Cetona Tuscany

Cetona is a medieval hill town in Tuscany, Italy. It sits in the province of Siena. Even the newer suburbs of the old town are picturesque.

Cetona, Tuscany

Flower Market

My first introduction to Cetona was many years ago. I was taken by a friend to the annual April Flower Market known as Cetona in Fiore. The market is held in the 16th century main square of the town. The square is very picturesque (I put an image of it in an earlier blog) and has many bars and restaurants as well as interesting shops. Since then I have been back to the town many times, not least as I have a very good friend who lives there.

Views from Cetona

There are some spectacular views from Cetona. As you can see in this image I have called ‘Tuscan Hills’. In another view we see a farmhouse nestling on the hillside with an access road lined with iconic cypress trees.

This is a medieval hill town in the southern part of the Province of Siena. Even the newer suburbs of the old town are picturesque. As you can see the houses are not far from open countryside and those Tuscan hills.

History of Cetona

But the history of the town, and Monte Cetona upon which it is founded is fascinating. Some of the oldest human settlements of central Italy have been discovered there. The town is built around a central Rocca or fortress which goes back to 900 AD. The town has gradually developed over the years under different ruling regions, Siena then Orvieto and then back to Siena again. The name Cetona (Citonia is sometimes used locally) comes from the Latin word for deforestation and cultivation.

Cetona is a Photographer’s Dream

The town itself is a gem, everywhere you turn is a picturesque view or piece of architecture. It is a photographer’s dream. Though the old narrow passageways of the old town are a challenge for lighting and getting just the right angle.

This black and white image is typical of the sort of view you have when walking in the old streets. By putting it into black and white I have tried to get across the wonderful contrasts of the textures of the stone, bricks and flagstones. A color version is also available.

So all in all I would recommend Cetona as a place to visit. Take some time wandering around the back streets, taking in the views and wonderful historic buildings – and then perhaps stop in that wonderful square for a glass of something cool to recover from all that walking.

Purchase Prints

Browse my collection of Tuscany images, on Art Heroes (Europe), RedBubble (worldwide shipping) and Pictorem (USA and Canada).

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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Thank you for reading!