Discover Serre di Rapolano

Serre di Rapolano appeals to travellers who do not want to view culture and landscape separately. Here, the history of fortified farm estates, olive oil production, historic architecture and routes to the travertine quarries take centre stage. This gives you a stay with several possible focuses: local history, regional products, cycling, hiking or a festival weekend.

Grance, oil and the history of the town

The Museo dell’Antica Grancia e dell’Olio di Serre di Rapolano documents the history of ancient fortified farm estates, known as grance. Since the 14th century, these belonged to the Sienese hospital Santa Maria della Scala. The same museum also houses an oil library, where visitors can taste and purchase oil from the most important olive mills in the Sienese area. History and olive oil therefore form a shared perspective here, making the town understandable beyond its buildings as well.

Architecture between fortress, church and stage

Castello Gori Martini is an architectural complex of approximately 1,600 square metres, comprising a manor house, a granary, an oil mill and a hanging garden. This garden lies on the remains of the Byzantine fortress of Serre di Rapolano. The church of Santi Lorenzo e Andrea also preserves historic traces: it contains frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries. The Teatrino Gori-Martini was converted into a performance space from a building with an oil mill in the basement and a storage room on the ground floor.

Routes to the travertine quarries

For active days, the municipal Cave e Castelli cycling route offers a 15.5 km trail. It is suitable for mountain bikes as well as gravel or hybrid bikes and has a medium to low difficulty level. The route leads to the travertine quarries of Serre di Rapolano and runs along a road with impressive views of the quarries.

A shorter option is the municipal circular route Via Lauretana e dintorni, measuring 7.2 km. It is suitable for families and for hikers with little to moderate experience. The route starts in the centre of Serre, follows part of the Via Lauretana, then rejoins the Cave e Castelli route and returns to Serre di Rapolano. From Serre di Rapolano, the Garibaldi Gravel route also leads along the road to the travertine quarries, where the stone is still extracted today. The different lengths and profiles make it easier for you to choose between a longer cycling loop and a more compact hike.

Serremaggio in the historic centre

On the third weekend of May, Serremaggio in the historic centre of Serre di Rapolano features an old market, demonstrations of traditional crafts that have died out, and a procession of Ciambragina and Messer de Rossi. The procession includes nobles, guards, flag bearers and drummers. If you would like to focus your stay on local history and living tradition, this festival provides a clear date in the annual calendar.

For further travel planning, you can also discover Armaiolo.

For the broader travel overview: Rapolano Terme.