UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Location | Province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
Criteria | Cultural: (iv), (vi) |
Reference | 1026rev |
Inscription | 2004 (28th Session) |
Area | 61,188 ha (151,200 acres) |
Buffer zone | 5,660 ha (14,000 acres) |
Website | www |
Coordinates | 43°04′N 11°33′E / 43.067°N 11.550°E |
The Val d'Orcia or Valdorcia (Italian: [ˌvalˈdortʃa]) is a region of Tuscany, central Italy, which extends from the hills south of Siena to Monte Amiata. Its gentle, cultivated hills are occasionally broken by gullies and by towns and villages such as Pienza (rebuilt as an "ideal town" in the 15th century under the patronage of Pope Pius II),[1] Radicofani (home to the notorious brigand-hero Ghino di Tacco) and Montalcino (the Brunello di Montalcino is counted among the most prestigious of Italian wines).[2] Its landscape has been depicted in works of art from Renaissance painting to modern photography.