"Exploring the Ancient Beauty of Rocca d'Orcia"

Hello dearest friends,

as I promised you, I managed to prepare the posts to tell you about the important monument I was fortunate enough to see when I was in Val d'Orcia. I'm talking about the Rocca d'Orcia, known as Rocca Tentennano, a hamlet of the Municipality of Castiglione d'Orcia located in the province of Siena. This very ancient village, compared to what I showed you yesterday, is situated at about 500 meters above sea level.

I really enjoyed wandering around that place because it's truly ancient. Just think, Saint Catherine of Siena lived in this area for a period, surely a figure known to almost everyone, not just believers.

From the fortress, you can see a beautiful landscape of this entire area of Tuscany. The hike up there alone is worth it, but above all, the history of this fortress is very ancient, as it was mentioned in some documents before the year 1000. So, imagine how old this monument is.

It was inside this fortress that Catherine of Siena received the gift of writing. But besides this event, this fortress has probably seen countless people pass through here. Indeed, it served as a lookout and control point on the Via Francigena, the famous route that pilgrims traveled from France to Rome.

It's always so exciting to care for these places that have been so important to history, a sensation of emotions that is often difficult to describe in a few words. Anyway, this fortress has become one of the most important places of interest in the entire area and is immersed in a landscape of rare beauty with cultivated fields, cypresses, and countless vineyards. So, if you happen to be in the Siena area, come and visit this place, it's definitely worth it. I'm not sure if the fortress is open to visitors, but it seems to be a private residence, so it may not be open to the public. Unfortunately, one thing I noticed in that very ancient part of the village is that there are many abandoned houses that are slowly falling apart, and that's a real shame.

Anyway, I hope you liked the photos I shared and that, as usual, they virtually took you with me on this experience. I wish you all a good day, and see you next time!