Pietraia between Wine, Culture and Cycling Experiences

Stone, Plain and Sacred Art

Pietraia takes its name from a sandstone outcrop considered the only one in the Valdichiana. For planning your trip, the area can be explored through several specific themes: wine, cycling, religious tradition and motorsport – four different ways of approaching it, which you can consider separately or together.

The Chiesa di San Leopoldo alla Pietraia is located in Selvapiana on the plain of Cortona, near Lake Trasimeno. It houses an oil painting created by Baldassarre Moracci in 1893, depicting the Madonna dei dolori and Saint Leopold. The church's name and the painting give Pietraia's sacred side a clearly identifiable historical character, without reducing the area to a single building.

Wine and Tuscan Accompaniments

At the Baldetti experience, five wines are tasted. The tasting is accompanied by Tuscan bread, their own Poggiobarullo extra virgin olive oil, and a selection of Pecorino cheese and cured meats. This means that the focus is not only on the wine itself, but also on a typical Tuscan combination of bread, olive oil, cheese and savoury specialities.

Another combination of wine and culture was offered by the Note di Vino event at Azienda Agricola Pasini in Pietraia: a concert, a tour of the estate and a wine tasting were combined there. If, when travelling to Pietraia, you do not want to separate culinary impressions from cultural experiences, these two formats offer a clear thematic focus.

Cycling Routes with Different Itineraries

There are also two distinct route options for getting around by bicycle. The Valdichiana 2 cycling tour passes through Pietraia and connects Castiglion Fiorentino with Camucia. The Pietraia Bike Tour runs from Camucia to a winery visit and then through the village of Pietraia on the way to Baldetti winery.

The routes therefore differ in their described itineraries: Valdichiana 2 focuses on the connection between Castiglion Fiorentino and Camucia via Pietraia. The Pietraia Bike Tour, on the other hand, highlights the sequence of Camucia, a winery visit, the village of Pietraia and Baldetti winery. For your planning, these specific locations and experiences are more helpful than a general description of cycling.

The Presepe Vivente di Pietraia

The Presepe Vivente di Pietraia is a community event held every two years and continuing for more than 30 years. It includes a traditional procession of the Three Wise Men to the nativity scene. The walking route is more than two kilometres long and includes approximately 80 to 100 performers at around 20 stations.

The event thus combines community tradition, a procession and an extensive walking tour. If you are interested in religiously rooted customs and a staged presentation involving many participants, the Presepe Vivente represents a distinct cultural focus among Pietraia's themes.

Motocross and Practical Orientation

In sporting terms, the Crossodromo Comunale provides a focus of its own. It has a 1,400-metre Category 3 motocross track with a dirt surface. To gain access to the Crossodromo Comunale, the sports office of the Municipality of Cortona should be contacted. If you would like to include the track in your plans, you should take this designated contact route into account.

When choosing a hotel or other accommodation in Pietraia, you can therefore first decide based on the focus of your trip: wine tastings and Tuscan accompaniments, cycling routes connected with Camucia and Baldetti, the community tradition of the Presepe Vivente or the motocross track. This keeps your accommodation decision aligned with the themes you want to experience or pursue further in Pietraia, without reducing the area to just one type of trip.

You can discover more places for planning your trip here: Col Di Morro, Monsigliolo, Cegliolo, Riccio, Chianacce, Fratticciola, Camucia, Mercatale.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cortona.