No visit to Siena would be complete without making at least one excursion into the fabulous surrounding countryside.

There is the abandoned and roofless Cistercian abbey of San Galgano, hauntingly beautiful in the morning mist; the great Benedictine church of Sant'Antimo, whose ancient stonework gleams among the cypress trees; the Renaissance frescoes decorating the cloister of Monte Olivetto Maggiore; the powerful fortresses of Monteriggioni, Montalcino and Montepulciano.

There is the extinct volcano of Monte Amiata, ringed by stone villages and castles; the wild Montagnola and Maremma regions; the Renaissance town of Pienza, once home to Pope Pius II; the cathedral town of Massa Marittima, whose powerful walls tower above the sea. In addition, there are numerous points of interest along less traveled scenic roads which wind through vineyards and olive trees.