Around and about Monte Amiata

Today's expedition was to go to Mount Amiata. It seems that every trip we have made to Tuscany and Umbria has included a view with the perfectly shaped Monte Amiata. It is a volcanic peak, a lava dome, and last erupted 180,000 years ago. It is 1738 metres high.
Despite the great length of time since it was active, it still provides the heat for the many thermal springs in the area.

Amiata can be seen on the extreme left of the first photo which was taken at Castiglione del Lago. The second was taken at Vernazzano, on the north side of the lake.

Our first stop was Sarteano, a very pretty little town with a castle fortification, several very old churches and a quite distinctive war memorial.

                                               Don't even think of knocking on my door!

Our next stop was Radicofani. We were beginning to drive through the famous Sienese Crete or Crete Senisi area where the clay soil has a distinctive grey clolouration which gives the area a lunar landscape appearance. 

Radicofani has a spectacular defensive position and can be seen for kilometres; as we twisted and turned through the mountain roads it swapped from left to right in our vision and we wondered if were were actually going to reach it. The last time we were in Radicofani there was snow lying around and the town fountain was a frozen sculpture.

When we reached the top of the fortress we found that there was a restaurant bar there so this was the perfect time for a lunch break. It was quite cool but a sunny spot out of the wind was just what we wanted. Kel ordered a tagliere which was a big plate with proscuitto, salami, cheese, olives, pickled onions, pate and other crostini and a basket of bread. He managed it all!

On to Abbadia San Salvatore where we hoped to visit the Abbey. Unfortunately signs pointed to it but the abbey never materialised. They were also asphalting the streets so parking and driving were chaotic. We gave up on that and headed for Bagni San Filippo. Who could have imagined that on a quite cool Thursday there would be hundreds of people so keen to be in the terme. Cars were parked in every small space all the way down to the entrance so sadly we had to give that one a miss too. We had not planned to go into the water this time and I'm sure the masses would have ruined a photo anyway.

This change of plans called for one of our impromptu turns onto a lesser road, and that was when we found Borgo di Contignano. A medieval castle of the cutest preportions with just two streets creating a loop within the fortified walls, a lovely little piazza with a well and a magnificent porta. The church was a perfect little model with 17 century art works and by far the cleanest church we have ever been in.

This view from the walls reminded us that we were quite near La Foce where the quintessential Tuscan photo was taken, so we revisited that area. It was quite strange to see the cypress pines in ploughed fields instead of the usual very clourful surrounds.

And so we returned home, having driven 157 kilometres but not visited Monte Amiata. In fact, I didn't even get a closer up photo of this beautful mountain!