Le Crete Senesi is called the hilly Tuscan landscape south of Siena.
places
- Asciano
- Buonconvento
- Chiusure
- Monteroni d'Arbia
- Rapolano Terme
- San Giovanni d'Asso
- Tavern d'Arbia
- Trequanda
Other goals
- Val d'Orcia
- Chianti
- Siena
- Montepulciano
- Arezzo
- Montagnola senese
- Colline Metallifere
- Monte Amiata
background
Le Crete Senesi (le crete, German: "Die Lehme") is the name given to the barren hilly landscape between Siena, Monte San Savino, Buonconvento and Montepulciano. The green valleys of the Arbia and Asso are most heavily inhabited, but overall this landscape is only sparsely populated and hardly overgrown with trees. The area is more reminiscent of a desert than a cultural landscape due to its vastness and barren aridity.
This very small area is often chosen because of its similarity to the neighboring one Val d'Orcia assigned (or vice versa). However, the hills of the Crete are more extensive, drier and less agriculturally used than the Orcia Valley. Is the center of the Crete Asciano, a friendly, untouristically small town with a good infrastructure. Despite its proximity to Siena, tourism only plays a subordinate role, although there are also a number of agritourism establishments and bed and breakfasts here.
getting there
Via the A1 (E35) to Bettolle / Val di Chiana and continue towards Asciano.
mobility
A car or motorized two-wheeler is essential as there is hardly any public transport.
Tourist Attractions
The small town Asciano with around 7,000 inhabitants is located in the heart of the Crete. The lively town has all the facilities for daily needs. The old town is not as spruced up as the more touristy places in Tuscany, but the visitor can still take part in everyday life in Tuscany. In addition, there are many festivals, exhibitions, concerts, markets, etc., where guests are welcome throughout the warm season (note the notices on site). A very nice route for excursions by bike, Vespa or car on a dirt road begins at Asciano: You leave Asciano in the direction of Siena, after the narrow bridge you turn right, past the cemetery, to Monte Sante Marie. The little-used gravel road leads right through the heart of the Crete Senesi. From the heights you have a wonderful view from Siena to Monte Amiata.
Probably the most visited cultural site in Crete is the Benedictine abbey Monte Oliveto Maggiore near the village of Chiusure. The large monastery complex of the Olivetaner monks is located on a hill with ancient cypresses and olive trees in the middle of the barren erosion landscape, which shows its most rugged side on a walk around the monastery complex. The comparatively lush greenery around the extensive red brick monastery is all the more impressive. You park in one of the signposted parking spaces outside the complex and walk through the fortress-like gate in which a restaurant is located, go downhill to the abbey through a beautiful garden on an old footpath or the newer driveway. The very well-kept monastery complex consists of an auxiliary building, which houses the monastery shop, the large monastery church and the living and working buildings of the monks. The monastery was founded in 1319, the order of the Olivetans was officially confirmed in 1344. In addition to the church, the cloister is particularly impressive with 36 very well-preserved frescoes by Luca Signorelli and Sodoma, which were painted between 1497 and 1505 and which vividly and vividly depict the life of St. Benedict. In the monastery shop you can buy high-quality cosmetic and medical products as well as some food, e.g. excellent honey and herbal liqueur, as well as spiritual and art-historical literature, there are also religious souvenirs. Since both the shop and the abbey are only open to visitors between services, you should plan your visiting time accordingly.
The location of the town San Giovanni d'Asso is very idyllic, even if you initially get a wrong impression from the cooperative farms in the valley below the tranquil village. You park in the shady place in front of the walls of the Castello and walk from here around the well-kept castle complex and enjoy the peace and quiet and view of the hills. The picturesque courtyard can also be visited.
In the Castello of San Giovanni d'Asso there is also the lovingly furnished and didactically very modern Truffle Museum. The documentation is only available in Italian and mostly in English, but you can still learn a lot here. You can click through the detailed films and information on several screens and projector screens, but the senses such as smell and hearing are also taken care of. The small museum is a must for foodies!
At the end of San Giovanno d'Asso (direction Chiusure) is the artist park Bosco della Ragnaia. In 1995 the American artist Sheppard Craige bought the spacious property on the outskirts. In the years that followed, he redesigned the corresponding holm oak grove into a park with small works of art, without the grove losing its natural, forest-like character. Fountains and teak seating make the shady park a welcome resting place on hot days, small installations made of natural materials such as tuff and wood are cleverly inserted into the forest and invite you to explore. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and entry is free.
The lively city Buonconvento lies in the valley on the Via Cassia. In addition to a good infrastructure, you will find everything for daily life as well as a number of nice, small shops (enoteche, cosmetics and health food stores, clothing and shoes, gifts) as well as some restaurants that are mostly geared towards tourists. The impressive, intact city wall from the 13th century with the solid, several meter high wooden gate and the well-tended old town with its narrow streets and beautiful, small squares are well worth seeing. The Neustadt has expanded around the old town and is not very appealing, but you will find a very well-stocked Coop as well as some producing companies with direct sales, e.g. of terracotta and groceries.
One or the other hour should be spent viewing the newly furnished Museum for half lease plan, which is located in a building of the old city wall in Buonconvento, a former oil mill. The museum is modern and carefully equipped and didactically very well structured. The documentation is only complete in Italian, however, some are also explained in English. Mezzadria (Half lease) is the name given to the form of agricultural lease that has been practiced for centuries. In addition to his manager, a landowner employed a number of economically dependent (but not serfs) half-lease farming families who ran a number of small and large farms on the property. Costs and income were shared between the landlord and the farmers. The half-lease had a major impact on the cultural landscape of Tuscany until after the Second World War. The museum explains not only the structure and socio-cultural function of the lease, but also agricultural working methods and the life of the farmers in the past centuries with clear exhibits such as old threshing machines, the typical furniture of a farming family, etc.
Rapolano Terme in the northeast of the Crete is a small thermal spa town, which is particularly worth a visit due to its travertine deposits and the two luxurious thermal baths.
San Giovanni Terme is the younger of the two thermal baths in Rapolano Terme, the focus here is on wellness and relaxation. An extensive water landscape on three levels with several pools of different warmth and a large lawn for sunbathing are available to guests. The top, warmest pool is covered, the large lower pools are open. The sanitary facilities and basins are new and well-maintained, there is also an inviting bistro bar in a modern style with many types of tea, a small range of hot and cold dishes at lunchtime and the usual bar menu. San Giovanni Terme offers the day guest everything for a relaxing day.
The older thermal bath Antica Querciolaia places more value on experience and fitness and offers a modern sports, wellness and cosmetic program in various areas of the bathroom. In addition to the free thermal pools, there is a hammam, a spa center for medical applications and cosmetics, etc. The main building is a venerable villa, with several newer buildings attached to it. The thermal bath is better suited for longer spa stays due to its wide range.
activities
In early spring and autumn are Walking and cycling very pleasant in the Crete. In summer it can get extremely hot on the bare hills with no shade, so exercise is not recommended. The winding streets are particularly popular for excursions with the at weekends motorcycle or - a little more comfortable - with the Vespa used.
The Crete works very well as a starting point for sightseeing in central and southern Tuscany. The Chianti Classico area can be reached in just 30 minutes, and Siena, Arezzo, Montepulciano, Pienza, Chuisi, San Quirico d'Orcia, etc. can also be reached quickly. The nearby A1 (E35) takes you to Florence and in about an hour just under two hours in Rome.
Especially for Guests looking for peace and quiet the extensive landscape offers the opportunity to spend a relaxing holiday and still be able to quickly reach many of the cultural highlights of Tuscany. For one too Spa vacation the region is ideal due to its proximity to the major thermal spa resorts such as Rapolano Terme and Chianciano Terme.
From early summer to autumn take place in Asciano and the other towns almost every day Events take place, starting with classical concerts, jazz or rock over markets, culinary festivals (Sagre), theater or historical competitions like the Palio dei Ciucchi (Donkey race) in Asciano at the end of September.
There are also some small museums and exhibitions or artist studios for Art lovers.
In autumn you can also go to the Crete Hunting sport after, especially on weekends, the narrow strips of bush or green valleys are literally overcrowded with hunters and their dogs from the early hours of the morning.
A tour with the is an experience not only for railroad fans Treno Natura. The train tour starts in Siena and leads on a route that has been closed for everyday traffic with stops through the rugged sea of hills of the Crete Senesi, the green Val d'Arbia and the idyllic Val d’Orcia. The train runs on some Sundays and public holidays from May to October, the timetable is available in all tourist information centers in the region.
kitchen
The cuisine of the Crete is shaped by the barreness of the landscape and is similar to the cuisine of Val d'Orcia.
In addition to the ubiquitous Pecorino (please refer Val d'Orcia) there is another leading actor in the Crete: truffle. In the area around the town of San Giovanni d'Asso, the aromatic tubers are collected from October and sold fresh or preserved all year round. The rare white truffle tastes particularly intense, while the black truffle is a bit more subtle and cheaper. In October the Sagra del Tartufo, the great truffle festival in San Govanni d'Asso. A small truffle museum informs the visitor all year round about the biological background, search, storage and processing of the gourmet tubers. Finely planed white truffles are a delicacy with pasta, e.g. pici (also: pinci), the handmade, thick spaghetti of the region. Also omelettes or polenta (corn semolina porridge) with truffles bring the aroma of the tubers to full development.
