During our stay at Podere Santa Maria, we spent a night in, cooking a simple dish that we served with local Pecorino Fresca from Pienza, hearty Tuscan bread, and local wines.  It was a wonderful dinner and a great memory.  Although packets of dried ingredients for preparing Agli, Olio e Pepperoncino were for sale everywhere in Tuscany, we made our own using the freshest ingredients available.  This ancient dish is deceptively simple, but its key is the use of the freshest ingredients available.  Delicious and simple: what more could weary travelers ask?

When the pasta is done to your taste, drain it and toss with all the other ingredients.  What could be simpler?  Enjoy!

Although larger, the village of Castiglione d'Orcia is somewhat less visited than Rocca d'Orcia, its sister village.  The reason is that the once dominant fortress/castle of Castiglione d'Orcia lies in ruins, while the Rocca di Tentennano of Rocca d'Orcia has been well-preserved.  This, however, does not mean that the town is not worth a visit. 

The charming if tiny central piazza of Castiglione d'Orcia, the Piazza il Vecchietta, is dedicated to the Senesi painter, sculptor and architect, Lorenzo di Pietro (1412-1480), known as Il Vecchietta.  In the center of the cobbled and sloping piazza there is a beautiful travertine fountain.  The cobblestone piazza and its lovely fountain were built in the 1600s, but the rest of the town consists mostly of beautifully preserved medieval structures and streets.

The Town Hall lies across from the Piazza il Vecchietta, where a fresco from Rocca d'Orcia is kept; this is a beautiful Madonna and Child with Two Saints, from the Sienese school. Several shops and artisans' galleries add to the attractions of Castiglione d'Orcia.

Among these attractions is the recently restored Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Maddalena.  Its beautiful facade was constructed in the 13th Century, while the apse is nearly one hundred years older.  The other notable religious structure in Castiglione d'Orcia is the Chiesa di Santi  Stefano e Degna, which formerly housed two of southern Tuscany's most important art treasures.  Two Madonna e Bambino portraits, one by Simone Martini and the other by Pietro Lorenzetti, both among Siena's greatest early quattrocento masters, were normally at rest in Santi Stefano e Degna.  Both paintings are currently kept in Siena, where they are undergoing restoration.  When complete, the plan is to house them in a new museum dedicated to the ancient art of the Val d'Orcia. These two paintings are the planned nucleus of the museum. 

One of the highlights of any visit here is the wonderful view of the valley below, which can best be admired from atop the short slope leading to the ruins of the ancient rocca, which dominate the town.  A rustic park has been built at the summit of the fortress hill, and from there the visitor can see out over Castiglione, as far as the Monte Amiata,  and as close as the Rocca di Tentennano in the next village (Rocca d'Orcia).

          The tiny village of Rocca d'Orcia is crowned by the imposing structure of the Rocca di Tentennano, a fortress that should be visited.  Dominating the countryside,  this imposing limestone fortification was meant, like so many other structures in the area, so stand guard over the Via Francigena, the pilgrim's road leading from France to Rome.  From its almost impregnable position, the local rulers had a safe spot from which to control the territory.

Most of the Fortress was built between the years of 1250 and 1258, but the spot on which it stands was used as a military outlook and defensive point from the 10th Century onward.  At the time of this aforementioned development, the Rocca passed into the hands of the government of Siena.  The Senesi fought the Fiorini from here; and the Rocca passed from Siena to Florence and back again through a long history of centuries of battle.  But the Rocca is also famous for more than its military history.  According to legend, it was here, in 1377, that Saint Catherine of Siena sought refuge, and experienced a miracle; she was miraculously taught to read and write here in  Rocca d'Orcia.  The Saint's writings make reference to this, and the Rocca is a draw for religious pilgrims as well as military and historical ones.

The Rocca di Tentennano was abandoned in the early 20th Century, when it was no longer of any military importance.  The last owners, the Scotto family, donated it to the State of Italy, and it is now restored and open to the public. 

The defense systems of the Rocca di Tentennano were closely integrated with the village of Rocca d'Orcia that lies below.  The walls of the town contained the entrance courtyard of the fortress, and an ancient door is still visible, though only partially, in the village today. To visit both Rocca d'Orcia and the Rocca di Tentennano, it is best to park in the area that lies at the foot of the steep slope leading up to the Fortress.  One can walk along the cypress-lined hill that leads to the main entrance, and then wander down into the little village.

Although structurally much as it was in the days of Sienese military glory, the restoration of the Rocca di Tentennano dates from 1975, and there are several modern staircases, railings, and windows that were added for visitors' convenience in 1989.  The views are even more striking here than from the ruined fortress of Castiglione d'Orcia.  Looking down, the rocky and steep little village of Rocca d'Orcia lies directly below the terraces of the Rocca.  At the top of the village is the Chiesa di San Simeone which was built in 200 AD.  This ancient church once housed art treasures, but alas, they were stolen in the 1980s.  A cobblestone walk leads from San Simeone through the main part of the village, the Borgo Maestro, and to the Chiesa di Madonna del Palazzo, which is now a private home.  Nearby lies the Piazza del Cisterna, a tiny but rich Folk Art Museum, and the ruins of the Town Hall.

The beautiful valley of the Orcia River, flowing clearly over its rocky bed, also calls to visitors.  Herons and kestrels can be seen on the partially  paved path that leads from Rocca d'Orcia to the castle of Ripa d'Orcia and on to Bagno Vignoni, which we will discuss in an upcoming newsletter.  Lovely woods of ilex welcome the adventurous hiker, and if you are so inclined, walking directions can be had from the local tourist office. 

Rocca di Tentennano is open before Easter on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.  There are daily openings after Easter and through the tourist season. Admission is 2 Euros. 

Market Day in Castiglione d'Orcia is the 4th Saturday of every month. 

The Ufficio Informazioni Pro Loco is at Viale Marconi, 13, Castiglione d'Orcia. Telephone 0577 887363

Also see www.terresiena.it