The Orcia Valley, Tuscany (Italy): landscape conservation and valuation and socio-economic regional development

Abstract

The Orcia Valley, which is made up of five municipal districts (Castiglione d’Orcia,
Montalcino, Pienza, Radicofani and San Quirico d’Orcia) in the south of Sienna province, has an area
of 61,000 hectares, mostly farmland and woodland. Characterised by an unusual natural morphology
(volcanic mountain peaks, clayey soils, “gorges” and biancane) and stratifications of historical,
urban, cultural and rural elements dating back to the Renaissance period, it remained isolated for
four hundred years. In the late 1980s, the five districts decided to launch a joint conservation and
development process by recognising the value of their natural, cultural and landscape heritage. The
aim was to promote tourism that respects the integrity of the environment, the landscape and the
authenticity of the local culture and traditions, re-qualifying and revaluing farming and its produce
through a brand-recognition policy, sustaining and promoting certified quality by applying specific
rules, protecting and developing small businesses, commerce and artisanship, paying particular
attention to artistic or traditional products, and strengthening shelter and accommodation
resources. The Orcia Valley’s inclusion on the World Heritage List in 2004 confirmed this political
will for active protection. A demonstration of this strategy, shared by the entire local population,
can be seen in the management plan that was first drawn up in 2004 and updated in 2011. Today, a
reading of statistical data reveals the positive results of the policy implemented by the five districts
in terms of economic development, particularly in the farming and tourism sectors, undertaken in
a way that is fully compatible with strict conservation of the quality of the landscape and local
cultural values.