Views of the Val d’Orcia From Pienza

Today my blog looks at some misty views of the Val d’Orcia from the town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy. Pienza will be the subject of small series of blogs looking at different aspects of the town. Today the focus is on the views from the town.

Misty Views Of The Val d’Orcia

An Afternoon In Pienza

A rainy day in Umbria and a dull Sunday afternoon led to a trip from where I live in Umbria to Pienza in Tuscany.

Pienza is in the Province of Siena in Tuscany, sitting in the Val d’Orcia, one of UNESCO’s World Cultural Landscapes. The town itself was declared a World Heritage site in 1996.

The drive took just over an hour with fabulous views of the Tuscan countryside on the way. However, Sunday afternoon is not the best time to visit Pienza, I discovered. It was full of tourists and Italians all having the same idea as me, to look around the shops and keep dry.

But Pienza has a lot going for it apart from the shops and architecture (which I will talk about in another blog). It has a fabulous walkway around the outside of the town walls with incredible views of the Val d’Orcia.

Walk With A View Of The Val D’Orcia

Pienza is full of gorgeous alleyways but one side of the town offers a wonderful surprise.

Breathtaking Countryside

When you emerge from the end of the alleyway you are on a raised walkway that runs along the edge of the town walls. And that walkway allows you to see miles and miles of breathtaking countryside over the Val d’Orcia.

This is class Tuscan landscape stuff, rows of cypress trees and undulating curves in farmland punctuated by stone farmhouses.

An enchanting View

On the day I visited it was misty because of the earlier rain but I have to say the view was enchanting. It was almost mystical in fact.

Although I was looking down at the landscape from quite a height, the trees in the foreground gave me a feeling of security as I looked over the town wall.

Changeable Weather

It was a bit blustery so I had to wait for the wind to drop to take the photographs that I used to create the images you see in this blog.

I popped into a cafe for ten minutes to warm up with a cappuccino. When I emerged the lighting on the Val d’Orcia had changed completely!

Now the sun was breaking through the mist and sun rays were striking the landscape. Suddenly the trees in the foreground were in silhouette and there was a hint of color and more form in the hills of the landscape beyond. What a change!

I need to go back on a sunny day and get some more landscapes. But to be honest I rather like these atmospheric views, don’t you?

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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!