モンティチャーノのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

Loop starting from Monticiano (Si) by i'Lupo che cammina

Warning! The path is impassable starting about 1 km after the Abbey of San Galgano, unless you have a machete. Francesco confirms April 2025. In particular, the path is impassable (November 2025) since it is forced between the fence of the "San Galgano" hunting reserve and the narrow strip of dense woodland on the banks of the Merse River. We had to turn back!

The Cistercian Abbey of San Galgano is one of Tuscany's most beautiful sights. This majestic 13th-century church, missing its roof, is a true icon of the region, nestled in a magnificent natural setting filled with all the stereotypes for which Tuscany is famous worldwide: rolling hills, vineyards, and rows of cypress trees. A truly unusual silhouette rises from this panorama. Only the walls and the apse remain of the old church, a silhouette as ghostly as it is fascinating, which is precisely why, despite its rather isolated location, it attracts thousands of tourists every year. As if this weren't enough to make you consider visiting, the Abbey of San Galgano is also close to the hermitage of Montesiepi, reachable on foot via a path of no more than 15 minutes. This important place of worship houses the sword in the stone, one of the miracles of San Galgano, who stuck it into the stone, where it has remained for 800 years.

Built in the 13th century in Gothic style and dedicated to the saint from Chiusdino, today it is completely in ruins: only the walls remain standing, with the apse still in evidence, perfectly facing east, while on the upper part of the facade there are two pointed windows. The roof of the Abbey of San Galgano is no longer there today. The "official" version says that it deteriorated and then fell over the centuries, while an alternative version, according to some legend and according to others truth, states that it was originally made of lead, and was sold by Girolamo Vitelli in 1550. Whatever the truth behind the roof of the abbey, after some restoration attempts that went badly, at the end of the 18th century it was deconsecrated and left to the elements until the present day. The ruins of the Abbey of San Galgano, with its profile still intact and immersed in the Tuscan countryside, offer a truly incredible and particular view. In addition to the roof, the floor is also missing, which during the summer turns into a grassy blanket, while you can still see a transept with three naves and 4 chapels with cross vaults. Next to the Abbey of San Galgano there is the cloister, which was rebuilt at the beginning of the last century, using the original materials. Some accessory rooms are also very beautiful, which can also be visited with the entrance ticket to the abbey, including the chapter house, where the monks originally met to deliberate the main rules of the community, and the scriptorium, which was the place where the monks copied the manuscripts.

Mandatory pit stop at the Petriolo spa, the water has a temperature of 42°. There is a food truck where you can eat very well.

The circular route cannot be completed because the path along the river is no longer passable (3 April 25)

Beautiful🤩 and not many people there. We were alone

Saint Galgano