What is the most beautiful village on Monte Amiata?

The village most often cited is Santa Fioraon the Grosseto slope of Monte Amiata. It is part of the "most beautiful villages in Italy" and flies the orange flag of the Touring Club, a tourism quality label. Its asset lies in the water: the Fiora River rises beneath the village, and the Peschiera, a former medieval trout pond transformed into a garden in the 19th century, keeps its clear water basins at the foot of the stone houses.

Don't stop there. Arcidosso has the most imposing castle on the mountain and a well-preserved medieval center. Castel del Piano is livelier, with its squares and its Palio in September. Seggianofurther down, look out over the Val d'Orcia amid the olive trees. On the Sienese side, Abbadia San Salvatore has an old, dark, austere town around its abbey, and Piancastagnaio a fortress above the chestnut groves.

If you only have one day, combine Santa Fiora and Arcidosso, about 15 minutes each other, then climb toward the summit at 1,738 m through the beech forest. In October, chestnut festivals enliven almost all these villages. To plan several days on the mountain, read our itinerary for 3 days around Mount Amiata.