A Stone’s Throw from Siena

Within easy driving distance from Siena lie a wealth of smaller towns where you can go and relax.  An hour away in the direction of Pisa, the city-town of Volterra amazes visitors with its unchanged Medieval flavour, its numerous Etruscan remains, and its fine stonework in alabaster.   Heading south, instead, is Arezzo.  Venue of the monthly Antique Fair, this city holds a thousand treasures, from the beautiful Piazza Grande to the innumerable churches including the Basilica of San Francesco with its celebrated History of the True Cross painted by Piero della Francesca. Around Arezzo, other places bear the mark of the great master of Renaissance painting, such as Sansepolcro, where Piero della Francesca was born.  Nearby, set atop a highground offering gorgeous panoramic views, the town of Cortonahouses many works by its native son Luca Signorelli, and boasts one of the areas most important archaeological museums, the MAEC.  Carrying on toward the southeast, we reach Orvieto where one of the richest Gothic cathedrals of Italy stands; to the southwest instead, the countryside around Grosseto is home to charming Medieval towns such as Massa Marittima,Pitigliano, and Sorano.