On the occasion of the long weekend that will start on 8th December (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Italy), we suggest you a visit to San Quirico d’Orcia, a medieval hamlet that is located about 46 kilometers from Siena.
Here it will be held the 24th edition of the Olive Oil Festival, from Thursday 8th to Sunday, 11th December; the olive oil is a precious product that characterizes this territory like the Val d’Orcia landscape. We invited you visiting San Quirico d’Orcia as a destination for a route in the province of Siena, this time we take the opportunity to recommend you the activities you can do during the 4 days dedicated to olive oil.
First of all, don’t miss the guided tastings of extra virgin olive oil to be held in Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, a great opportunity to learn the differences among the various kinds of oil and appreciate the recommended combinations.
There will be also theater shows and performances by street artists on Thursday 8th, while on Saturday 10th there will be the “oil trekking trail” a guided walk dedicated to the secrets of oil, including an olive oil tasting at the end of the itinerary at Parco Sorbellini.
At 4:00 pm on Saturday you can try, on request, the massage with olive oil service at Palazzo Chigi, one of the ernative uses of this product, probably less known by most people.
Evening concerts in the squares of the historic center and at Chiesa Collegiata, will be the best way to celebrate this place.
On Sunday 11th, in addition to the activities already mentioned, you shouldn’t miss, at 12:00 pm, the greeting of the Barbarossa flags to the new oil: in 1155, in fact, Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, was crowned emperor at San Quirico d’Orcia, so the pageants are very important here and the hamlet still retains the charm of a medieval town.
Furthermore, during the days of the festival, Palazzo Chigi Zondadari will become the Palace of Fables, offering a Christmas-themed trail for all visitors who will find the halls decorated in Christmas style and inhabited by fairy tale characters.
The Renaissance gardens of San Quirico d’Orcia
Horti Leonini Credits: Axel V https://flic.kr/p/q81zg
If you are in San Quirico on a sunny day, you should also visit the Horti Leonini, Italian gardens designed in the XVI century in honor of Diomede Leoni. The Horti Leonini are a place of great historical importance since San Quirico d’Orcia was a stage of the journey of the pilgrims along the Via Francigena.
Within the gardens stands a century-old oak forest, the romantic Rose Garden and a series of sculptures with a symbolic meaning: the lion heads, alluding to the owner’s name, and the head of Janus Bifrons, which emphasizes the diversity of the garden from the woods.
Before leaving for Siena and follow this route, we suggest you book the activities that interest you using the following contacts: phone number +0039 0577 899728 or email to ufficioturistico@comune.sanquiricodorcia.si.it, the website of the Olive Oil Festival is lafestadellolio.com.
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