Visiting the Val d'Orcia from Borgo di Vagli

Many Fractional Owners at Borgo di Vagli, our restored Tuscan hamlet, comment to me that one of their favourite day excursions is visiting the Val d'Orcia from Borgo di Vagli. For those who haven't visited this fascinating area, I think I can safely say that the Val d'Orcia is one of the most popular areas of Tuscany for visitors to this part of Italy. The iconic wide-sky, sweeping landscapes, the beautiful hilltop towns, the italianate gardens, the art and the culinary specialities and wine all make the Val d'Orcia an area of inexhaustible interest. Depending on when you're here, there are also some great folkloric festivals to be enjoyed. Here I'll indicate just a few of the aspects of the Val d'Orcia that draw me back there again and again. From Borgo di Vagli to Pienza, which is well into the Val d'Orcia, takes just over an hour (43 miles). To Montepulciano, which is in the Val di Chiana but on the same route to Pienza, takes about 50 minutes (30 miles).

Iconic scene in the Val d'Orcia of Tuscany, Italy

Towns and villages characterised by particularly beautiful architecture and a charming ambience:

• Pienza - hometown of the Piccolomini Pope, Pius II, an amazing Renaissance man who created this exquisite Humanist town near his birthplace. Pienza is a perfect case study of what a powerful family can do for its own locality. Pius II brought the best architect – Rosselino, definitively inspired by Leon Battista Alberti  – and most the renowned artists of the time to work at Pienza. No one can miss the huge “gap” between the splendour of the main piazza, the church and the Piccolomini Palace itself and the rest of the very simple, humble village.
• Montalcino and the nearby Abbey of Sant'Antimo where Mass is celebrated with Gregorian chant.
• San Quirico and neaby Bagno Vignoni, a thermal bathing area enclosed in a beautiful Italian square and dating back at least to the Romans.
• The large Benedictine monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore located in the Crete Senesi and frescoed during the Renaissance by Sodoma and Fra’ Paolo Novelli.
• Montepulciano, not in the Val d'Orcia but often included in an excursion to the valley.

Formal gardens in the Italian style

• One of the most famous 20th century gardens in Italy is at Villa La Foce, created for the author Iris Origo and her husband by Cecil Pincent.
• The Renaissance garden of the Palazzo Piccolomini in Pienza, with its fabulous view out over the Val d'Orcia towards Monte Amiata. This view is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of Italy

A pecorino shop in Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Tuscany

Gastronomy and wine:

• Pienza is rightly famous for its pecorino (ewe's milk cheese) - stock up while you're there!
• Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines.
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
• Truffle fair at San Giovanni d'Asso in November.

Castles - because of its strategic position, the Val d'Orcia is the location of numerous picturesque castles, among them being Rocca d'Orcia, Castiglione d'Orcia and Ripa d'Orcia.

More about the sights of the Val d'Orcia.

Borgo di Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at modest cost. More about Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership.

Fulvio Di Rosa

All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.

Is there an economical way to own a vacation home in Tuscany?

A great many visitors to our region are justifiably smitten by the beauty and culture of Tuscany and ask themselves is there an economical way to own a vacation home in Tuscany. One good answer to this question is fractional ownership. This is a form of economical shared ownership that bears a distant resemblance to the timeshare system but with real differences. Fractional ownership means that you own a true share of your physical holiday home, not just some time. This means that you can pass it on to your family, sell it etc. and as the value goes up over time so does the value of your share. It also provides flexibility in when you spend time at your place in Tuscany because one of the tasks of the property manager is to organise the calendar so that availability is transparent and flexible.

Accommodation in the mediaeval village of Borgo di Vagli, which I restored some years ago, is sold using exactly this fractional ownership principle.

The restored mediaeval village of Borgo di Vagli, near Cortona, Tuscany

Borgo di Vagli was an abandoned ruin in the wilds of Tuscany near Pierle Castle when I started restoration in 2000. The aim was to restore the village to its original appearance using, as far as possible, the techniques of the original builders, while providing all the comforts that we require in modern life. I also paid huge attention to the authenticity of the furnishings and the interior decoration. The result is that we now have a happy community of owners who, for a reasonable expenditure, own their own place in Tuscany.

From time to time, I will be posting stories about Borgo di Vagli here along with posts about events and life in this part of Tuscany.

More about Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership village in Tuscany.


Fulvio Di Rosa

All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.