The Magical Crete Senesi

The Crete Senesi refers to an area of the Italian region of Tuscany immediately to the south of Siena. It consists of a range of hills and woods among villages and includes the comuni of Asciano, Buonconvento, Monteroni d'Arbia, Rapolano Terme and San Giovanni d'Asso, all within the province of Siena. They border to the north with the Chianti Senese area, to the east with Val di Chiana and to the south-west with Val d'Orcia.[1] Nearby is also the semi-arid area known as the Accona Desert.

The cypress-lined driveway of Agriturismo Baccoleno, Asciano[2]

The Crete Senesi | The Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi music Festival

In summer months, the otherwise silent spaces of the Crete Senesi in southern Tuscany are filled with music, thanks to a number of fine festivals. Among them the Festival estivo di Accademia Chigiana, the Piccola Accademia di Montisi, the Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi Festival and the Amiata Piano Festival.
Since 2017, the music festival Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi (formarly the Accademia delle Crete Senesi festival) is organized by Collegium Vocale Ghent. Small historic churches and abbeys provide atmospheric settings for intimate early music and lush Romantic concerts, and dinners at precious outdoor settings.

Muziek in Toscane | Music festival Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi

Mappa Crete Senesi | View Crete Senesi in a larger map

Asciano
Asciano preserves its historic center in the ancient medieval structure. It's located in the heart of Crete Senesi, close to Desert Accona. Its origin follows the myth of Romulus and Remus: the legend told that the sons of Remus, Senio and Aschio fled from Rome to escape hatred uncle founder of Rome Romulus, Senio refuging on the banks of Tressa river and creating Siena, and Aschio on the banks of Ombrone river founding Asciano. In reality Asciano was founded under Siena control to which it remained always faithful, like in the Montaperti historic battle in 1260, when thanks to Asciano, Siena won against Florence. Merged first with Medici's possession and later to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, it followed the events of the other Tuscan territories. Places of interest to visit in Asciano are: the Collegiate Church of St. Agatha, the Etruscan Museum, the San Lorenzo church, the Museum of Sacred Art (with works by Lorenzetti "San Michele Arcangelo" and "Madonna col Bambino").

Crete Senesi presso Asciano
In the heart of Crete Senesi, along the Via Lauretana Antica near Asciano, there is the Menchiari farm. From here you can admire one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Crete.

Crete Senesi (i laghi di Santa Caterina e Menchiari tra Castello Leonina e Vescona, Crete Senesi, Asciano) [1]

Nebbia mattutina nelle Crete senesi nei pressi di Vescona, Siena	Jean Paul Philippe, Site Transitoire, 1993, posto magico nelle crete senesi, Asciano	Laghetti van Santa Caterina en Menchiari, Asciano, Crete Senes, Siena

Morning landscape in the Crete Senesi, near he village of Mucigliani, Asciano, Siena	Mucigliani, un meraviglioso paesino al centro delle Crete Senesi	Strada bianca verso Mucigliano, Asciano, Crete Senesi, Siena
The Abbey Monte Oliveto Maggiore
The Abbey Monte Oliveto Maggiore was founded in 1313 by Bernardo Tolomei and played an important role during the Renaissance not only as a religious center but also as a place of economic and cultural exchange. Today, it is still an active religious center run by the Benedictines, and it collects inside, valuable manuscripts and pergo restored by monks. It's the seat of the "Istituto di restauro del libro" (Book Restoration Institute). On the road that leads to the Abbey you will find tall cypresses that, standing in the desert of the Crete Senesi, create a spectacular landscape.
		Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

Monte Oliveto Maggiore		Biancane nelle Crete Senesi vicino a Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Montaperti is renowned for the famous battle of 1260 between Florence and Siena, won by the latter, to which a memorial pyramid is dedicated. The battle is mentioned by Dante in the tenth chapter of the Divine Comedy's "Hell". Buonconvento
Buonconvento is a historical village that lies in the Ombrone valley. Its history is linked to the history of Siena until the fall of the latter and the annexation to the Medici Grand Duchy in 1554. It keeps intact the fourteenth century walls, as well as some features of the medieval village, as the "chiasso buio" (literally blind alley), a road paved with medieval arches tunnel. Attractions are the Palace Podestarile with the 25 arms of the old mayors, the Town Hall and Taja Palace, Palazzo Borghese, Palazzo del Glorione, the Oratory of St. Sebastian and the Church of SS. Peter and Paul, the Sacred Art Museum of the Val d'Arbia housed in a 18th century Palazzo Ricci-Socini (which preserves important works, including those of Duccio di Boninsegna). Monteroni d'Arbia		Buonconvento, Porta Senese
The ancient village Monteroni d'Arbia on the border of the Crete Senesi, was founded in the 13th century, and it was, until 1810, a Podestà of Buonconvento property. It has grown around the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala that built a fortified mill in '300 . During the war between Florence and Siena, the village was attacked and, consequently, annexed to the Grand Duchy of Florence. The name was inspired by nearby Mount "Roni", while Arbia is the torrent that flows through the town. Rapolano Terme		Monteroni d’Arbia, ancient Mill of Santa Maria della Scala Siena in the center of the city
Rapolano Terme is located between Val di Chiana and Chianti and is famous for its spa waters of the San Giovanni and Ancient Queriolaia Baths. The thermal waters have been known since antiquity, as testified by the ruins of an Imperial Roman bath complex, and are famous for having hosted Giuseppe Garibaldi, who took refuge there to heal the wound in the Battle of Aspromonte. The structure of the country is affected by the quarries of travertine and marble, which one time helped to increase local economy. Rapolano waters, which have a temperature of about 39 ° C (37,4F), are sulphurous-bicarbonate-calcium waters. San Giovanni d'Asso
San Giovanni d'Asso, inhabited since ancient times, completely surrounds the castle of San Giovanni and is crossed by the River Asso. The origin of the village dates back to Etruscans, while the development of the city, like testified by the buildings style, was in the Middle Ages. In the castle of St. John, the highest point of the country, the Museum of truffle was created. Among the agricultural products, the white truffle, also called il Diamante delle Crete Senesi, is precious and famous throughout Italy. San Giovanni d'Asso has a good truffle festival the second and third weekends of November. The mediocre Museo del Tartufo (truffle museum) is housed in the Castle. Other attractions in San Giovanni d'Asso are the Castle Montisi (on Monte Ghisi), the castles Accarigi and Castelverdelli, the Parish of St. John the Baptist, the Church of San Pietro in Villore. The main event is the carousel of Simon in August, when four horsemen (one for every districts of Montisi) try to hit a target with a spear, the festival of crackles on the first Sunday after Easter.

Castle San Giovanni d'Asso, Inner Entrance to the Castle	Castle San Giovanni d'Asso	San Pietro in Villore a San Giovanni d'Asso, il fianco destro

Montisi, panorama





Crete Senesi Aprile	Deserto di Accona	Monastero di Sant'Anna in Camprena

Crete Senesi presso Asciano	Biancane nelle Crete Senesi vicino a Monte Oliveto Maggiore	Chiusure and the Campanile of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto Maggiore


Album Monastero di Monte Oliveto Maggiore	Monte Oliveto Maggiore [2]	Monte Oliveto Maggiore, church and belltower [1]

Monte Oliveto Maggiore [1]	Monte Oliveto Maggiore [1]	Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Campanile[3]
Chiostro grande del monastero di Monte Oliveto Maggiore


Il Sodoma (Giovanni Antonio Bazzi) \| Le storie di San Benedetto \| Chiostro grande del monastero di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

Il Palagio
Il Palagio, a beautiful 16th century villa near the town of Figline Valdarno, now belonging to Trudie Styler and Sting.This establishment is known to only a handful of insiders; to visit, you must first snag an invitation to Sting’s Tuscan home, a 900-acre estate known as Il Palagio, where the yoga-toned musician, his producer/actor/philanthropist wife, Trudie Styler, and their family spend the end of every summer. When Trudie Styler and husband Sting discovered and fell in love with Il Palagio, a 16th century Tuscan estate, they re-instated the estate's tradition of bottling honey, olive oil and classic Tuscan foods.
Trekking in The crete senesi \| The best Hiking trails in the Crete Senesi Buonconvento - Abbazia Monte Oliveto Maggiore \| 11.60 km Siena - Ponte d'Arbia - Buonconvento \| Via Francigena \| 26 km - 5 km Biancane of badlands in de Crete Senesi, een wandeling langs de laghetti van Santa Caterina en Menchiari \| 12,66 km - 2,5 hours Hidden secrets \| Additional Itineraries \| Passeggiate alternative nelle crete senesi Find the best places to stay in Tuscany As one drives down to the property you can’t help feeling a sense of anticipation, it is difficult not to be overwhelmed by the setting and the stunning, far reaching views to the distant rolling hills, the sea, and the island Montecristo. These views, that – like our poet, Ungaretti said – enlighten us of immense. Podere Santa Pia is a simply furnished and rustic holiday home surrounded by a backdrop of hills and macchia, wild, untamed and completely natural vegetation, wonderful for walking and exploring. Numerous towns and villages offer a treasure trove of history and art are waiting to be discovered. Montalcino is nearby, a beautiful, renaissance town that stands on a hill surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, far from bustling town centers. The central location of the holiday home allows you to visit Monte Amiata and the nearby beautiful villages Sant’Angelo in Colle, Sant'Antimo and in the south Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana, testimonies of the Etruscan period. Traveling in Tuscany\| The best Holiday homes in the Tuscan Maremma \| Podere Santa Pia

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Een bericht gedeeld door Podere Santa Pia (@poderesantapia) op 7 Jul 2017 om 6:04 PDT
#poderesantapia Vicinanza Podere Santa Pia. Vigneti di Podere Colle Castagno, Toscana
Traveling in Tuscany \| Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi Collegium Vocale Crete Senesi is an annual music festival under the artistic direction of Philippe Herreweghe in the beautiful region of the Crete Senesi in Tuscany. [1] Photo by louis-garden, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license [2] Photo by Antonio Cinotti, published under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) license.