A number of interesting itineraries will take you in various directions beginning in Sarteano. Outlined in further detail below, these include:

(1)   A trek westward toward Castiglioncello del Trinoro and the beautiful val d’Orcia (The springs of Canaletto); two important hermitages (Cella di Bruco and the hermitage of San Bonaventura; Castiglioncello itself at 774 m a breathtaking view over the val d’Orcia, once home to medieval thieves who swooped down on travelers in the valley on their way to Rome or Siena). The hamlet of Castiglioncello is quieter now; a bench next to the Romanesque church of Sant’Andrea is a spot to sit and watch the sun set in silence over the val d’Orcia. A restaurant, the Rosa del Trinoro, offers indoor or outdoor dining with an incredible view.

(2)   In the Orcia valley, you can explore the ancient abbey of San Piero in Campo, one of the oldest examples of medieval architecture in the area.

(3)   Beyond Castiglioncello, along one of the most beautiful drives (or better yet, walk or cycle routes) in this part of Tuscany you reach La Foce, the restored 15^th century farmhouse villa of the writer Iris Origo; the Origos used it as a partisan refuge during WWII. Its formal gardens, designed by famous landscape gardener Cecil Pinsent, are open to the public once weekly (see below). Over 200 largely unviolated Etruscan tombs have been discovered on the property. From La Foce the vigorous hiker can take a short walk to Petraporciana, the headquarters of local partisans. Huge oaks tower in a primeval forest filled in spring with cyclamens, orchids and snowdrops.

(4)   To the southeast is found Mount Cetona, reportedly home to some outstanding caves (for you spelunkers out there); Radicofini, visible for miles around, its castle topping the solitary high plateau; the restored (privato) abbey of Spineta dating from 1016; Fonte Vetrianna, an isolated settlement with Etruscan/Medieval beginnings and the site of a memorial to local resistance fighters who were very active in the whole area during WWII. Various paths lead from Fonte Vettoria.

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