Bagno Vignoni and the Parco dei Mulini

What it is

Bagno Vignoni is a hamlet of San Quirico d'Orcia, at 306 m, in the middle of the valley and beside the Via Francigena. Instead of a square it has a large rectangular pool of Renaissance origin, the Piazza delle Sorgenti, full of hot spring water that emerges at about 49 °C and steams on cold days. The houses, the loggia and the church are reflected in it. It is a short, free visit and one of the images of the valley.

The water comes from an aquifer of volcanic origin and has been used since Etruscan and Roman times. In the Middle Ages the village was known throughout Tuscany: Pope Pius II, Catherine of Siena and Lorenzo de' Medici passed through. Andrei Tarkovsky filmed a good part of Nostalghia in the square in 1982.

What to see

• The Piazza delle Sorgenti. Walk all the way round the edge. You can no longer bathe in the pool: bathing in the village centre is prohibited and the water is enjoyed in the thermal hotels.
• The Parco dei Mulini. The water leaves the pool and falls down the slope towards the Orcia valley, among channels, small white limestone waterfalls and four medieval mills carved into the rock, already mentioned in 1207. As the spring never dries up, the mills ground in summer, when the area's rivers ran dry. A path goes down between them towards the valley.
• The pools below. At the foot of the park the water pools in small basins, already much cooler than in the square. For years people have taken their shoes off here, but access has changed with municipal regulations: respect the signs and fences you find.

Bathing properly

To get into thermal water in the village you have to go to one of its paid establishments: Visit Tuscany lists the Terme Spa & Resort, which overlooks the central pool, the Terme Hotel La Posta, with indoor and outdoor pools over the valley, and the Terme Hotel Adler. Check their websites for day passes and whether they admit non-guests.

If you are looking for free hot springs in the wild, go to Bagni San Filippo, on the slope of the Amiata and on the same stage of the Francigena, with the great limestone waterfall of the Balena Bianca: there you do bathe without paying.

Getting there and parking

Bagno Vignoni is south of San Quirico d'Orcia, next to the Via Cassia. The centre is pedestrian: leave the car in the car park on the outskirts and walk in; don't leave anything visible inside. From the square, the park can be walked down in a few minutes.

On foot, the Via Francigena from San Quirico to Radicofani passes through Vignoni Alto and comes down to the square: it is the first stop with water on the stage.

How long it takes and when to go

An hour is enough for the square and the park. Go first thing or at the end of the afternoon: at midday at weekends it fills up, and in the cold or as the sun goes down the steam over the pool looks much better. In winter there are fewer people and the temperature contrast is greater. A good thermal day in the valley links Bagno Vignoni in the morning and Bagni San Filippo in the afternoon, or the other way round.

With children and reduced mobility

The square is flat and can be done with a pushchair. The Parco dei Mulini goes down a sloping earth path with slippery stone beside the water: hold little ones by the hand and wear shoes with grip. The water in the pool is too hot to touch with confidence.