Highlights
- Porta Romana departure
- Crete Senesi lunar landscape
- Tuscan clay hills
Stage conditions
| Section | Tuscany (Italy) |
|---|---|
| Water on route | Scarce |
| Shade | Minimal |
Practical notes
Getting there and away
Siena's station has regional trains on the Empoli–Siena, Siena–Chiusi and Siena–Grosseto lines, with escalators up to the old city; Autolinee Toscane's Siena bus station is the other departure point. Ponte d'Arbia has no station, but two Autolinee Toscane lines stop there: 112 (Siena–Monteroni–Ponte d'Arbia–Buonconvento–San Quirico–Pienza–Montepulciano) and 114 (Siena–Buonconvento–Torrenieri–Montalcino). The nearest station is Buonconvento on the Siena–Grosseto line, one hour's walk on along the next stage. Florence and Pisa airports connect through Siena by bus or via Empoli.
What the season does
This is where the calendar bites. The stage data give April to June and September to October, shade minimal, water scarce, and three warnings: very exposed, no services for long stretches, brutally hot in summer. The Crete Senesi are bare clay hills with no trees; from late June to early September start before dawn and be under cover by early afternoon. In a wet spring the clay becomes deep, boot-swallowing mud on the gravel roads the regional page describes. Leaving Siena on Palio days (2 July and 16 August) is only possible if you already have a bed booked at both ends.
Safety on this stage
Exposure is the hazard: no shade, few services, and the stage data's instruction to carry extra water is not optional in summer. Heat exhaustion is the realistic risk on this stage, so take a hat, salt and more water than feels sensible. Underfoot, nearly 70 per cent of the day is unpaved farm track that turns treacherous in rain. The route crosses the Cassia near Isola d'Arbia and Monteroni — cross carefully, as it is fast. Leaving Siena by Porta Romana involves suburban roads with traffic.
Water and food
Scarce. The regional page says water is rare and available only at Cuna and Quinciano, and that for other refreshments you must detour to Isola d'Arbia; the stage data repeats the warning. Carry two litres from Siena in warm weather, refill at the Grancia di Cuna, use the Quinciano fountain, and consider the Isola d'Arbia detour for a bar. Monteroni d'Arbia, close to the route, has shops. Ponte d'Arbia itself is a hamlet with a bar and the pilgrim centre.
Where pilgrims sleep
Our directory's Siena entries — Alma Domus (convent) and the Ostello della Gioventù Siena (pilgrim hostel) — are where you start; it has no entry at Ponte d'Arbia yet. At Ponte d'Arbia the pilgrim bed is the Centro Culturale L. Cresti on the Cassia, a hostel run by parish volunteers since 1998: twenty beds in five rooms, kitchen, laundry and drying racks, space for fifty tents in the garden, open year round, everything on a donation basis, credenziale preferred rather than required. Communal dinners are also by donation. The Parrocchia Santi Giusto e Donato at Monteroni d'Arbia, a little before, is another donation-based welcome.
Sources: Visit Tuscany — Leg 34 Siena to Ponte d'Arbia · Visit Tuscany — pilgrim hospitality, leg 34 · Visit Tuscany — Centro Culturale L. Cresti, Ponte d'Arbia · Autolinee Toscane — line 112 Siena–Buonconvento–Montepulciano · Autolinee Toscane — line 114 Siena–Buonconvento–Torrenieri–Montalcino · Wikipedia — Siena railway station · Wikipedia — Palio di Siena · Visit Tuscany — Useful suggestions before you leave
Common questions
How long is the Siena to Ponte d'Arbia stage?
It is 28.0 km (17.4 mi) and takes about 7 hours of walking, from Siena to Ponte d'Arbia.
How hard is Siena to Ponte d'Arbia?
It is rated moderate with 300 m of ascent and 450 m of descent over mixed terrain.
Is there water on the Siena to Ponte d'Arbia stage?
Water is scarce on this stage. Carry what you need before you set out.
How do I get to Siena and away from Ponte d'Arbia?
Siena's station has regional trains on the Empoli–Siena, Siena–Chiusi and Siena–Grosseto lines, with escalators up to the old city; Autolinee Toscane's Siena bus station is the other departure point. Ponte d'Arbia has no station, but two Autolinee Toscane lines stop there: 112 (Siena–Monteroni–Ponte d'Arbia–Buonconvento–San Quirico–Pienza–Montepulciano) and 114 (Siena–Buonconvento–Torrenieri–Montalcino). The nearest station is Buonconvento on the Siena–Grosseto line, one hour's walk on along the next stage.
Where do pilgrims sleep in Ponte d'Arbia?
Our directory's Siena entries — Alma Domus (convent) and the Ostello della Gioventù Siena (pilgrim hostel) — are where you start; it has no entry at Ponte d'Arbia yet. At Ponte d'Arbia the pilgrim bed is the Centro Culturale L. Cresti on the Cassia, a hostel run by parish volunteers since 1998: twenty beds in five rooms, kitchen, laundry and drying racks, space for fifty tents in the garden, open year round, everything on a donation basis, credenziale preferred rather than required.
Walk this stage
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