In the heart of southern Tuscany, separating the Val d'Orcia and the Val di Chiana, there is Monte Cetona, a relief that was formed about 225 million years ago and which today, like a silent giant, watches over us, from its 1,148 meter height which we will visit with this tour.
Don't waste any more time, rent your vintage car and get ready to enjoy the beauty of Tuscany, from a privileged point of view and start dreaming with us!
Monte Cetona - ph Ketil 3 - Wikipedia
The wildest route with the lowest population density, involves circumnavigating the mountain, seeing the lower Valdichiana on one side and the wonderful Val d'Orcia on the other side, two completely different landscapes but rich in history and stories.
Located on the slopes of the mountain, Cetona is a village frozen in time, in its medieval urban layout, with its narrow alleys that wind to culminate in the Rocca and an intact beauty, causing it to be named one of the "most beautiful villages in Italy". Cetona is not only architecture and panoramas, but also hospitality, art, music and good food. Here the absolute protagonist is the local oil, the numerous mills that can be visited to discover every phase of production and also enjoy a tasting are proof of this. The history of the village, however, does not go back to the Middle Ages, but is much older: the first settlement, in fact, dates back to 4000 years ago, when primitive men chose the caves and tunnels naturally formed on the slopes of Mount Cetona to find shelter and create the first communities.
The Civic Museum of Prehistory preserves numerous finds from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age, while the area of the Archaeological Naturalistic Park of Belvedere is another attraction of Cetona, where you can visit some natural caves, such as the Grotta di San Francesco or the caves of Noce and Poggetto. The mountain of Cetona, rising from the sea, is a true island of biodiversity, where the historical, archaeological, natural and food and wine elements are inextricably intertwined!
We continue our itinerary towards San Casciano dei Bagni, a village famous for its thermal springs, a favorite place of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Leopoldo I of Habsburg-Lorraine, where ancient and modern architecture blends with the surrounding countryside.
Sarteano is another essential stop to visit on board your vintage rental car, because it is a real treasure chest between the Val d'Orcia and the Val di Chiana; whether you are interested in good food, events, landscapes, or Etruscan, medieval or Renaissance art, you will not be disappointed here! From the Etruscan Tomb of the infernal Quadriga, to the castle which still boasts a parade ground and wooden drawbridge, its antiques market and the historical re-enactment of the Giostra del Saracino.
Finally, we move to Radicofani, a veritable bulwark and reference point visible from all over the Val d'Orcia, the town of the bandit Ghino di Tacco and a stage of the Mille Miglia, a re-enactment of the speed competition held in Italy between 1927 and 1957.
You too can experience the thrill of walking the slopes of Mount Cetona as in times past! Rent a classic car from us!
