Spring in Tuscany

Yes, I know it is now Autumn and this blog has been a long time in the making, for which apologies. No other reasons for the delay than the distractions of summer in UK and a busy time.

Hot on the heals of our Lake District trip I had booked myself on a photographic workshop in southern Tuscany.

Based near the small town of San Quirico, we would explore the area known as the Val D’Orcia which has some of the most beautiful landscape in Italy. Once again I am with a group led by Sarah Howard of Image Seen Photography.

La Belvedere

A ten minute walk from our hotel is La Belvedere, a compact farmhouse built on a small hill in valley below our viewpoint. So popular is this location that when we arrived at around 5-15am for our first dawn shoot, there were already about 10 other photographers set up and ready. We were told by our guide and leader, Sarah, that it was very quiet for the time of day! Usually the car park is full and she has seen up to 20 photographers at time on the ridge looking down at the viewpoint all fighting for an advantageous spot to take pictures.

The site is said to be symbolic of Tuscany and photographs of this location are used in areas as diverse as tourism and selling olive oil!

Various shots of La Belvedere, near San Quirico.

As well as photographing the landscape, we explored many of the local towns and villages so I have incorporated some of these.

Abbey de Monte Oliveto

The Abbey de Monte Oliveto is a large Benedictine monastery a short distance from our base. It was founded in 1313 and construction commenced in 1320. It is still active as a monastery with the addition of a coffee shop and restaurant to welcome visitors.

Around the Quadrangle

The Monastery Refectory

One of the features of the monastery is the winery. Huge barrels of wine maturing and ageing are racked in cellars below ground. Of course, you can buy bottles of the product at the shop. It is how they keep the place going. We were told that there are many fewer monks that years ago so they have to bring in workers to make the wine.

Inside the Winery

Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni is a village on hill above San Quirico and is noted for its hot springs. The centre of the village has a quadrangle of old buildings with a large shallow lake in the centre. This provided an ideal opportunity for some reflective shots.

Cappello di Vitalleta Chapel

The Cappello di Vitalleta is located in the hills between Val d’orcia and Pienza and is regarded as one of the most beautiful and evocative places in Tuscany. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most photographed locations in the area. We turned up on a warm early evening to photograph from the the lay-by. On the other side of the road was a typical Tuscan scene of rolling hills, Cypress and other trees which, together with the Chapel made for a wonderful 90 minutes of photography as the sun went down.

The Chapel viewed from afar

Top: Over The Road with Pienza in the distance; Bottom: An intimate landscape for which this area is renown.

Montepulchiano

Montepulchiano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town in southern Tuscany. It sits atop a 605 metre limestone ridge and is the centre of the wine producing region of Tuscany. It is noted for several fine wines and produces the famous Chianti Classico variety of red wines. Our visit included a visit to a town centre winery, where as well as selling the stuff, there are extensive cellars full of barrels of maturing wines.

Two mono images of Montepulchiano. Top: Rooftop view from a terrace overlooking the outskirts of the old town. Bottom: No. 21, a doorway on the narrow cobbled street leading to the terrace

Interesting name for a shop!

Entrance to a church. There were many of these arched doorways on the streets up to the top of the village

The cellars and winery, deep underground

Interesting display of bags in a shop doorway.

Pienza

Pienza is a small town in the Val D’orcia located between Montepulchiano and Montalcino. In 1996 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed in 2004 by the entire Val D’orcia Valley. It has number of historic buildings dating back to the towns foundation in around 1300.

In 2023, Pienza faced a significant controversy when its centuries-old clock tower bells were silenced at night as a result of tourists complaining about the noise! The decision stirred debate among residents, with some expressing nostalgia for the nightly tolls that had been a part of their lives for generations. I suppose that if you grew up with something then you get used to it. I am not sure I would welcome a regular alarm chimney through the night!

There was much to photograph including the views from the Terrace, which we subsequently visited as a dawn shoot later in the trip.

Four views from the Terrace at Pienza. The road is known as the “Gladiator Road,” after the film of the same name, which was filmed in the area. (Yes, that is the Russell Crowe version of Gladiator shot in 2000)

Colourful displays in the shops. These two caught my eye.

People Being People. Left: Artist at Work – sat outside the church, between two Cypress trees sketching. Right: A Couple resting on a warm day. It’s hard work shopping.