Date walked: October 4th 2015

Distance: about 6 miles

Guide book used: “Walking and eating in Tuscany and Umbria” by James Lasdun and Pia Davis.  Edition published 2004.

See website www.walkingandeating.com for comments and corrections.

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Since my last walk I had been in Siena for a few days, photographing several gardens in the area. Last night I was a guest at La Foce garden near the town of Chianciano Terme, south-east from Siena.  One of the highlights of the trip.

This pic taken on my first look round

I was lodged in their Bed and Breakfast villa “Palazzolo“, situated just half a mile from the gardens. The accommodation was just wonderful; I would love to have stayed a week.

It shares the same view as that of the gardens, looking over the valley to the Amiata mountain.

I loved the spaciousness and simple décor of my room its large bathroom and the way that the large open-plan kitchen/ living room were decorated and furnished in the same style.

All the bedrooms have their own colour but are decorated in the same way

I had been up for first light in the garden but it had stayed stubbornly dull. No matter, I had had fabulous light the night before.

Upper terrace at Sunset

I was back at the Bed and Breakfast in time for the housekeeper to cook me some excellent scrambled eggs and was on the road by 9.30am.

The breakfast/sitting room area

I was heading for San Giovanni D’Asso and my last garden visit of the trip – the extraordinary Il Bosco della Ragnaia created over the last  20 years by American artist Sheppard Craig.  Going via Pienza – a UNESCO World Heritage Site- wasn’t a big detour and Sheppard had told me how attractive a town it is.

It was raining when I arrived, and full of Japanese tourists, but still managed to charm me. By the time I found the start of the walk it had stopped raining and I was looking forward to exploring on foot the weird lunar landscape of the Crete Senesi.

My, it does look wet

Leaving the Piazza Dante Alighieri I passed a restaurant on the left, dropping down the hill to a T junction where a stone and brick-built house suggested an interesting architectural history.

Obviously several buildings joined together

I have no idea of the date of the house or when its faded Madonna and child would have been painted.

Maybe it was never finished?

Turning right here, the road descends to the Romanesque  Pieve di Corsignano, its bell, calling the faithful (and probably the tourist-curious) to assembly.

Very simple exterior

Leaving the asphalt road here, the path then takes  the gravel surfaced track that is signposted to the Agriturismo Terrapille, the sign overhung by a large fig tree.

The track is bordered by several small trees as it descends into the valley.

The trees stop suddenly and I was  presented with this typical landscape of deeply furrowed soils, the agriturismo Terrapille sitting on top of the nearest hill, surrounded by pencil cypresses.

The soil looks browner than it should – it is nearer to grey

These grey clay soils that characterize the district are heavy and cloddy, the furrows far deeper than any that I have walked by in the UK.

My route approached the house and then by a post with several red and white direction signs…

Directions, distances, time and symbols : great signs!

….. turned off to the right, following a now earth track through the ploughed fields.

The rough grass banks were colonised by masses of two little butterflies – a brown jobby and a pale blue one but both were irritatingly reluctant to be photographed.

In a little hollow a small pond provides a visual marker for the route, though I don’t know who (or what) is intended to benefit from its muddy water.

The path carried on down to  the little tree-lined stream ahead.  Climbing up again, over to the left, the guide named an abandoned house as Casa Piani.

I find the prospect of exploring ruins that I come across on walks irresistible- especially old Tuscan farm-houses. And besides, it was only 100 yards off my route.

(My camera battery failed at this point and my spare was also flat so from here on the pics were taken in my I phone).Structurally, the place didn’t look too bad in parts.

I found a way in up what remained of  stone steps to the first floor. Here’s a few pics of the inside.

So, its been a while since it was lived in!

Someone is bound to make a home from this place again, though I can’t say that I envy them their views.

The path takes the route that you can see in this last picture, climbing up from Casa Piani to reach a gravel road in about 10 minutes. From there was a good view back to Pienza.
 

This new road was bordered by mixed deciduous trees and shrubs, with broom underneath.

In half a mile I took the option of a short detour mentioned in the Guide to see the chapel at Vitaleta. A coach was waiting for its occupants to return. The chapel was,  indeed, very  pretty from all directions.

The façade  is made of a limestone called travertine – the same stone was used in St Peters in Rome.

The coach party turned out to be a photographers group from the USA, discussing in earnest such technical issues as whether a polarizing filter would enhance their images. They had been to La Foce that week but had been told that on no account could they use their images; I felt a little smug.

Having returned to the gravel road, I had an easy amble for about 1/4 mile…

….and then a post with several more path signs directed me to go down the hill again to the right.

These ups and downs were not very demanding.  At the bottom the path climbed again to another abandoned property called (according to the Guide) Podere San Tito.

Here the stone steps had an alarmingly  large hole in the  landing but I managed to step across at the corner to enter the main upstairs room.

This place was rather more rewarding that Casa Piani. The brick floor was mostly intact, there was the most enormous fireplace…

…..and to the side of one of the rooms an intriguing structure that I was not sure what it had been.

A basin – with a fire box underneath ? I should have looked more closely.

For once the graffiti was not the spray-canned insignia of some local youth but a  half decent stab at a  horse.

I was a little worried about the floors, though , so didn’t push my luck much further.

This seemed an altogether more substantial property than the first ruin. Outside there was a well…

Surprised no one has nicked this

…. and what I imagined might have been a bakery.

This place was at the outskirts of Pienza, and the path back up to the town climbs up by the side of an olive grove.

I wasn’t finished with interesting buildings, though. Opposite quite a substantial house were ruins set into the side of the hill which appeared to have had several sections that had held liquid of some sort.

Most intriguing. And a lovely arch.

I then found myself back at the Pieve di Corsignano, now indicating no sign of occupation so I went in. The simplicity of the interior was stunning.

There may not have been much to see but I found this place more affecting than the elaborate interior of the cathedral in Siena that I had visited a couple of days before.

A place that did not appear to want to put much in between the visitor and their God.

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