Monte San Savino stands on the western side of the Valdichiana, opposite Cortona and perched on a mountain that overlooks the Esse Valley. It’s a centuries-old town in which various signs of Etruscan civilization were unearthed during excavation campaigns in the late 1800s. Ciggiano is located close by.

The old town still displays evidence of that golden age. Start with the Porta Fiorentina, the bridge house (home to the Municipal Museum that concentrates on the variety of traditional local crafts), the striking Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Vertighe, the small but picturesque churches of Santa Chiara, Sant’Agostino and San Giovanni, the Porticciolo, the Palazzo Di Monte, the Logge dei Mercanti designed by Nanni di Baccio Bigio, and finally the old Ghetto and impressive Synagogue.

Monte San Savino is one of the best places to try the porchetta (slow-roasted suckling pig). The annual porchetta food festival, held on the second Sunday in September.