Lucignano and Monte San Savino day trip from Arezzo or Siena
A day trip to Lucignano and Monte San Savino from Arezzo or Siena: Santa Chiara with its Sansovino terracottas, the Cassero and its ceramics museum, the Loggia dei Mercanti and Corso Sangallo in Monte San Savino, then Lucignano's ring-shaped streets, the Collegiata and the golden Tree of Love in the town museum, and Foiano della Chiana with Signorelli's last painting at the end of the day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Lucignano and Monte San Savino in 1 day
Day 1
Santa Chiara, Monte San Savino
Small church of the Poor Clares in Monte San Savino with terracotta altarpieces by Andrea Sansovino, the town's most famous son.
Cassero of Monte San Savino (ceramics museum)
The fourteenth-century fortress of Monte San Savino, now home to a museum of the local ceramics made in the town for centuries.
Loggia dei Mercanti and Palazzo di Monte
An elegant Renaissance loggia attributed to Andrea Sansovino facing the Palazzo di Monte by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, now the town hall.
Historic centre of Monte San Savino (Corso Sangallo)
A walk down Corso Sangallo between the town gates, past Renaissance palaces, churches, porchetta shops and ceramic workshops.
Historic centre of Lucignano (Piazza del Tribunale)
A walled hill town built in rings of streets around its highest point, with Piazza del Tribunale, the town hall and wide views over the valley.
Collegiata di San Michele Arcangelo, Lucignano
Lucignano's late-Renaissance collegiate church at the top of the town, reached by a curving stone staircase that gives the square its shape.
Museo Comunale di Lucignano (Tree of Love)
The town museum in the old town hall, famous for the Tree of Love, a gilded goldsmith's reliquary of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Historic centre of Foiano della Chiana (Piazza Cavour)
A farming town in the Val di Chiana with a compact old centre around Piazza Cavour, best known for its big winter carnival.
Collegiata dei Santi Martino e Leonardo, Foiano
Foiano's main church, which keeps Luca Signorelli's Coronation of the Virgin, painted in 1523 and thought to be his last work.
Getting there
A car is needed: from Arezzo it is about 30 minutes to Monte San Savino and 40 minutes to Lucignano, and from Siena about 45 minutes to Lucignano. The three towns are a short drive apart in the Val di Chiana, and each has parking just outside its walls.
Staying in Arezzo or Siena? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Lucignano and Monte San Savino
April to June and September to October bring mild weather for walking the three towns and the countryside between them. July and August are hot in the Val di Chiana, so start early. Foiano's carnival fills the town on Sundays in February, and Lucignano celebrates its Maggiolata flower festival in May.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Lucignano and Monte San Savino on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Lucignano and Monte San Savino on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Lucignano and Monte San Savino on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Lucignano and Monte San Savino
- Lucignano's town museum, with the Tree of Love, is closed on some weekdays; check its days before choosing the date of the trip.
- Park outside the walls in each town: the old centres are small, partly closed to traffic and best walked.
- Many churches and small museums close for a long lunch break, so plan the morning in Monte San Savino and the afternoon in Lucignano.
- Monte San Savino is known for its porchetta and its ceramics; the shops along Corso Sangallo sell both.
- Foiano della Chiana holds one of Italy's oldest carnivals, with large allegorical floats on Sundays in the weeks before Lent.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Cassero of Monte San Savino (ceramics museum): Anna.Massini, CC BY 4.0
- Collegiata dei Santi Martino e Leonardo, Foiano: Eliocommons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic centre of Foiano della Chiana (Piazza Cavour): PMM, Public domain
- Historic centre of Lucignano (Piazza del Tribunale): Edisonblus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic centre of Monte San Savino (Corso Sangallo): Scott Brenner from Denver, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Loggia dei Mercanti and Palazzo di Monte: Orazio Porta, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Museo Comunale di Lucignano (Tree of Love): Valeri Rossano, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
