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Paradoxplace Tuscan Photo Pages South of Siena - Crete Senese Country |
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The rolling deep clay "Crete Senese" countryside around Asciano and San Giovanni d'Asso (famous for its annual TRUFFLE FESTIVAL) |
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Cypress-scape further down the road near Monte Oliveto Maggiore, "The Abbey Born in a Dream"
Link to photos of Monte Oliveto Maggiore
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The cool cypress wrapped Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore (left), founded in 1313 on a site looking like the eroded Balze Cliffs nearby (right - see also the picture above). |
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Above - La Foce and the road winding up to it on the northern edge of Val d'Orcia
Right - one of the classic Tuscanscape postcards, looking up at the position from where the photos above were taken - the winding road down is in fact a steep double goat track rather than the gentle slope it appears!
The area was one of the main fronts for the Eighth Army fighting their way up Italy in 1944. La Foce was the home of Iris Origo, and as a POW prison, escape refuge for allied airmen, refugee centre for children from bombed out Genova, and, amazingly, German Command Centre, was the setting for her unputdownable diary "War in Val d'Orcia" about how ordinary (and extraordinary) people, living in an almost medieval society, dealt with the life and death demands of 20th Century military violence in the name of causes they knew nothing about.
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The main residence at La Foce |
Iris Origo's grave in the little cemetery on the La Foce estate - especially beautiful flowerwise on Ognissanti - All Saints Day (1 November) each year. |
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There is also an attractive "coffee table" book about La Foce written by Iris Origo's daughter. The gardens are open on Wednesday afternoons (3 to 5, later in Summer) and cottages on the estate are available for rent. You will find the Cemetery by driving along the track to the right of the house for quite a way.
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And finally, in the setting sun, Sangallo's luminous Chiesa della Madonna di San Biagio - at the foot of the not inconsiderable tufa hill upon which Montepulciano sits. On the left is the beautiful old rectory. |
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Links to other Paradoxplace pages
All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-08 - may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission |
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