An extinct volcano, chestnut woods and a Lombard crypt
Monte Amiata, 1,738 metres high, is an extinct volcano rising alone above southern Tuscany, covered with beech and chestnut forests. In winter it is the most popular ski area in the region; in summer it offers cool walks and views over the Val d'Orcia and the Maremma.
At its foot, Abbadia San Salvatore grew around an abbey founded by the Lombard king Ratchis in the eighth century. Its crypt, with a forest of 36 columns with carved capitals, is one of the most striking early medieval spaces in Italy. The town also has a well-preserved medieval quarter and the museum of the mercury mines, which were active until the 1970s.
Tip: on Christmas Eve the town lights the Fiaccole, huge pyres of wood several metres high, in a spectacular celebration.
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