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The route starts at San Giovanni delle Contee, 470 meters above sea level, on the northernmost edge of the municipality of Sorano. The first kilometers climb purposefully westward and northwestward: the landscape quickly changes, leaving the rocky, open character of the tuff plateau for denser vegetation and more varied terrain. The climb toward Monte Vitozzo brings the first great reward: the Roccaccia, Aldobrandeschi ruins at 926 meters, an exceptional panoramic viewpoint with 360° views over Monte Amiata, Lake Bolsena, the Tuscan Archipelago, the Apennine chain, and on clear days, all the way to the Gran Sasso. It is one of the most extraordinary viewpoints in the entire hilly Maremma.
From Monte Vitozzo the route enters the Monte Penna Nature Reserve, a protected area established in 1996 across 1,050 hectares of almost entirely forested land, between the south-eastern slopes of the Amiata and the tuff plateau of Sorano. Here the bicycle winds through beech, turkey oak, maple, and hornbeam: a dense, silent forest, with active wildlife — roe deer crossing clearings at dusk, raptors (goshawk, buzzard, honey buzzard) circling at altitude, porcupines and pine martens in the undergrowth. The altitude remains high, between 800 and 900 meters, in a mountain landscape that feels surprisingly far from the plateau left just hours before.
The descent leads to Selvena, a village whose very existence is owed to mining: cinnabar, antimony, and mercury extracted here since the Etruscan and medieval eras, until the facilities closed in 1981. On the hill above the settlement, the imposing ruins of Rocca Silvana dominate — an Aldobrandeschi castle from the 9th century, the most important fortress in this territory during the Middle Ages, the preferred residence of Count Guglielmo Aldobrandeschi in the 13th century, and a military base in disputes with Siena, Orvieto, and Frederick II. The pentagonal tower and sections of the double ashlar curtain wall are still fully legible.
The route continues eastward and southward, gradually returning to the tuff plateau. It reaches Castell'Ottieri — the Rocca degli Ottieri, 15th century, built on the earlier Aldobrandeschi tower from the 12th century — and then Montorio, with its castle and intact medieval walls. The return to San Giovanni delle Contee closes a loop that has touched four castles, two ecosystems, and a thousand years of history.
Author’s recommendation
Medieval village at the northernmost edge of the municipality of Sorano, 1 km from the Via Francigena. The Ottieri 'Casa Reale,' with its medieval arched doorway, is one of the few buildings to survive the 1919 earthquake. The small village retains an authentic rural atmosphere.
Roccaccia di Monte Vitozzo
Ruins of the Aldobrandeschi castle at 926 meters, within the Monte Penna Nature Reserve. The cycling track passes within meters of the Roccaccia: reaching the panoramic viewpoint requires leaving the bike and climbing a short trail on foot. The viewpoint is among the most extraordinary in the hilly Maremma: in good visibility, you can make out Monte Amiata, Lake Bolsena, the Tuscan Archipelago, the Apennine chain, and the peaks of the central-southern Apennines. A stop is strongly recommended.
Monte Penna Nature Reserve
Protected area of 1,050 hectares established in 1996, between the south-eastern slopes of the Amiata and the tuff plateau. The massif is predominantly limestone — a geology opposite to the tuff of the Sorano plateau — with peaks exceeding 1,000 meters (Monte Civitella 1,107 m, Poggio della Vecchia 1,086 m). The mixed forest of beech, turkey oak, maple, and hornbeam is home to roe deer, pine marten, porcupine, wildcat, and numerous raptor species. Exceptionally large chestnut trees can be found near Selvena.
Rocca Silvana — Selvena
One of the most important Aldobrandeschi castles in southern Tuscany, documented since 833. For centuries it was the economic and military center of Aldobrandeschi power, thanks to the richly productive cinnabar, antimony, and mercury mines nearby. Its position on a plateau nearly 600 meters high, with three sides dropping sheer into the Fiora valley, made it virtually impregnable. Among its notable inhabitants: Count Guglielmo Aldobrandeschi, 'il gran Tosco' (the great Tuscan), cited by Dante in Purgatorio. The ruins of the pentagonal tower (known as the Federiciana) and the double ashlar curtain wall remain imposing.
Montorio Castle
Village with an intact medieval wall circuit, historically a key stronghold in the network of power among the Aldobrandeschi, Ottieri, and Orsini families.
Rocca di Castell'Ottieri
Renaissance complex built in the 15th century by the Ottieri family around the earlier 12th-century Aldobrandeschi tower. Seat of the Ottieri County from 1381 to 1616. The castle extends on three sides with a circular turret, all built in tuff ashlar. The Church of San Bartolomeo (late 16th century), commissioned by Sinolfo Ottieri — treasurer to Pope Sixtus IV — preserves frescoes of the Nasini school.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Safety information
Emergencies: 112 — Phone coverage is intermittent in the forested sections of the Reserve. Download the GPX track for offline use before setting out.Tips and suggestions
Water and refreshments:- San Giovanni delle Contee: refreshments available in the village — check seasonal hours
- Selvena: bar and services in the village, roughly halfway along the route
- Castell'Ottieri: seasonal services. On the high-altitude section: no services — carry adequate supplies
Surface type: Predominantly gravel on forest roads. Paved sections between the villages.
Difficulty: With 810 m of positive elevation gain over 42 km, this is the most demanding route in the municipality of Sorano. The challenge is physical, not technical: the roads present no difficult sections, but the elevation requires good fitness — or, alternatively, an e-bike for a more comfortable experience. For the high-altitude sections (700–931 m), carry a wind layer.
Note on municipal boundaries: The route briefly crosses into the municipality of Castell'Azzara in the Selvena and Monte Penna Reserve area. As with the other project itineraries, the tracks extend beyond the administrative boundaries of the municipality of Sorano to ensure a complete tourist experience consistent with the logic of the territory.
Recommended detour: At the Roccaccia di Monte Vitozzo the track passes within meters of the panoramic viewpoint. Leave the bike and walk up to the belvedere — the stop takes just a few minutes and is one of the most significant moments of the entire route.
Castello di Montorio
Castell'Ottieri
Roccaccia di Montevitozzo
Coordinates
Equipment
Bikes: Suitable for MTB, gravel, trekking, and e-bikes. The gravel sections, including the high-altitude stretches in the Monte Penna Reserve, are on well-packed surfaces rideable on any touring bikeDerived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions