Fortress Town · Volcanic Cone · Southern Val d'Orcia
Radicofani
A medieval fortress on a volcanic spire — visible from 50 kilometres in every direction
Rising from the plain on a column of ancient volcanic rock 896 metres above sea level, Radicofani is one of the most dramatic silhouettes in Tuscany. The fortress at its summit was considered impregnable for centuries — it controlled the Via Francigena at its most vulnerable southern stretch, and whoever held Radicofani controlled movement between Siena, Rome and the kingdom of Naples. Today the town is small and quiet, the fortress restored and open to visitors. But the view from the battlements — across the Val d'Orcia to the north, over the Monte Amiata forests to the east, down to the volcanic plains of the Maremma to the south and west — is nothing less than extraordinary.
La Rocca di Radicofani
The Impregnable Fortress of the Via Francigena
The Rocca di Radicofani was first fortified in the early medieval period and reached its definitive form under the Sienese Republic, which seized it in 1297. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen held it briefly; Pope Adrian IV is said to have rested here on his way north; the Medici later reinforced its walls. The fortress was partially destroyed by a gunpowder explosion in 1656 and remained a ruin until 20th-century restoration. Today visitors can climb to the tower and walk the battlements; on a clear day, Monte Amiata, the Val d'Orcia, Pienza, and the distant sea are all visible at once.
Ghino di Tacco
The Bandit Who Charmed Dante and Boccaccio
In the late 13th century, a Sienese nobleman named Ghino di Tacco was exiled after his family's political disgrace. He seized the Rocca di Radicofani by force and used it as a base for a career of highway robbery that became legendary throughout medieval Italy. He is mentioned in Dante's Purgatorio (Canto VI) and features in Boccaccio's Decameron, where he is portrayed not as a villain but as a man of principle — he freed a wealthy abbot after the abbot's gout was cured by the simple diet of Radicofani. The story says something true about the place: the air here is sharp, the food simple, and the light unforgiving.
Practical Information
- Location
- Radicofani (SI), southern Val d'Orcia
- GPS
- 42.8959° N, 11.7717° E
- Altitude
- 896 m above sea level
- From Pienza
- 38 km southeast (45 min by car)
- From San Quirico d'Orcia
- 28 km south on the Via Cassia
- Rocca di Radicofani
- Open April–October daily 10:00–18:00; reduced hours in winter
- Entry
- €4 adults, €2 reduced
- Best time
- Clear days in spring or autumn for maximum visibility
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