San Quirico d’Orcia is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 80 km southeast of Florence and about 35 km southeast of Siena inside the Valdorcia landscape. It is named in honor of Saint Quiricus.
Located in a strategic position along the Via Cassia (and the old Via Francigena), San Quirico d’Orcia was often the residence of imperial bailiffs.
In its town centre, encircled by fortified walls, a stop should be made at the Collegiata dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta with its magnificent Romanesque-Gothic doorways as well as at the Misericordia and Santa Maria di Vitaleta churches, at the Palazzo Pretorio (town hall) and at Palazzo Chigi.
The Horti Leonini gardens are a splendid example of giardini all’italiana: they were designed in about 1540 by Diomede Leoni and periodically host temporary exhibits of contemporary sculpture.
A final stop should be made to admire the Santa Maria Assunta church, the Giardino delle Rose (rose garden) and the centuries-old Scala hospital.
