Area Guide
Places we go ourselves
Experience the most out of your stay at Villa San Casciano. We hope you enjoy our personalised guide of the area. Distances are by car.
Getting here
Arriving at the Villa
By Air
- Rome Fiumicino · 2.5 hours
- Florence Peretola · 1.5 hours
By Train
Chiusi-Chianciano Terme · 22 km
Direct trains from Rome and Florence.
Rental Car Essential
A car is required to reach the villa from any airport or station.
Guests arrange their own rental through standard car rental services.
By Car
A1 exit Fabro
18 km · 22 minFrom the north (Florence, Milan).
A1 exit Chiusi
22 km · 28 minFrom the south (Rome, Naples).
The last 8 km is a winding hill road — aim to arrive in daylight on the first day and drive safely.
Thermal Baths & Spas
Fonteverde · 1 km
A seventeenth-century Medici villa with five outdoor pools at 42°C. Day spa 10:00–19:00, by reservation.
Terme di Chianciano · 25 km
One of the best-known thermal centres in Tuscany. By appointment, 9:00–19:00.
Terme di Rapolano · 38 km
Two historic bath houses on the edge of the Crete Senesi. By appointment.
Adler Spa Resort Thermae · 38 km
Large outdoor pools and salt grottoes near Bagno Vignoni.
Free Pools
Vasche libere di San Casciano · 2 km
Free, at the foot of the village with the same water as Fonteverde, in the open air. Always accessible.
Bagni San Filippo · 28 km
Wild basins in the woods below the Balena Bianca. Best on a weekday morning.
Bagno Vignoni · 38 km
A village built around a steaming pool; the free bathing at Parco dei Mulini is five minutes on foot.
The free pools are open at all hours; bring slippers, a towel and a bag for wet things. It's best to go early in the morning or after sunset. Spas should be booked ahead.
Where to Eat
Tables worth the drive
In Town
Daniela
1 km
Village restaurant, hand-rolled pici, a good local list.
Hosteria La Posta
1 km
Honest Tuscan cooking and a serious cellar.
Sotto le Volte
1 km
The local Sunday lunch, under the vaults of the old village.
Nearby
Il Poggio
Celle sul Rigo, 6 km
Farm stay and riding stables, cooking from the farm.
Trattoria La Pace
Celle sul Rigo, 6 km
No frills, the regulars' table.
Osteria da Rinaldi
Le Piazze, 14 km
Country tavern, made for a long lunch.
La Grotta
Radicofani, 18 km
Tuscan cooking on the square at the top of the village.
La Locanda dei Tintori
Sarteano, 22 km
Wonderful meat, seasonal cooking with a modern hand.
Chiostro Cennini
Sarteano, 22 km
Dinner in a fifteenth-century cloister.
Le Ginestre da Mimmo
Radicofani, 18 km
Family-run, Tuscan classics with a twist of Puglia beneath the fortress.
Osteria da Gagliano
Sarteano, 22 km
Tuscan comfort food, classic and unfussy.
Michelin Stars
La Parolina
Trevinano, 12 km
One star, rooted in the territory. Thu–Mon for dinner; take the tasting menu.
Osmosi
Montepulciano, 35 km
One star, contemporary Tuscan. Thu–Mon, dinner only.
Campo del Drago
Castiglion del Bosco, 70 km
Matteo Temperini's starred dining room at the Rosewood.
Val d'Orcia
Osteria Acquacheta
Montepulciano, 35 km
The Chianina steakhouse Tuscans drive an hour for. Shared tables.
Monteverdi
Castiglioncello del Trinoro, 25 km
Extraordinary wine list and an unforgettable view. Dinner only.
Dopolavoro La Foce
Pienza, 28 km
A restored 1930s workers' club with a shaded courtyard. Every day.
Latte di Luna
Pienza, 32 km
Pici and roast suckling pig. Wed–Mon.
Podere Il Casale
Pienza, 34 km
Biodynamic farm with a panoramic terrace.
Le Logge del Vignola
Montepulciano, 35 km
Intimate and refined. Fri–Wed, lunch and dinner.
La Porta
Monticchiello, 42 km
The most photographed view in the Val d'Orcia. Thu–Tue.
Brunello Country
Drogheria Franci
Montalcino, 58 km
Praised by Gambero Rosso, with a serious cellar. Wed–Mon.
Boccon Divino
Montalcino, 60 km
The finest terrace in Brunello country. Wed–Mon.
Taverna dei Barbi
Fattoria dei Barbi, 62 km
A historic Brunello estate, forty vintages on the list. Fri–Tue.
Wineries & Wine
Podernuovo a Palazzone · 11 km
Paolo and Giovanni Bulgari's estate, a cellar cut into the hill, biodynamic vines.
Tenuta di Trinoro · 24 km
Andrea Franchetti's cult estate. Book well in advance.
Avignonesi · Montepulciano, 35 km
Biodynamic; the Vin Santo ages ten years in chestnut barrels.
Salcheto · Montepulciano, 35 km
Off-grid, zero-impact winery with a farm restaurant.
Poderi Boscarelli · Montepulciano, 38 km
Small family estate, the warmest welcome.
Poliziano · Montepulciano, 38 km
One of the most respected names in Vino Nobile, for forty years.
Enoteca del Teatro · Sarteano, 22 km
A proper wine bar for a glass of something local. Evenings.
Villages & Towns
San Casciano dei Bagni · 1 km
Walled medieval village, three restaurants and a treasury of Etruscan bronzes.
Cetona · 10 km
Antique shops and a perfect piazza. On Saturdays the bars stay open late.
Sarteano · 14 km
Etruscan museum and a painted underground tomb.
Radicofani · 18 km
A village under a Medici fortress, with the longest view from the walls.
Città della Pieve · 22 km
Red-brick town over the Umbrian border, with Perugino's frescoes in the Duomo.
Pienza · 32 km
The ideal Renaissance city and the capital of pecorino. Tastings at Caseificio Cugusi.
Montepulciano · 35 km
Home of Vino Nobile, deep cellars open in the afternoon. Park at Porta al Prato.
Siena · 55 km
The Palio, the Duomo and Piazza del Campo. Park at Santa Caterina.
Montalcino · 58 km
The home of Brunello. The wine bar in the fortress.
Arezzo · 85 km
Piero della Francesca and the Fiera Antiquaria, first Sunday of the month.
Colle di Val d'Elsa · 88 km
Crystal-making town, with hilltop Colle Alta above the lower town. Monteriggioni is close by.
San Gimignano · 95 km
The town of medieval towers, a UNESCO site. Civic museums and cathedral open daily.
Abbazia di San Galgano · 110 km
A roofless Cistercian abbey open to the sky, with the sword in the stone at the hermitage above.
Walks & Hikes
Walking the valley
The paths cross a rolling landscape: vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields and farmhouses scattered among gentle hills. The area offers everything from easy walks between the springs to demanding treks towards Cetona and Amiata.
Trails
Le Sorgenti · 1 hour
From Piazzale del Ponte: cross the centre of San Casciano and reach the free thermal pools of Bagno Bossolo and Bagno Grande at 39°C. Easy, perfect for a thermal pause at sunset.
I Poggi · 1h 35 min
A 5.8 km loop with 200 m of ascent. Rolling hills dotted with cypresses and farmhouses. Perfect in spring and autumn.
Monte Cetona · 2–3 hours
20 km from San Casciano. Climbs to 1,148 m through beech forests. From the summit, on clear days, you can see Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio.
Via Francigena · local stretch
The famous thousand-year-old pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome passes through the area. Walked by popes, saints and travellers for more than 1000 years.
Il Bagno Bossolo · easy · 4.4 km · 1h 15
A loop from San Casciano to a small Roman-era thermal spring, free and set in the woods. Little climbing, suitable for everyone.
L'Affacciatoio · easy · 2 hours
A local walk with views of the Radicofani fortress and San Casciano seen from above. Best at sunset.
Fontevetriana – Croce del Monte Cetona · moderate · 11 km · 3h 30
A loop from Sarteano up to the cross on top of Monte Cetona, with views over Monte Amiata and the Val di Chiana.
Via Francigena · Radicofani stage · challenging · 18.6 km · 5 hours
A stage of the pilgrim route between Radicofani and the Umbrian border, mostly on gravel roads. Bring water — there is little shade.
Festivals & Feasts
Summer in the villages
Village feasts with one dish, shared tables and homemade wine. Around here they run from late July to the first days of September.
Late July · Celle sul Rigo
Sagra dei Pici
Long tables in the village square, hand-pulled pici with five sauces, local Sangiovese by the carafe.
Mid-August · San Casciano
Festa Medievale
For two evenings the village dresses in fourteenth-century costume: torchlit lanes, falconry, archery in the square and dinner under the walls.
August · San Casciano
Sagra della Cinta Senese
The closest festival of all — the village feast for the prized cinta senese pig, grilled and cured, eaten at long tables in the lanes of San Casciano.
August · Contignano
Sagra del Raviolo
The hamlet of Contignano, just up the valley, dedicates its festival to one dish: the great stuffed raviolo, served straight from the pot in the square.
Late August · Cetona
Sagra del Cinghiale
Wild boar cooked four ways in the gardens below the fortress. Cetona's biggest weekend, with music until midnight.
Late August · Montepulciano
Bravìo delle Botti
Eight districts push 80-kilo barrels uphill to Piazza Grande. Historic procession in the morning, race in the afternoon.
Mid-November · San Giovanni d'Asso
Mostra del Tartufo Bianco
The white truffle weekend: tastings in the castle, truffle hunters with their dogs, truffle pasta at every table.
Mid-July · Radicofani
Festa del Trebbiano
A tasting fair beneath the fortress walls, dedicated to the local white grape.
Our tip · Pair it with a late-afternoon visit to the fortress, for golden hour.
Exact dates change each year.