Val d'Orcia

Orcia is located in the province of Siena in Tuscany, central Italy. Since the Middle Ages, the border area of Orcia has been the only place for pilgrims to go to Rome. There are countless hostels, hotels, hospitals and post stations in the valley. For centuries, it has received a large number of pilgrims and tourists, which has facilitated their travel.

Pienza is a mini town. The only main street can be walked from beginning to end in less than 20 minutes. The scale of churches and palaces is almost negligible in Italy. So where is the rural scenery in the photo? I began to explore a little eagerly. Going out of the gate on one side, the terrain is slightly sloping downwards, and after another turn, the pastoral scenery of Tuscany under the mountain rushes over! Along the wide platform, you can overlook the scenery of the Orcia Valley, which is Tuscany in my mind! The setting sun has plated everything here with gold, and the mountains in the distance are shrouded in rosy sunset. Occasionally meeting tourists or local residents walking dogs, everyone also smiled and shared the quiet beauty.

Large tracts of undulating gentle slopes, harvested farmland on gentle slopes, rural farm houses on gentle slopes, rows of cypress trees in the countryside, and the famous "Little Ears" church dotted among them, form today's picturesque Orcia Valley!

With gentle undulating valleys, picturesque hills, and dotted towns and villages, the Val d’Orcia is like a paradise on earth, the most beautiful scenery in Tuscany, Italy.

Along a small road, we unknowingly walked to VIA santa caterina, a non-car lane outside Pienza and looked up, shocked! Amazing! Dreamlike Tuscany, right in front of you! In the early medieval period, the Val d’Orcia was the must-go road between Florence, Siena and other important towns and Rome. The Pope’s baptisms, sacrifices, and missions in Rome were in a sense the commander of the entire Italy. , Led by the Pope of Rome, at that time "church power" was higher than "imperial power", while important cities such as Florence, Lucca, and Siena were in their own right, and even wars continued. In the valley, there are many hospitals, farmhouses, and post stations. For centuries, the original Tuscan landscape has been maintained here, dotted with small towns and scattered villages, forming a history, art, architecture, and environment. The Orcia Valley with comprehensive characteristics gradually reveals its beauty in front of the world