Lucciolabella

The Lucciolabella nature reserve is located on the road which leads from Pienza of Chianciano Terme, covering a small area of the Crete Senesi, where the last foothills are found. The Orcia river, which starts a few kilometres to the east on Mount Cetona, flows to the feet of this protected area. You can enjoy the countryside here made up of ravines and especially the “biancane”, cracks eroded in the ground which are typical of the Crete Senesi landscape, caused by the intensive farming method. A specific type of vegetation has developed in these mostly bare tracts of land, consisting of plants that are well adapted to the dry conditions, such as wormwood, a small aromatic bush with fringed bluish-green leaves, podospermum and sea barley. Cypresses line an uphill road and highlight its bends, up to the top of a hill with a farmhouse of the same name: one of the most photographed farming landscapes in Tuscany, unchanged over time. This area of conservation is very important for numerous species of birds, such as the very rare stone curlew, while the whole area of the Crete Senesi is important for the harrier.