Valle

The town of Buonconvento is one of the nicest places to visit in Tuscany! It dates back to the 10th century, and maintains a lot of its original charm to this day. Tourists wishing to stay in the area for a few days have a superb choice of local luxury villas where they can relax after some fascinating exploration.

The ancient walls that surround Buonconvento are a very impressive sight to behold! Some of the most noteworthy places to visit in the town include the Teatro dei Risorti, the Civic Tower, the Town Hall, and the Church of Saints Pietro and Paulo.

Another lovely tourist attraction worth visiting is the Museo di Arte Sacra della Val d'Arbia, which contains a glittering treasure of silver and gold artefacts and some stunning sacred paintings dating back to the 14th century. Admire the beautifully detailed architecture of this building and others in Buonconvento.

These historical monuments were created with such care and skill that those who gaze upon them can be nothing less than amazed at the craftsmanship. Be sure to bring your camera to take plenty of photos to take home and treasure!

Italy is home to lots and lots of pretty little historic villages and those that are set amongst the rolling hills, lines of cypresses, and vineyards of the Tuscan countryside are especially charming. In fact, the most beautiful villages in the country are officially awarded with this title and can be readily found listed online. However, if you were thinking about booking a luxury villa in Siena and spending time exploring the wider area of the province, then we have a suggestion of one such town to pencil into your plans: the impossibly lovely medieval walled town of Buonconvento.

In the last article, we mentioned the especially lovely Tuscan medieval walled town of Buonconvento, which makes for a perfect day trip idea if you have found a luxury villa in Siena and are spending time exploring the wider province and all that it has to offer. If you are already in the area of Buonconvento and also have a particular penchant for the medieval, then we might additionally suggest swinging by Bibbiano Castle to see a lovely example of a Tuscan medieval castle while you are at it.

Bibbiano Castle is located in a particularly scenic part of Tuscany that is also quite removed from mass tourism and the potential madness of crowds and queues. For those interested in a more relaxed type of travelling and a slower pace of life, it is an ideal destination. Named for the “bibbio”, or widgeon, an aquatic bird that lives in the area, the origins of a settlement at the castle date back to 850 when it was home to the Longobard count Guinigi di Reghinari during the time of Emperor Ludovico II. It was in possession of the Guiglieschi and then the Cacciaconti families until the 13th century, when it was handed over to the Republic of Siena and re-fortified under their rule. After this is was destroyed but then rebuilt in the fifteenth century by its new owner the Cardinal Raffaello Petrucci, according to designs by the architect Baldassarre Peruzzi.

Each time one of my friends or relatives from abroad come to visit me in Tuscany during the spring I always take them on a tour through the panoramic and spectacular hilly landscape called the Crete Senesi.

Make sure to drive along from Siena to Buonconvento and continue on the SP451 and after that from Asciano back towards Siena on the SP 438 and DO NOT forget your camera. What views, what light...


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Stop on the way to visit the Abbazia di Monte Oliveto (1313) with paintings of the Sodoma and have lunch in the Locanda Il Paradiso in the cute little village of Chiusure close to the abbey.

Visit the Accona desert in Tuscany which is a barren stretch of land in the Crete Senesi area of Siena. Right beside the town of Asciano, the Accona desert is a series of dome like hills that are made up of light grey clay.

Stay in a beautiful holiday villa with a swimming pool in Siena province where you can enjoy the very finest views of Tuscany before and after your touring adventures!