The carefully cultivated hills south of Siena culminate in Tuscanys highest peak, the extinct volcano Monte Amiata (1,738 metres). Fortified villages crown the hilltops: most enticing is timeless little Montalcino, famed for its Brunello wines and 14th-century fortress. San Quirico dOrcias showpiece is its Collegiata church with Romanesque portals. Pienza, remodelled by Pope Pius II, is a perfectly preserved Renaissance city.
