Asciano is a town located about 25km north of San Quirico D’Orcoa. It is actually in the region known as Crete Senesi, which literally translates as Clays of Sienna, the name coming from the heavy clay soil which derives from the Pliocene era when this area was under a shallow sea. The town has origins going back to Etruscan times and came under the control of Sienna in 1285. It is a little off the main tourist area of Val d’Orcia to the south, but is only about 25km from Sienna.
The main historical building is the Church of Sant Agata which dates from the 11the Century and was built in the Romanesque style.
Sant Agata – Asciano
The interior of the church is very simple, being unadorned stone with a wooden trussed roof.
Sant Agata Interior
There is not a great deal else to see in Asciano, however the town does have a medieval clock tower, and we enjoyed a very nice lunch in the town.
Asciano Clock Tower