Santa Fiora: History, Nature and Regional Flavours

Santa Fiora combines a clearly structured historic centre with themes of nature, culture and local flavours. The historic centre lies on a trachyte hill and is divided into the three districts of Castello, Borgo and Montecatino. For your planning, this division is a useful reference point when assessing the importance of the historic centre for your stay.

History in Period Rooms and Exhibitions

At the Museo della Contea, the history of Santa Fiora is presented through historic period rooms, documents and portraits from the private Sforza Cesarini collection, as well as a multimedia presentation. Historic rooms, personal accounts and audiovisual interpretation are thus presented side by side.

La Peschiera: Water, Garden and Nature

La Peschiera began as a medieval basin for trout farming, was transformed into an aristocratic garden by the Sforza family in the 15th century, and became an English-style park in the 19th century. The sequence of these changes shows how the site evolved over several eras.

La Peschiera is home to trout, mallards and swans; the surrounding vegetation includes fir trees, cypresses, magnolias, oaks and chestnut trees, among others. Also relevant for practical orientation: La Peschiera is free of architectural barriers.

Mining and Sacred Architectural Heritage

The Museo delle Miniere di Mercurio del Monte Amiata includes a reconstructed underground tunnel created by miners, illustrating the working environment in mining. In five exhibition rooms, the museum presents the history of mining and the related developments that shaped the Monte Amiata area between the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the area between Santa Fiora and Castell’Azzara. An archaeological section complements this perspective with finds from the 3rd century BC.

The Pieve delle Sante Flora e Lucilla has been documented since 1142 and features Gothic and Renaissance elements.

Music, Festivals and Regional Products

Music is a defining feature of the summer programme of the Santa Fiora in Musica festival: from June to September, it includes concerts at the Teatro Andrea Camilleri and the Auditorium della Peschiera in Santa Fiora. The patronal festival Festa delle Sante Flora e Lucilla takes place every year on 29 July and includes a procession through Santa Fiora carrying the relics of the two saints.

Regional products are also part of the local picture: Santa Fiora is crossed by the Strada del Vino Montecucco e dai sapori dell’Amiata, a route for discovering Montecucco DOC and Monte Amiata chestnuts IGP. For the summer, the XXVII Santa Fiora in Musica Festival, night-time forest excursions, and markets for local produce and handicrafts were also announced.

Historical Traces on a Walking Tour

A partially glazed floor offers a view of the ancient road and the exact location of the source of the Fiora. Further destinations for your research: Bagnore, Selva, La Torba, Cinigiano, Capalbio, Monte Argentario, Roccalbegna and Montevitozzo.

For the broader travel overview: Grosseto.