There are certain pictures of the lovely Tuscan countryside and landscape that get shared time and time again: the iconic winding roads and perfect rolling hills of the Val D’Orcia, Cypress Avenue in Bolgheri, and walled towns like Siena, as seen from a distance and with lush green surroundings. Amongst these “generic” images of the evocative Tuscan countryside, you are likely to spot one particular little chapel popping up time and time again, the Chapel of the Madonna di Vitaleta, or La Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta.
Located in the province of Siena, next to the village of Vitaleta, on the road between San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza, this pretty little house of worship is one of the most photographed churches in Tuscany and is a picture-perfect gem. Framed by cypress trees either side of the single bay, white stone-clad gem, and surrounded by rolling green hills, it looks almost too idyllic for real life. But real it is, and it is also free to visit whenever you please. Just find a holiday rental in Siena and come see it for yourself.
Located in the province of Siena, next to the village of Vitaleta, on the road between San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza, this pretty little house of worship is one of the most photographed churches in Tuscany and is a picture-perfect gem. Framed by cypress trees either side of the single bay, white stone-clad gem, and surrounded by rolling green hills, it looks almost too idyllic for real life. But real it is, and it is also free to visit whenever you please. Just find a holiday rental in Siena and come see it for yourself.
Built during the 12th century on the spot where legend says that the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherdess, the chapel was owned by the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala in Siena and is recorded for the first time in a document from 1590. It was also famously home to a Renaissance statue of the Madonna sculpted by the renowned and respected artist, Andrea della Robbia, which was brought to the church in 1533 but has since been moved to the Church of Madonna di Vitaleta in nearby San Quirico.
Restored and altered in 1884 under the care of architect Giuseppe Partini, to whom we owe the elegant neoclassical façade clad in stone from Rapolano, punctuated by a little rose window, the Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta has relatively recently been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and continues to draw admirers from all over the globe. One of the most suggestive and atmospheric spots in all of Tuscany, it draws both tourists and professional photographers from the world over, throughout the entire year, who want to capture this uniquely lovely image in all sorts of conditions – no matter the season, weather, or time of day.
If you want to pay a visit yourself, there are a few different ways to get to the Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta. You can simply drive, taking the the Strada Provinciale 146 linking San Quirico d’Orcia to Pienza and following the sign for a turn down a dirt road to the chapel and then parking up and walking the last kilometre down to the building (you can’t get any closer by car as it is fenced off.) Those interested in making the most of those beautiful surroundings in the stunning Val D’Orcia may choose to trek or cycle to the chapel instead. To do so, you simply take the Strada Provinciale 146 from San Quirico d’Orcia to a small road surrounded by olive groves and follow along for the sign for the chapel. Those coming from Pienza can follow the backroad that leaves from the parish church in Corsignano. This will give you plenty of time to take in the incredibly scenic and peaceful surroundings and turn the trip into a bit more of an event as, otherwise, there isn’t actually all that much to see at the chapel itself upon arrival.
Photographers, wanderers, sentamentalists, romantics; if you are visiting Tuscany and have found a vacation rental in the Val D’Orcia and want to admire the great beauty of this part of the world, there could be no better spot to seek out than the Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta.
Restored and altered in 1884 under the care of architect Giuseppe Partini, to whom we owe the elegant neoclassical façade clad in stone from Rapolano, punctuated by a little rose window, the Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta has relatively recently been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and continues to draw admirers from all over the globe. One of the most suggestive and atmospheric spots in all of Tuscany, it draws both tourists and professional photographers from the world over, throughout the entire year, who want to capture this uniquely lovely image in all sorts of conditions – no matter the season, weather, or time of day.
If you want to pay a visit yourself, there are a few different ways to get to the Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta. You can simply drive, taking the the Strada Provinciale 146 linking San Quirico d’Orcia to Pienza and following the sign for a turn down a dirt road to the chapel and then parking up and walking the last kilometre down to the building (you can’t get any closer by car as it is fenced off.) Those interested in making the most of those beautiful surroundings in the stunning Val D’Orcia may choose to trek or cycle to the chapel instead. To do so, you simply take the Strada Provinciale 146 from San Quirico d’Orcia to a small road surrounded by olive groves and follow along for the sign for the chapel. Those coming from Pienza can follow the backroad that leaves from the parish church in Corsignano. This will give you plenty of time to take in the incredibly scenic and peaceful surroundings and turn the trip into a bit more of an event as, otherwise, there isn’t actually all that much to see at the chapel itself upon arrival.
Photographers, wanderers, sentamentalists, romantics; if you are visiting Tuscany and have found a vacation rental in the Val D’Orcia and want to admire the great beauty of this part of the world, there could be no better spot to seek out than the Cappella della Madonna Vitaleta.
Photo credit: Vignaccia76 / CC BY-SA 3.0