Pieve a Maiano – between church history and nature experiences

Pieve a Maiano offers both cultural history and experiences in nature. This creates a destination where historical features, paths through the landscape, and different ways of exploring can be combined.

Church and the history of the name

The vanished parish church, or pieve, that gave Pieve a Maiano its name has been documented since the 12th century. Another historical reference is the church of S. Maria Assunta, which dates from the 19th century. The church houses a bell from Montoto dating from 1358. Several clearly distinguishable periods therefore come together in one place: the origin of the name, documented since the Middle Ages; the 19th-century church building; and a single surviving furnishing with its own provenance.

Sentiero C and the nature reserve

The 800-metre-long Sentiero C begins near Pieve a Maiano and leads in about 15 minutes to the observation hides at Lago di Penna. Access to the hides is permitted only as part of guided visits. Pieve a Maiano is also an alternative access point to the Ponte a Buriano e Penna Nature Reserve; parking is available there. In the surrounding area, this nature reserve includes the Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance “Ponte a Buriano e Penna”, which the Tuscany Region designated on 10 November 1998 under the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.

A driving route and public transport connections

For further exploration, the municipal driving route “Valdarno–Civitella in Val di Chiana” is associated with Pieve a Maiano. It begins there at State Road 69 and covers approximately 25 kilometres to Civitella in Val di Chiana. A full day is planned for the entire route. The Sentiero C and the driving route therefore suit different forms of day planning, and their routes or itineraries should not be treated as equivalent.

The journey to the nature reserve can also be considered using public transport connections. The municipal ATAM lines from Arezzo stop in Pieve a Maiano and can be used to travel to the Ponte a Buriano e Penna Nature Reserve. In addition, the public SITA services between Arezzo and Florence stop in Pieve a Maiano and run along State Road 69. These two transport details provide additional guidance for travellers who do not wish to plan their visit exclusively via the municipal driving route.

Refreshments and a time-specific visiting note

There are several places to stop for refreshments in Pieve a Maiano. In 2023, visits to Oratorio La Casina were scheduled for Thursdays and Saturdays in the second week of the month, except from 15 July to 31 August. Advance booking by telephone was required; the scheduled times were from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. This arrangement is expressly documented for 2023 and is therefore time-limited visiting information.

Discover more destinations

For further travel planning, you can also explore Ciggiano, Tegoleto, Albergo and Badia Al Pino.

For the overarching travel overview: Civitella In Val Di Chiana.