Nature & Sport

Pigelleto Nature Reserve

The Pigelleto Nature Reserve is a changes in the Italian territory. It is worth to visit for the landscape and the setting. Every season is charming: in autumn you can listen the male deer who vocalise  and fight in order to defend its “harem”.In winter you can observe the animals easy and in February for the woolf start  the season love.In summer there is an explosion of life and colors. The summer season at 1000 mt is synonym of  peacefullness, the best moment to observe the animals is down and during the time wormest the cadence of life slowly downs and everything arrests.

The  Reserve extends over a territory of 862 hectars between Siena and Grosseto. It is located in Piancastagnaio, a small town South-East from Monte Amiata in Tuscany. It is rising over Poggio  Pampagliano (969 m).

It is between Rome and Florence, in the nearby of Saturnia and Chianciano Spa and in the surrondigs there are some medieval town: Pienza, Montepulciano e Montalcino where you can taste famous wine as “Nobile” and “Brunello” and the Monte Labbro where David Lazzaretti, “the profet of Monte Amiata”, in the second half of the Ninentheen Century, founded a social and religious movement.

 

 In the Monte Amiata there was one of the most important quicksilver mines of  Italy, today completely abandoned.

FAUNA

English Name	Italian Name	Latin Name	Photo	Detail
Roe Deers	Caprioli	Capreolus Capreolus
Wild Boars	Cinghiali	Sus Scrofa
Spectacled Salamander	Salamandrina dagli occhiali
Colubers	Biacco	Coluber Virdiflavus
Vipers	Vipera	Vipera Aspis
Jays	Ghiangaia	Garrulus Glandarius
Wood Pigeons	Colombaccio	Columba Palumbus
Goldcrests	Regolo	Regolus Regolus
Blue Tits	Cinciarella	Parus Caeruleus
Great Tits	Cinciallegra	Parus Major
Robins	Pettirosso	Erithacus Rubecula
Blackbirds	Merlo	Turdus merula
Blackcaps	capinera	Sylvia Atricapilla
Buzzards	Poiana	Buteo buteo
Honey Buzzards	Falco Pecchiaiolo	Pernis apivorus
Sparrowhawks	Sparviere	Accipiter nisus
Harrier Eagles	Biancone	Circaetus Gallicus
Goshawks	Astore	Accipiter gentilis
Tawny Oaks	allocchi	Strix aluco
Barn Owls	Barbagianni	Tyto alba
Owls	Civetta	Athene noctua
Green Woodpecker	Picchio Verde	Picus Viridis
Stone Martens	Faina	Martes Foina
Porcupines	Istrice	Hystrix Cristata
Fox	Volpe	Vulpes Vulpes
Badgers	Tasso	Meles Meles
Dormouses	Ghiri
Woolf	Lupo	Lupus

 

FLORA: Trees

 

 

English Name	Italian Name	Latin Name	Photo	Detail
Beech	Faggio	Fagus Sylvatica
Hornbeams	Carpino Bianco	Carpinus Betulus
Turkey Oaks	Quercia	Quercus Cerris
Black Hornbeams	Carpino Nero	Ostriya Carpinifolia
Ash trees	Frassino	Fraxinus Ornus
Aspens	Pioppo Tremulo	Populus Tremula
Willow trees	Salici	Salix Caprea
Weeping/Drooping Sedge	Carice Maggiore	Carex Pendula
Chestnut	castagno	Castanea Europea
Bigleaf Linden	Tiglio	Tilia Platyphyllos
Service trees	Sorbi	Sorbus Domestica
Junipers	Ginepri	Juniperus Europeus
Estrella Gold	Scopino	Erica Arbore
Blackthorns	Pruno	Prunus Spinosa
English Broom	Scopa	Sarothamnus Scoparius
Broom Trees	Ginestra	Spartium Iunceum

Flowers

 

English Name	Italian Name	Latin Name	photo	Information
liverwarts	Hepatica	Hepatica trifolia
Flowering Onion	Aglio Orsino	Allium Ursinum
Belladonna	Belladonna	Atropa belladonna
Snowdrops	bucaneve	Galanthus nivalis
Anemone	Anemone	Anemone Hortensis
Cyclamen	Ciclamino
Primrose	Primula
Elder Tree	Sambuco
Viola	Etruscan Violet

SPORT

Mount Amiata an ancient volcano offers a lot of starting points for activities in every season, summer, fall, winter and spring in a fascinating territory. Beech woods, old volcanic rocks, tracks, old chestnut houses, villages, etc. is surrounding us in Monte Amiata and is therefore a idealistic spot to enjoy orienteering, mountain biking, trekking, horse riding and so on.

Amiata is the right place to practise sports: altitude, good air and water and the richness of the sport equipments.

Piancastagnaio offers not only the best setting to walking under chestnut and beeches , or to trekking and footing, but also a large number of  areas for volleyball, basket, aerobics and a big football park end tennis court and golf course.

 But the best thing that Piancastagnaio has to offer is the Pigelleto Nature Park, a pleasant park that is a popular tourist destination but in the same time you can the possibility to discover some off the beaten path destination.

In the Pigelleto  Nature Park you have many chances:

Skiing

Orienteering

Biking

Walking tour

Motorbiking

Horse Riding

Spelunking

Trekking

Climbing

Skiing

Monte Amiata in the winter is a magical place. Enjoying the season, the relax and feast with friends and family. The top of the volcano covered with”winter sculptures”, yourself make them, the Fiaccole (burning torches in the villages),or of course go skiing.

You can choose among a wide set of ski run: from the easyest ( adapt to the children) until the most difficoult ( adapt to the expert people). Anyway we have skiing instructors for adults and children.

Orienteering

 

 Orienteering is a sport for everyone, regardless of age or experience. The competitive athlete with experience can have the exhilaration of running through the woods at top speedly, while the non-competitive orienteer can enjoy the forest at a more leisurely pace. Most events provide courses for all levels–from beginner to advance.                                                                                                    The sport is also a game for children, where they have the opportunity to learn about geographic, maps, flower, threes, animals, and science.                                                                                                 We organize a competition, who finds the first road that leads to the finish point ,win. You need to think, discuss, be reasonable, (the thinking sport) and fast to reach the ending point.                                                                                                In orienteering you have to use 2 fundamental materials:

The map

 

The silent map in scale represent “the high point of view”. It is not indicated locations, (roads, monuments, churches, lakes etc.), or numbers of altitudes. The participants need to follow the map with the help of a compass to find the checkpoints. The participants chose the fastest route to follow from the map, from 1 checkpoint to another. The map has many symbols and colours that indicate houses, roads threes, high tops, low meadows etc.

The lantern

 

The participants have to find the checkpoint. They are in the colours of red and white and attack to it the participants will find a stamp that leaves a mark, (in the form of triangle, quadrant, roar …) different form for each checkpoint.

Biking

 

For cycling Monte Amiata offers an exceptional area, a real richness of enjoyment either for those looking for difficult itineraries or for those who enjoy a quiet riding horse in the green countryside, cycling under the shadow of beech trees or along the sun baked valleys

The route circles entirely around the mountain and covers about 80 km. We will depart from Prato delle Macinaie by car and we’ll reach Abbadia San Salvatore where we’ll leave the car and take the way to Piancastagnaio, it’s about 3 km, and then we continue towards Santa Fiora crossing at 950 metres. From Santa Fiora we continue to the medieval centre of Arcidosso. Now we get to the tough part of the route as we take the road to Montalcino passing through the vineyards of this famous wine growing area.After we have reached the village we begin the return route that takes us to the splendid St. Antimo Abbey and then Seggiano, noted for its highly prized “Olivastra” olive oil. From Seggiano we take a charming road above the Val D’Orcia and return to Abbadia San Salvatore.

Experts may like to bike the 8 km that take us back to the Prato delle Macinaie, otherwise they can return to the hotel by car.

For mountain bikers the paths, parks and nature reserves throught the great beech woods are more suitable.

For conventional cyclists there are splendid rides through areas of natural and historic interest: for example along the Strada della Castagna, the Strada del Vino di Montecucco, or a tour of the villages on the mountain or in the Val d’Orcia.

On return from your trip, there is a garage and workshop for your bike.

Leaving Le Macinaie Lodge, we cover a short distance by road as far as the “Madonna di Camicione” where weget ontothe Mount Amiata Ring Road. We reach the “Pozza di Catana” and then the “Arcu” shelter. There is about one kilometre of paved road and then at “Aia dei Venti” we get back onto a dirt road with an exciting downhill slope passing through Poggio Trauzzolo until we arrive at the Aiuole. Passing through the wonderful beech woods, continuing with some ups and downs and long flat stretches, we reach the area of “Sasso dei tre confini”. From here we pass by Pozzaroni farm along a dirt road, reaching Quaranta and then Saragiolo. Taking another dirt road, we arrive at La Direzione from where we continue to the Pigelleto Nature Reserve for our tour. After visiting Pigelleto, we move on to the ancient mines of Siele, a picturesque village in the heart of a wood. The wood has been improved and can be visited.Time ago Siele was one of the largest centres for mining mercury in the world. You can visit the furnaces,the old houses and the director’s villa. Fascinating!

Return by bicycle or by bus.

The Sentiero Ciclabile(Cycling Trail) is almost 6 km long. The asphalt roads are restricted to mountain bikes only. It runs through the woods of the Pigelleto Nature Reserve and arrives at the cultivated lands that surround the Reserve. It goes up to Poggio Roccone and then down towards the Siele Mines.

Walking tour

The Sentiero Natura(the Nature Trial) begins at Podere La Roccaccia and ends at the Environmental Education Centre ‘La Direzione’ for a 2.5 km long walk inside the Reserve. Along the way you will find many information sighs about the animals and palnts.

The Sentiero del Tasso(the Yew Trial) is almost 2 km long. It takes you into the most beautiful and interesting part of the Reserve. This is why visitors must be accompanied by guides and rules are very stricted. During the trip you will see chstneut tress, beeches, silver firs and fern trees. There are also wet lands created by permant water sources.

The Sentiero del Ponte(Bridge Trial) is 4 km long. It is inside the Reserve. Along the way there is a break area in an old ruin (podere s. Ignazio) surrounded by beeches.

Motorbiking

 

Steep curves, difficoult bends round, fresh view; emerging from a tunnel of green under the beeches; taking the twisting road over the shoulder of the mountain; reaching the road which borders vineyards and olive groves; stopping briefly for a coffee; changing the tyres and engines in the warm mountain sun… this is the world to savour on two wheels.

Amiata is an ideal base for bikers who want to visit the western part of central Italy. Together with Castel del Piano’s Motor Club we have put together a week of “Motor biking in Southern Tuscany”, with six rides which combine good food and wine and the natural and cultural aspects of the area

Horse Riding

The leisurely clopping take and carry you on a fantastic atmosfere of fairytale. Whether going along a dry riverbed, along the leafy carpet of the woods, or following the paths in the Park (catching glimpses of the sea sparkling in the far distance), the horse is sure footed and looks after its rider. Amiata is an ideal place for equestrians. Its numerous paths which wind towards the mountain or towards the valleys and the nature reserves offer many opportunities. And the existence of riding stables in the area means that we can offer guests high quality tours. We use the Ambassador Stables at Arcidosso where Ivan and Giulia will take good care of you and your children.

Spelunking

 

In the natural reserve of Monte Penna, in the borough of Castell’Azzara, Sassocolato (or Bacheca) grotto is a perfect place for lovers of speleology. The grotto is inhabited by a colony of bats, so it’a good use, in order not to disturb them, to admit a few visitors just in special periods of the year, and always with an expert guide.

Trekking

 

Inside Pigelleto Nature Riserve you can have the possibilty to do trekking, if you love impervious path and gangway for experience hikers, with good mountain knowledge, based technique and appropiate equipment.

Ask information to the check point to the entry of the riserve for the itinerary adeguate to your level of experience.

Climbing

 

Pigelleto Nature Reserve offers itinerary for mountaineer who loves rock face and crown equipped with rope and ladder pre-emptively. Climbing needs training and equipment, for example crash helmet, heat sink. If you don’t have the equipment, you can hire out them.