A Day Around Siena
Things to see and do in the Siena area
When exiting the Castello di Grotti grounds, turn to your left and follow the road that, amidst wooded land, reaches Bagnaia – a large hospitality centre that also hosts horse-riding activities.
The "superstrada" linking Siena to Grosseto runs through the valley of the river Merse. By crossing the thoroughfare, the itinerary skirts the Montagnola Senese (characterized by a specific geological formation and therefore by a specific flora). The village of Torri is worth a visit – at least on Mondays and Fridays when the important Romanesque former convent’s cloisters may be visited.
By following the road at the foot of the Montagnola, one reaches Rosia (another Romanesque relic is represented by the church belfry). Taking the road to the left, one will go through a narrow valley made famous by the bridge of Pia dei Tolomei. The unhappy story of the Sienese lady who ended her days in the Maremma is one of the most famous lines in Dante’s Divine Comedy ("Siena mi fé, disfecemi Maremma").
When getting to the Montarrenti signpost, a road to the right goes to Colle Val d’Elsa whereas the one on the left reaches the Castello di Frosini. At a short distance from Frosini one may then find the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey of San Galgano: a fascinating spot with its open ceiling and musked floors. In the summertime the Accademia Musicale Chigiana organizes concerts in such a venue!
By following the uphill flow of the river Merse’s waters, one will then reach its springs. An ideal place where to bathe in clear waters, amidst thousands of tiny fishes.
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