Val d'Orcia
The landscape of the Val d'Orcia is part of Siena's agricultural hinterland, and when it was incorporated into the city-state's territory in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was redrawn and developed to reflect an idealized model of good governance and to create a pleasing picture. The unique aesthetic of the landscape, with flat chalk plains rising up to almost conical hills topped by fortifications, inspired many artists. Their images became models of the beauty of a well-managed agricultural landscape during the Renaissance. The inscriptions cover: agricultural and pastoral landscapes reflecting innovative land management systems; towns and villages; farmhouses; the Roman Via Francigena and its associated monasteries, inns, shrines, bridges, etc.