Chapel Vitaleta — Attraction in Unione dei Comuni Amiata Val d'Orcia

Warning for Fellow Travelers:

DO NOT LEAVE ANY OF YOUR BELONGINGS IN THE CAR. SOMEONE MIGHT SMASH THE WINDOW AND STEAL THEM.

We visited this location around 3-4 PM. It took us only 10 minutes to walk to the chapel, where we stayed and took pictures for about 30 minutes. When we returned, someone had smashed our car window and stolen three of our bags (fortunately, nothing important). There were a few other cars parked there (around 7-10), but ours was the only one targeted. The area is isolated—no nearby homes, no CCTV, and no people around.

WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU:

Secure your car, take pictures for evidence, and move to a safer location. Locate the nearest police station. In our case, since it was late (around 7 PM), no police station was open, so we filed a report in Siena. It’s unlikely you’ll recover your belongings, but do making a police report for insurance claims.

Suspicious Activity (Be Careful): A white van stopped in the middle of the road as we passed, then seemed to follow us. It stopped in the same spot when we stopped and continued to follow us afterward. A witness mentioned seeing three people on bicycles (they weren’t sure, but they saw them on their way there).

Stay safe, fellow travelers!

(I use the chatgpt for...

A Wonderful location but so horribly managed. When I had the chance to go this summer to Tuscany and saw that there was this wonderful location I was super excited. But my excitement soon turned to frustration and extremely negative experience due to the personnel who were managing the place. Unfortunately, the people running the place are extremely unprofessional and find ways to constantly change things to their advantage and find ways to make you pay more and more for something which was agreed upon with crazy fees charging 1000's of EUROS if the event lasts after the agreed timing by 45 minutes etc. Please don't be fooled by their sweetness at first. If you do an event there at the least get everything in detailed writing in a contact . The personnel will say one thing but when it is too late to change anything they sting you with LOTS of surprises. I would never book anything with them and I hope that you do not. Go enjoy the wonderful view by coming to visit the location, but keep your money in your pockets. Hansel and Gretel learned that not all that looks good IS good in the...

The journey was a highlight, the destination a disappointment. We walked from Pienza on a sunny 25 degree day and really enjoyed the way. We returned along a slightly longer route which brought us along the famed Gladiator road. Both directions were beautiful (with one exception, the last km or so you walk to the chapel joined by about 100 other people from a busy parking area). Outside of that one bad kilometer the overall walk was warm and peaceful. But what on earth people make such a fuss about this chapel for I don't know. In itself the chapel is okay... But you can see as good or better almost by accident as you travel through Bavaria for example. Vitaleta wouldn't rank in the top 100 there. The setting is theoretically nice. However in actuality the fencing, nearby restaurant, parked cars, ongoing construction work, and crowd make it anything BUT charming. The chapel now exists in a very inorganic state. Packaged, surrounded, fenced and exploited. Spot it from a distance on your walk and you will enjoy the best it has to offer. Make no effort to...