Italy · Toscana · Historic villages
the village in the Val d'Orcia where the main square is a pool of thermal water
Bagno Vignoni is a handful of houses in the middle of the Val d'Orcia, and in place of a square it has a rectangular sixteenth century pool full of thermal water that rises from the aquifer below. Around it stand stone palaces, the Loggiato di Santa Caterina da Siena and little else: half an hour and you have seen it. The water, though, carries on past the village, runs down the travertine cliff of the Parco dei Mulini and reaches the river Orcia, and that walk is what makes the stop worth it.
Sleeping
Three options: two at Bagno Vignoni, with no services, and the serviced area at San Quirico d'Orcia.
Str. di Bagno Vignoni 1, 53027 San Quirico d'Orcia (SI)
the part reserved for motorhomes is at the end of the road. In October 2025 the road surface was being redone and the area was not accessible: worth checking before heading for it.
Str. di Bagno Vignoni 1, 53027 San Quirico d'Orcia (SI)
on the left, a hundred metres before the turning for the municipal car park, a track leads off to the old free Roman baths. Along it there are wide spots where you can stop the motorhome without blocking other vehicles.
Via delle Scuole 1, 53027 San Quirico d'Orcia (SI)
a few kilometres north of Bagno Vignoni, level and surfaced, in front of a park with tables for eating outside and a playground for children. It is the only one of the three with water and waste.
Getting around
Seeing
Four stops: the first three follow the thermal water from the square down to the river and are done on foot, the last is a medieval village a few kilometres away. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.
Square · free entry · 43.02828, 11.61804
not a square at all but a large rectangular pool of the sixteenth century, which gathers the thermal water arriving from the aquifer below. The water is hot, rich in mineral salts, and steams above all in the evening and on cold days. Around it stand historic palaces, inns and the Loggiato di Santa Caterina da Siena, where the saint withdrew to pray. Bathing in the pool on the square is not allowed.
Park · 43.02684, 11.61914
a protected natural area just outside the centre, where the water of the Piazza delle Sorgenti flows away. It was a milling centre: the constant flow of the thermal water drove four hypogeal mills, cut out underground, and their remains can be visited. The water forms small falls and streams, called gorelli, that cross the park along the travertine cliff.
Point of interest · 43.02611, 11.61938
they lie in the lower part of the Parco dei Mulini, where the thermal water gathers and cools before flowing into the river Orcia. Bathing was once free, then a municipal ordinance banned it across the whole park, these pools included: ordinance no. 22 of 31 March 2010, with a fine of 25 to 500 euros. The largest pool is at times fenced off with a net. What remain are the streams and small puddles running down the slope. The water here is not very hot: it is pleasant in the mid seasons.
Village · 43.00644, 11.61636
a medieval village perched on a hill a short distance from Bagno Vignoni, inside the UNESCO area of the Val d'Orcia. Its origins go back a thousand years and it passed through the hands of the Aldobrandeschi and the Salimbeni. Its symbol is the Rocca Aldobrandesca, open to visitors, which dominates the valley; in the old town is Piazza Vecchietta, named after the Sienese artist Lorenzo di Pietro, with a travertine well of the sixteenth century. The municipality also takes in Rocca d'Orcia, Campiglia d'Orcia and the spa hamlet of Bagni San Filippo.
Remember
Bagno Vignoni · part two
and then?
What to do, what to taste, and where to go tomorrow.
What we did starting from here, ordered by driving time.
The most typical dish, to cook again at home.
The next stop, ordered by driving time.
Distances and times by road, measured with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data.
Looking
6 shots from our visit. Tap one to see it large.
