Many will have seen this image of the Tuscan countryside before. This striking and beautiful image of a sharply winding road, lined by cypresses and cutting through vivid lush fields and old stone buildings is the kind of almost unreal postcard-perfect corners of Tuscany that need to be seen with one's own eyes to be believed. If you are a fan of scenic settings and pretty views and want to see it for yourself, just find a vacation rental in the Val d'Orcia and come and take it in.
This road and scene is actually part of the La Foce estate in the Val d'Orcia, in a particularly unspoiled and beautiful part of Tuscany. While the estate dates back to the 15th century, the famous and iconic beauty of the grounds can largely be attributed to the owners of the estate in the 1920s. Iris Origo, a famous Irish-American author, and her husband, Marchese Antonio Origo purchased the estate in 1924 and tamed the wildly beautiful land that was poverty-ridden at the time. They transformed the land of olive groves, fields and woodlands by taming it just enough and adding a cultivated garden.
The Renaissance-style garden was designed by Iris, in conjunction with the famous English landscape gardener Cecil Pinsent between 1925 and 1939 and is famously beautiful and a major draw to the area. Today, the estate is run by the Origos' daughters, Benedetta and Donata and is run as a holiday village.
However, the gardens can be visited by the public but only by guided tour. Open from late March until November, tours are offered on Wednesday afternoons on the hour from 3pm to 6pm and at 11.30am, 3pm, and 4.30pm on weekends and holidays. Lasting about 45 minutes, the tour will take you all around this truly stunning garden in Tuscany.
La Foce
Strada della Vittoria, 61
53042 Chianciano Terme
+39 0578 69101
The Renaissance-style garden was designed by Iris, in conjunction with the famous English landscape gardener Cecil Pinsent between 1925 and 1939 and is famously beautiful and a major draw to the area. Today, the estate is run by the Origos' daughters, Benedetta and Donata and is run as a holiday village.
However, the gardens can be visited by the public but only by guided tour. Open from late March until November, tours are offered on Wednesday afternoons on the hour from 3pm to 6pm and at 11.30am, 3pm, and 4.30pm on weekends and holidays. Lasting about 45 minutes, the tour will take you all around this truly stunning garden in Tuscany.
La Foce
Strada della Vittoria, 61
53042 Chianciano Terme
+39 0578 69101
Photo credit: Lorena Torres Angelini / CC BY-SA 2.0
