Murlo

Murlo is a town of about 2,350 inhabitants in the province of Siena. The name derives from the Latin 'murulus' (wall), meaning 'walled place'. It is still a walled place, a charming circular village encircled by its ancient walls. It is probably the loveliest medieval village you'll find. Murlo is untouched by modern development and industry, making it a true open-air museum of medieval architecture, and a beautiful place to wander.

The earliest traces of human settlements in this area date back to the Etruscan Age (7th and 6th century BC). The artifacts found in nearby excavations are exhibited in the Museo Civico Archeologico in Murlo. The museum is located in the Palazzone, the bishop's palace, which is worth seeing itself. Don't miss the lovely stone San Fortunato cathedral.

The area was once a coal mining zone. Today, you can enjoy the Miner's Trail, a pathy that follows the old railroad line that ran along the Crevole Stream to transport the extracted coal to the processing center. Another nice walk is the path through the woods that leads to the intriguing ruins of a hermitage, the Eremo di Montespecchio. It's a fascinating place.

Murlo is in a pretty area of hills, woods and nature preserves. It is between Siena and Montalcino, near Buonconvento, the Abbey of Monte Oliveto and straddles the boundary between the Crete Senesi zone and the Maremma zone of Tuscany.