1,400 years of history · 33 hectares of UNESCO Tuscan landscape · One family's passion
Agriturismo · History · Organic Olive Oil · ExperiencesPodere Spedalone is not a simple agriturismo — it is your agriturismo near Pienza, in the heart of Val d'Orcia. A place where you will feel at home, surrounded by one of the most breathtaking UNESCO landscapes in the world, pampered by honest farm-to-table cuisine, and above all surrounded by wonderful people just like you.
We are one of the most historically significant properties in the Val d'Orcia UNESCO World Heritage Site — settled since approximately 600 AD, with a story that passes through Roman farmers, Charlemagne's army, Benedictine monks and Olivetani pilgrims before arriving at today. Every stone in these walls carries a story.
We also produce a world-class certified organic extra-virgin olive oil from ancient 13th-century trees — available to taste and purchase here on the property, and shipped worldwide. And unlike most properties in Tuscany, we are open 363 days a year, offering full restaurant, all activities and accommodation across the seasons — subject to reservations and guests in the property — making us an extraordinary venue for retreats, corporate events, private celebrations and film productions. In the microcosm of Spedalone, time travels more slowly — and everything tastes better for it.
Settled since the Roman era, our walls have stood through over 1,400 years of Tuscan history — from Charlemagne to today's agriturismo.
Set within the Val d'Orcia World Heritage Site — one of the most celebrated and beautiful landscapes on earth, with Pienza just minutes away.
Three varieties of certified organic extra-virgin olive oil from 13th-century trees. Very high polyphenol content. Available on-site and shipped worldwide.
Rainwater collection, food-scrap composting, rigorous recycling, energy-saving technologies and a circular food system. We tread lightly — on purpose.
We eat together, at a communal table, like one big family. Guests always leave as friends — sometimes for life. This is what makes Spedalone different.
We are only just beginning to uncover Spedalone's extraordinary past. Each era has left its mark — in the walls, the ancient olive terraces, the arch of the loggia, and the herbs still growing wild on the stones today.
From our research to date, we believe Podere Spedalone originated as a Roman settlement around 600 AD — already a farming community at that time. During the restoration of the masseria, Roman glass and brick fragments were uncovered in the excavations. The oldest surviving part of the building dates to approximately 600–700 AD and was most likely a lookout tower commanding the valley below.
The north ("upper") wing dates to the Carolingian era. In 813 AD, while travelling home to France from his papal coronation in Rome, Charlemagne camped with his army on the nearby plain of Castelnuovo dell'Abate. His men fell ill. That night, a vision revealed to him an infusion of local herbs that would heal his companions — and evidence of those same herbs can still be found growing wild on Spedalone's walls today. In gratitude, Charlemagne ordered the construction of the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, still standing and still visited nearby.
In 1225, records describe Spedalone as an active "Hospitalis Sancti Benedicti" — a hospitality house run by Benedictine monks. By this period it had become a fortified structure with high defensive walls, many of which today lie partly buried beneath our gardens. The three great medieval pilgrimage routes converged nearby: towards Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims rested here at Spedalone on their journey.
In 1381, the Olivetani monastic order began buying lands around the Monastery of Sant'Anna in Camprena (later a filming location for The English Patient). During this period, the famous dry-stone terraces of Spedalone were built, and the olive grove — our olive grove — was planted upon them. You can still see the ancient crescent-shaped dry-stone retaining walls in the lower part of the oliveto: among the last surviving examples of this ancient agricultural technique in all of Tuscany.
Spedalone was renovated again in 1850, when the beautiful loggia and the great wood-fired oven were added to the lower wing. Until around 1960, three families — approximately 45 people in all — lived and worked the full 33 hectares of the estate. The ground floor housed working oxen, sheep and horses. Today, those same spaces welcome guests in very different, but equally warm, comfort.
Today Podere Spedalone is a living agriturismo near Pienza — where the past breathes through every archway and olive tree, while the present is warm, welcoming and very much alive. We grow organic produce, press our own olive oil, cook our own bread and pasta from ancient grains, and share it all at the communal table every evening with guests who arrive as strangers and leave as friends.
The Val d'Orcia is one of the most celebrated landscapes on earth — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Soft golden hills, lone cypress trees, and ancient hilltop towns dissolving into distant ridges. A view that has inspired painters, poets and filmmakers for centuries.
At Podere Spedalone near Pienza, this view is not a backdrop — it is the experience. The sun sets directly in front of our terrace, painting the entire valley gold. Our aperitivo, our dinners, our mornings — all framed by this impossible beauty.
Whether you stay with us for a week or stop for a single meal, the Val d'Orcia view from Spedalone will stay with you long after you leave.
Podere Spedalone sits within 33 hectares of land — a living, breathing mosaic of ancient wild forest, organic farmland, and open pastures. This is not a manicured resort estate: it is a real working landscape, tended with care and respect for everything it gives us.
Our land is full of natural treasures. Wild herbs grow along the stone walls — some of them the very same plants that according to legend cured Charlemagne's army over a thousand years ago. Wild fruits, berries, mushrooms, edible flowers and vegetables appear and disappear with the seasons, and we follow them closely.
We forage across the estate throughout the year, collecting what the land offers — and then we make things with it. Infusions, preserves, syrups, oils, vinegars, dried herbs, pickles. Some of these become part of our meals at La Pecora Bianca. Others become small gifts, things we share with guests, or simply things we make for ourselves because we love them. Slow, handmade, seasonal.
When you eat at our table, you may taste something that came from a corner of the forest that morning. That is not a marketing claim — it is simply how we live here.
Our kitchen garden is planted and tended year-round. The goal is simple: to grow healthy, natural food in every season — and to buy as little as possible. Not as a concept, but as a genuine commitment to the land, to our guests, and to honest food.
What we cannot grow ourselves, we buy in our own town — from the small family farms closest to us. This is a deliberate choice, and a deeply felt one. When we spend money on food, we want that money to stay here: to circulate within our community, to support the families who work this land, and to strengthen the local food economy that has sustained this valley for centuries.
We seek out producers who share our values — natural, organic where possible, small-scale, honest. Not the cheapest or most convenient option. The right one. The farmer down the road who raises animals with care. The family in the village who makes cheese the way their grandparents did.
This is what truly local means to us: not a label on a menu, but a living network of relationships — with the land, with the people who tend it, and with the town we call home. Every season brings a different table. Every dish has a face behind it.
Much of the estate remains untouched woodland. Walking trails wind through oak, holm oak and pine — also prime truffle territory. The forest is our foraging ground and our greatest landscape asset.
Rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, fennel, elder, wild garlic, chamomile and dozens more grow freely across the estate — some on the same walls where Charlemagne's herbs were gathered in 813 AD.
Planted year-round with seasonal vegetables, salad leaves, courgettes, tomatoes, beans, peppers, aubergines, pumpkins, and whatever the season calls for. From soil to table — daily.
When we buy, we buy local — from small family farms in our town and the surrounding area. We keep our money in the community, support producers who share our values, and choose natural and organic wherever possible. This valley feeds itself. We intend to keep it that way.
Podere Spedalone is a real, working farm. Our animals are not a feature or an attraction — they are family. They graze, guard, lay eggs and greet guests every morning. Our land grows olives, saffron, wheat and vegetables, and we forage its wild edges throughout the seasons. This is what farm life actually looks like.
The Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese is one of Italy's oldest working breeds — a large, noble white livestock guardian dog bred for centuries to protect flocks in the mountains. At Spedalone we have four generations of females, all related, all living free on the land.
Bianca is the grandmother — the matriarch who started it all. Bella is her daughter, now a confident and loving mother herself. Viola is the aunt — Bella's sister — proud, independent and fiercely loyal. And the newest arrival is Pepper — a puppy currently busy discovering the world one olive tree at a time.
We keep around ten different heritage breeds — each with its own personality and, most remarkably, its own egg colour. Pink, blue, green, chocolate brown, cream and speckled white: our egg basket is a daily surprise. These birds are not here for the table. They live freely, roam the land as they please, and lay their beautiful eggs in their own time. We do not eat them.
Our farm cats arrived one by one over the years — which is the only reasonable thing to do in a place this beautiful. They have since assembled into a small, entirely self-governing court that patrols the loggia, lounges in the olive grove and supervises the kitchen from a respectful distance. They are completely convinced they own the place. They may be right.
Our sheep are Ouessant — one of the rarest and most ancient breeds in the world, originally from the island of Ouessant off Brittany. They are tiny, beautiful and extraordinarily hardy. We keep them as natural lawnmowers: they graze the terraces and pastures without machinery, chemicals or stress. We do not use them for milk or meat. Perhaps, one day, an occasional sweater.
Our horses live outdoors year-round, as nature intended and as they clearly prefer. They have space to roam, fresh pasture, clean air and the company of one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Happy horses are healthy horses, and ours are both. They are available for riding through the Val d'Orcia, and we offer horse boarding for guests travelling with their own horse.
The farm at Spedalone is a genuine agricultural operation. We grow certified organic olive oil from 700-year-old trees, cultivate saffron by hand, grow heritage wheat, tend a year-round kitchen vegetable garden and forage the wild edges of our 33 hectares throughout every season.
Our olive grove was planted by the Olivetani monks in the 13th century on dry-stone crescent terraces they built by hand. Over 700 years later the same trees still produce extraordinary oil — cold-pressed, certified organic, with very high polyphenol content. Three varieties: Estate Blend VI·Mix, Canino (Olivastra) and Frantoio. Available on-site and shipped worldwide.
We grow saffron — the world's most precious spice — by hand on the estate. The Crocus sativus blooms briefly in early autumn and demands immediate, careful attention: each flower must be picked by hand at dawn before it opens fully. It is painstaking, meditative work and entirely worth it. Our saffron appears in the kitchen at La Pecora Bianca and is available for purchase on the property.
We grow heritage wheat on the estate — the foundation of the bread and pasta that appear at our table every day. Growing our own grain closes the food circle completely: from field to flour to the loaf pulled from the ancient wood-fired oven. It connects us to the generations of farmers who worked this same land before us, and who fed their families exactly this way.
Our kitchen garden is planted and tended in every season. The goal is simple: grow as much of what we eat as possible, and buy as little as we can. Tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, artichokes, salads, peppers, legumes, root vegetables and more — the garden supplies the kitchen directly, and the seasons dictate the menu at La Pecora Bianca.
Our 33 hectares include ancient wild forest, dry-stone walls and open pastures — rich with wild herbs, berries, edible flowers, mushrooms and fruit trees. We forage throughout the year, following what the land offers season by season: rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel, elder, wild garlic, chamomile and dozens more. What we gather becomes infusions, preserves, syrups, oils, vinegars and dried herbs — for the restaurant, for gifts and for ourselves.
Agricoltura Biologica
Oper. ASS59424SI1979
Controllo di Suolo e Salute
Cert. No. ITBIO00438000042472024001
Produced from olive trees planted by Olivetani monks in the 13th century, our certified organic extra-virgin olive oil is among the finest produced in Tuscany. Cold-pressed on the estate, characterised by exceptionally high polyphenol content and a rich nutritional profile — including oleocanthal, oleacein, antioxidants, and healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
We produce three distinct varieties, each with its own character. All are available to taste and purchase directly on the property, and we ship worldwide. Contact us at [email protected] to order.
A complex, harmonious extra-virgin olive oil pressed from all the ancient olive varieties growing on the Spedalone estate. Balanced, fruity and persistent — a true portrait of our land. This is the oil served at every table at La Pecora Bianca restaurant.
On the nose: fresh grass, artichoke and ripe tomato. On the palate: rounded fruitiness, medium bitterness, and a characteristic Tuscan peppery finish. An oil of great depth and balance.
Canino and Olivastra are the same variety — known by different names across different regions. One of the most ancient cultivars grown on the Italian peninsula, it has been a part of this landscape for centuries and is deeply rooted in our terraces at Spedalone.
On the nose: intensely herbaceous, with notes of fresh-cut grass, green tomato and bitter almond. On the palate: bold bitterness, powerful peppery finish, remarkable complexity. Among the highest polyphenol contents of any Tuscan olive oil — a genuinely functional food with exceptional health properties.
Frantoio is the backbone of local olive oil production throughout Tuscany — the reference cultivar around which generations of oil-making have been built. Our Frantoio, grown on the ancient organic terraces at Spedalone, is cold-pressed to produce an oil of exceptional quality and nutritional richness.
On the nose: elegant and refined — fresh artichoke, ripe tomato, wild herbs. On the palate: beautiful balance between fruitiness, clean bitterness and a long warm pepper finish. Very high polyphenols, antioxidants and oleic acid. An oil made to be appreciated — drizzled over soups, grilled vegetables, or simply on toasted bread.
Our olive trees were planted by the Olivetani monks in the 13th century on the ancient crescent dry-stone terraces they built by hand — among the last surviving examples of this technique in all of Tuscany. For over 700 years, these trees have been producing extraordinary oil on the same hillside above the Val d'Orcia.
Our oil is certified organic, cold-pressed on the estate, and notable for its exceptionally high polyphenol content — including oleocanthal, oleacein and other bioactive compounds associated with significant health benefits. We produce three varieties: an estate blend, a monocultivar Canino/Olivastra, and a monocultivar Frantoio.
You can taste all three at our Olive Oil Tasting (€10 per person, ~20 min) and purchase directly on the property. We also ship worldwide — contact us at [email protected] to order.
Wild forest, organic farmland, ancient olive groves and open pastures — Podere Spedalone is a living estate where nature and cultivation exist side by side. We forage, grow, press and cook from this land every single day. Beauty here is not a backdrop: it is what we eat.
UNESCO World Heritage · The most beautiful valley in Italy
Seasonal vegetables, herbs & fruit — from garden to table daily
No light pollution · Stars over Val d'Orcia every clear night
Planted by Olivetani monks in the 13th century. Walk among trees over 700 years old. Our three organic varieties are pressed on-estate and available to purchase and ship worldwide.
Ancient woodland covers much of the estate. Our foraging ground for wild herbs, mushrooms and truffles — and the walking trails that lead to Montisi, Castelmuzio, Sant'Anna in Camprena, and Pienza itself.
Free for all our guests throughout your stay. Surrounded by open countryside, with the UNESCO Val d'Orcia view in every direction. The perfect afternoon punctuation.
The sun sets directly in front of you. Every evening, as the Val d'Orcia turns gold, we raise our first glass of Prosecco together. Included with every stay and dinner reservation.
Podere Spedalone is a full destination, not just a place to sleep. Whether you come for a day or a week, there is always something to discover, taste, or explore in the heart of Val d'Orcia.
Head into the Tuscan hills with our trained dogs to search for precious black and white truffles hidden beneath the oaks. A deeply authentic experience — and you get to bring your finds to the table. One of the best truffle hunting experiences near Pienza.
Guided · Seasonal · Combinable with any mealLearn to make fresh pasta by hand, bake traditional Tuscan bread, and recreate dishes from our own recipe book. Classes take place in our kitchen — hands-on, unfussy, warm and delicious. One of Tuscany's most authentic cooking class experiences near Pienza.
Hands-on · All levels welcomeExplore the estate and the Val d'Orcia on horseback. We offer beginner-friendly rides through our 33-hectare estate, guided by our team. Full horse boarding also available for guests arriving with their own horse.
Beginner-friendly · Horse boarding availableTaste all three of our certified organic estate-pressed extra-virgin olive oils with freshly baked bread. Learn to distinguish varieties, appreciate polyphenol richness, and understand what makes a truly exceptional olive oil. Buy directly on-site or order worldwide.
€10 per person · ~20 min · Year-round · Ships worldwideTrails from our doorstep lead through forest and open Val d'Orcia countryside to Montisi, Castelmuzio, the Monastery of Sant'Anna in Camprena (location of The English Patient), and Pienza. Hours of walking in complete, surreal peace.
Free · Self-guided · Maps availableBirthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, weddings and special banquets in the Val d'Orcia — our speciality. The farm, the terrace, the communal table and the UNESCO view make every celebration unforgettable. Contact us to discuss your event.
Groups welcome · Tailored to your needsWood-fired pizza and local artisanal beer for cycling groups, walking parties and organised events. A convivial alternative to the dinner menu — ideal for large groups. Popular with cycling tour groups passing through the Val d'Orcia. Advance reservation required.
For groups · Cycling tours welcome · Advance booking requiredElectric vehicle charging available on-site, combinable with any meal or experience package. Charge your car while you enjoy the best views in the Val d'Orcia — a practical convenience in one of Italy's most beautiful settings.
On-site · Combinable with any mealMost agriturismi in Tuscany close for winter. We don't. Podere Spedalone is one of the very few properties in the Val d'Orcia open 363 days a year, and we do our best to offer full services throughout the seasons — including La Pecora Bianca restaurant, all activities and accommodation. In practice, services are offered based on reservations and guests in the property: if nobody is staying, the restaurant won't be running for one person — but we are here, the door is open, and we will always do our best.
Winter at Spedalone is something special in its own right: truffle season, olive oil just pressed, log fires, empty roads, the UNESCO landscape under morning frost. If anything, the quieter months reveal the property's true soul — and make it an extraordinary setting for the kinds of gatherings that need space, privacy, and something genuinely different.
We are open virtually year-round and aim to offer full restaurant, activities and accommodation across all seasons — based on reservations and guests in the property. No winter shutdown. If you're planning to visit outside the summer season, just contact us first and we will make it work.
Yoga retreats, meditation weeks, wellness programmes, creative residencies — our 33 hectares of private land, full catering and flexible indoor and outdoor spaces make us the ideal full-board retreat venue in any season.
Team offsites, leadership retreats, strategy days, product launches — hosted in one of the most beautiful and private settings in Italy. Full catering, accommodation, activities and AV support available. Entirely tailored to your needs.
The Val d'Orcia UNESCO landscape, our 600 AD stone architecture, ancient olive groves and intimate interiors make Spedalone a natural filming and photography location. We have welcomed production teams before and are delighted to discuss your project.
Weddings, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions — exclusively yours. The entire property can be taken over for private events. The UNESCO view, the communal table, the ancient walls: a backdrop that no venue decorator could ever replicate.
Every special event is different. We don't offer packages — we have conversations. Contact us at [email protected] or call +39 345 641 4221 and let's build something together.
We are deeply committed to treading lightly on this land — the same land that has fed, sheltered and sustained people for over 1,400 years. We want to hand it on in better shape than we found it. That means making thoughtful choices every single day: about energy, about water, about waste, about what we grow, what we buy and what we throw away — which, wherever possible, is nothing.
This isn't a policy document or a marketing position. It is simply how we run this place — with the same respect for the land that the monks, farmers and pilgrims who came before us would recognise.
We collect rainwater across the property and reuse it for irrigating the garden and for the animals. Water is one of the most precious resources on this hillside — we treat it that way. In a landscape that can be dry for months at a time, every drop we collect is a drop we don't take from somewhere else.
All food scraps from the kitchen and the table are returned to the land — fed to the animals or composted and put back into the soil. We recycle rigorously across the property and work actively to minimise waste at every stage: in the kitchen, in the olive oil production, in the accommodation. If something can be reused, repurposed or returned to the earth, it is.
The property is equipped with a range of energy-saving technologies and environmental measures aimed at reducing our consumption and our footprint. We continue to invest in improvements year on year — because a historic 600 AD farmhouse can be made more efficient without losing any of its soul, and because it is the right thing to do.
Our organic kitchen garden, our ancient olive trees, our wild foraging, our sourcing from small local family farms — all of it is part of the same commitment. We grow what we can, forage what the land offers, buy locally when we must, and choose natural and organic at every step. The food circle at Spedalone is as closed as we can make it.
"In the microcosm of Spedalone, silence and calm reign supreme — it is a place where time travels more slowly."Podere Spedalone · Pienza · Val d'Orcia · Since 600 AD
We are located on the Strada per Cosona SP71 between Pienza and Montisi — perfectly placed to explore the finest of southern Tuscany. From our doorstep you can reach some of the most beautiful places in Italy within minutes.
Strada per Cosona SP71
Pienza (SI) · 53026 · Tuscany · Italy
GPS: 43.0765°N, 11.6757°E
Tel: +39 345 641 4221
[email protected]
Pienza · 10 min
Montepulciano · 20 min
Montalcino · 30 min
Siena · 45 min
Cortona · 40 min
San Quirico d'Orcia · 15 min
Bagno Vignoni, San Filippo, Canciano, and Rapolano Terme are all within easy reach — perfect for days combining the agriturismo with natural relaxation.
Florence airport · 1h 30min
Rome Fiumicino · 2h 30min
Pisa airport · 2h
Transfers available on request — contact us in advance.
Podere Spedalone is a certified organic agriturismo set within an authentic historic estate, deep in the heart of the UNESCO Val d'Orcia. It is not a hotel. It is a place built around nature, shared meals and slow time. We want every guest to arrive knowing exactly what they will find — and what, by choice, they will not.
Podere Spedalone sits in the heart of the Val d'Orcia, reachable from every direction only after several kilometres of unpaved road once you leave the asphalt. The tracks are perfectly manageable in a standard car, but they are country roads: dusty in summer, muddy after rain, always beautiful.
For the vast majority of our guests, this is exactly the point. No traffic, no noise, no interruptions — just vineyards, cypress trees and the outline of the Sienese hills. If you are looking for somewhere close to a town centre or easy to reach without a car, this may not be the right destination. If you are looking to truly disappear — welcome.
Book a room, reserve a table, or simply get in touch. We are here — and we would love to welcome you.
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