Serre Di Rapolano can be explored through its cultural history and travertine landscape. The Museo dell’Antica Grancia e dell’Olio di Serre di Rapolano is dedicated to the granges, while the paths around the travertine quarries offer practical ways to explore the landscape. There are also historic buildings and Serremaggio, which brings its own reasons to visit.
Granges, Oil and Architectural Heritage
The Museo dell’Antica Grancia e dell’Olio di Serre di Rapolano tells the story of fortified farm estates known as granges. Since the 14th century, they belonged to the Sienese Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. In the oil library, visitors can taste and buy oil from the main Sienese oil mills. This means the museum combines the history of the granges with an opportunity to discover different oils.
Another example of the area’s architectural heritage is Castello Gori Martini, a complex of about 1,600 square metres comprising a manor house, granary, oil mill and hanging garden. The garden stands on the remains of the Byzantine fortress of Serre di Rapolano. The Church of Santi Lorenzo e Andrea also preserves history: it contains frescoes dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Teatrino Gori-Martini was created by converting a building that housed an oil mill in the basement and a storeroom on the ground floor into a performance space.
On Foot or by Bike
For a circular walk, the 7.2-kilometre Via Lauretana e dintorni starts in the centre of Serre and follows part of the Via Lauretana. It then rejoins the Cave e Castelli route and returns to Serre di Rapolano. The route is suitable for families and walkers with limited to moderate experience. Its circular layout and stated experience level can help you decide whether the walk suits your plans.
The 15.5-kilometre Cave e Castelli cycling route leads to the travertine quarries of Serre di Rapolano. It is suitable for mountain bikes as well as gravel or hybrid bikes, and is rated from moderate to easy. One section follows a road with striking views of the quarries. The Garibaldi Gravel route runs from Serre di Rapolano along the road to travertine quarries where the stone is still extracted today. Travertine is therefore both a feature of the routes’ landscapes and a stone that continues to be quarried.
Serremaggio on the Third Weekend of May
If you would like to plan your trip around a festival, Serremaggio offers a different way to experience the historic centre of Serre di Rapolano. The festival programme for the third weekend of May includes an old-fashioned market, demonstrations of crafts that have died out, and a parade featuring Ciambragina and Messer de Rossi. The procession includes nobles, guards, flag throwers and drummers; individual participants may vary. Check the specific festival dates if Serremaggio is to be a key part of your trip.
Whether you are more interested in the history of the granges, the frescoes and buildings, a walk or a cycling route, these different themes give you a clear basis for choosing the focus of your stay in Serre Di Rapolano.
Discover more destinations: Armaiolo
Return to the main travel guide: Rapolano Terme.
