Wonderful Val di Chiana! 3 villages to visit at least once in your life

There are places that seem calmly designed, as if the landscape had been built little by little over the centuries. Val di Chiana is one of these. Stretching between Tuscany and Umbria, between the provinces of Arezzo, Siena, Perugia and Terni, this large fertile plain appears like a perfect mosaic of vineyards, olive groves, cultivated fields and villages perched on the hills.

It was once a marshy area crossed by the Clanis River. It was first the Etruscans, then the Romans and finally the great Medici and Lorraine reclamation works that transformed it into the harmonious landscape that today conquers anyone who passes through it. Traveling here means slowing down: every secondary road leads to medieval towers, silent squares and views that seem to come out of a Renaissance painting. My itinerary focused on three symbolic places in the Arezzo area: Cortona, Lucignano and Civitella in Val di Chiana.

Cortona, the terrace overlooking Valdichiana

The first stop could only be Cortona, probably the most famous village in the valley. Arriving there by car, the city appears suspended on the hill, dominant and scenic. From its approximately 600 meters of altitude the view runs up to Lake Trasimeno, crossing the entire Valdichiana plain.

Walking in the historic center means entering an authentic Tuscany made of stone alleys, Renaissance buildings and sudden glimpses. The heart of the city is Piazza della Repubblica, dominated by the Town Hall with the clock tower. Not far away is Piazza Signorelli, where the MAEC is located, the Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona, one of the most important archaeological museums in Tuscany.

Among the places that struck me the most there is certainly the Basilica of Santa Margherita, located in the highest part of the city. From there the view over the valley is extraordinary. Via Iannelli is also beautiful, one of the most evocative medieval streets in Cortona, with ancient protruding houses supported by wooden beams. A few minutes from the center, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Calcinaio and the Hermitage of Celle, immersed in the silence of the forest, are also worth a visit.

Lucignano, the village with a perfect shape

The second stop of the journey was Lucignano, one of the most particular villages in Tuscany. Its fame derives from its extraordinary urban structure: the town develops in a series of concentric elliptical rings that rise towards the top of the hill.

Walking through the alleys it almost feels like you are inside a perfectly preserved medieval labyrinth. Each street leads to small squares, stone arches and panoramic terraces overlooking the Valdichiana countryside.

The symbol of the village is kept inside the Municipal Museum: the famous Golden Tree, also called the Tree of Life, an extraordinary medieval reliquary in gold and silver considered an absolute masterpiece of Tuscan goldsmithing. Lucignano has a slow, collected, almost suspended atmosphere. Walking along the walls you can feel all the quiet of the Tuscan countryside. It is not surprising that it is included among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Civitella in Val di Chiana, memory and panorama

The last stop of the journey was Civitella in Val di Chiana, perhaps the quietest and most intense place of the entire itinerary. The village dominates the valley from the top of a hill and is characterized by the presence of the Lombard Fortress, from which you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Valdichiana. The medieval walls, the cobbled streets and the small squares tell of a more discreet and less touristy, but extremely authentic Tuscany.

However, Civitella also preserves a painful memory: that of the Nazi massacre of 29 June 1944. The Rooms of Memory and the historical route dedicated to the victims transform the visit into something more than a simple tourist experience. Between the silence of the medieval stones and the open views over the valley, this village leaves you with a particular sensation: that of a place that has been able to preserve its identity, memory and timeless beauty.

A journey to be experienced slowly

Val di Chiana is not a destination to be crossed in a hurry. It is a land that requires time, sudden stops, panoramic roads traveled without haste and tables laden with the flavors of traditional Tuscan tradition. Between Cortona, Lucignano and Civitella in Val di Chiana, the journey becomes a journey into the history of Etruria, medieval art and one of the most fascinating rural landscapes in Italy.