Sarteano + Cetona (Siena), Tuscany
Walking day tour with an enogastronomic twist!
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Our tour begins at the Archeological site of Belverde, one of central Italy's oldest human settlements dating back to the Bronze Age.
From there we will continue along a picturesque dirt road and visit the Santa Maria in Belverde Hermitage, built in 1367 in memory of Saint Francis. The Saint is known to have spent some time in one of the numerous nearby caves during one of his many pilgrimages to the area. The church is built on three levels and the walls of the lower chapel are covered in well-preserved 14th century frescos in the style of Giotto.
The hermitage is surrounded by olive groves and next to the church is a small oil mill where freshly picked olives are milled in autumn, producing a high quality, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.
We'll continue our descent along the same panoramic dirt road, passing farmhouses and olive groves, until we reach the medieval hamlet of Cetona where we'll stop for a light lunch or supper and glass of wine at a local wine and oil producer.
After lunch/supper we can explore the town and then head back to the archeological site of Belverde, stopping to visit the Convent of Saint Francis founded by the Saint in 1212, and the renowned restaurant "Frateria di Padre Ligio", located in the convent's old prison cells.
Length: approx. 6 km
