History

A town with quite a peculiar name, Trequanda, who’s origin we don’t know much about. Legend has it that the town is named after Tarkonte, a mighty Etrucan hero. This would coincide with the Etruscan archeological artefacts that were found in Trequanda, which are also the first signs of the area being inhabited. The names of nearby locations: Cennano, Sicille and Asso, also indicate an Etruscan presence.

Similarly to all neighbouring towns in Val d’Orcia, Trequanda was under the rule of the Ancient Roman Empire, followed by a Lombard and then Franc rule.

Trequanda is known for the beautiful terracotta objects produced in the area, a craft locals picked up after the two World Wars.

Perhaps the most renowned product to come out of Trequanda is its extra virgin olive oil. Due to a very unique ecosystem surrounding the town, olive trees thrive and produce a delicious, high quality olive oil.

History

Montisi is a small hamlet perched on a hill between Pienza and Trequanda. The town’s name originates from the combination of the words monte (hill or mountain) and isi[de], the goddess to whom the Etruscan temple found in Castelmuzio is dedicated to. Literally translated, Montisi means “the mountain of Iside”.

As all other towns in Val d’Orcia, Montisi was under the rule of the Republic of Siena until its downfall, after which the small hamlet faced centuries of poverty, fortunately eliminated with the cultivation of saffron, which thrived in the town’s climate.

On the 30th of June 1944, during WWII, a troop of German soldiers blew up the Torre del Grancia, Montisi’s emblem, in the hopes of blocking the passage for enemies to reach them.

Following both World Wars, Montisi’s inhabitants began building back their town and lives by working in neighboring coal mines and by beginning to work with terracotta to produce various artefacts. A few years later Val d’Orcia was vastly inhabited by Sardinian shepherds who brought with them their sheep and cheese making knowledge, and promptly began producing Pecorino. The first foreign tourists began arriving in Montisi and the surrounding areas in the 1970’s, attracted by the undisrupted nature and sinuous rolling hills.

History

Castelmuzio is a town within the comune of Trequanda, the development of a settlement which appeared between Etruscan and Ancient Roman times. The archeological findings of a temple, dedicated to the goddess Iside, worshipped by the Etruschi, was uncovered in Castelmuzio.

As its neighbouring towns, Castelmuzio was under the control of the Republic of Siena until the castle was bought by Andrea Piccolomini, in 1470. In 1559 Castelmuzio became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until Italy’s unification, in 1861, when it became a frazione of Trequanda.