid corner of Tuscany. We are in the Terre di Siena between the Val d’Orcia park, a UNESCO heritage site, the Crete Senesi and the Val di Chiana. Here you can relax and immerse yourself in the beauty of natural parks, Italian gardens and magical places. Here are the gardens and parks that we recommend to visit.
GARDEN AND NATURAL PARKS IN TUSCANY
THE HORTI LEONINI
We are in San Quirico d’Orcia where we find the Horti Leonini, a typical sixteenth-century garden, one of the first examples of Italian garden. This is perhaps the most precious treasure of the medieval village. It is accessed from an entrance between the walls and the main square of the village.
The garden is divided into two parts. The lower area has a diamond-shaped. The garden is composed of triangular flowerbeds and is surrounded by walls and holm oaks. In the center stands the statue of Cosimo III of the Medici.
A long avenue cuts through the garden and leads to the upper area, a grassy square in the middle of a forest of centuries-old oaks crossed by intricate paths.
In the highest part of the Horti Leonini you can visit the remains of the ancient Torre del Cassero.
The Horti Leonini are a magical place where you can walk slowly and go back in time. Learn more…
THE BOSCO DELLA RAGNAIA
The Bosco della Ragnaia is located in San Giovanni d’Asso, a small and charming medieval village of the Crete Senesi. The Bosco della Ragnaia is a living sculpture. A wooded park and a garden made by the American artist Sheppard Craige.
The Ragnaia wood is not simple, it is an enchanted place still little known. As soon as you enter the park you lose track of time, finding clues and carved words. It is a park wanted to stimulate the curiosity of the traveler who will let himself be carried away by the suggestion of the place. Learn more…
VILLA LA FOCE GARDEN
In the garden of Villa La Foce elegance blends with nature and the landscape that surrounds it. A jewel set among the gentle hills of the Val d’Orcia and the rugged gullies. A magical place rich in history where you could spend hours contemplating beauty.
The Garden of Villa La Foce is located at the crossroads where the roads for Pienza, Montepulciano, Sarteano and Chianciano Terme converge. In this place the history of this part of Tuscany is fused with the story of a refined woman, a witness of her time and able to give posterity a charming garden, an example of great harmony and beauty.
The first thing you notice here is the harmony between buildings, garden and nature. Learn more…
THE NATURAL RESERVE OF PIETRAPORCIANA
The Pietraporciana Reserve occupies a large hill over 800 meters high that separates the Val d’Orcia from Chianciano Terme and Sarteano. Reaching it is very simple. Here you will find an immense wood of beech trees where, in summer it is pleasant to find relief from the heat. The Pietraporciana Reserve is a very special place. Here beeches grow, other magnificent secular trees, and a luxuriant and variegated vegetation.
In Pietraporciana you will find areas equipped for picnics and suggestive routes to walk or bike.
THE OASIS OF MONTEPULCIANO LAKE
The Montepulciano Lake Reserve is located a few kilometers from the city of Vino Nobile, in the southern part of the Val di Chiana, almost on the border with Umbria. Lake Montepulciano is the remnant of the vast swamp which occupied most of the Val di Chiana until the Medici era. A natural reserve that houses plant and wildlife species of great naturalistic interest. Here you can take boat trips, walk the numerous paths on foot or by bike.
Or you can admire the numerous species of migratory birds, on their long routes between Europe and Africa.
Our charming country home Podere Salicotto is the ideal place to visit this area
