In 2024, Val d’Orcia celebrated twenty years since it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This significant anniversary celebrates the area’s beauty and uniqueness, as well as its appeal to international tourists.

To mark this important milestone, joint initiatives have been launched in the area’s five municipalities: Castiglione d’Orcia (the lead municipality for the joint management of the World Heritage site); Montalcino; Pienza; Radicofani; and San Quirico d’Orcia.

Alongside an educational programme for primary and lower secondary schools in the 2024/25 school year, a calendar of celebratory events has been organised, comprising five thematic meetings exploring the many facets of belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage List. One meeting will be held in each municipality of Val d’Orcia throughout 2025, bringing the area to life.

Here is the schedule of events:

• 21 March 2025: Castiglione d’Orcia
  Val d’Orcia: Next Level!
  Opening day of the 20th anniversary celebrations

• 29 March 2025 – Pienza
  Ad Terram Suam: Pietro Lorenzetti’s San Luca
  Protection and enhancement of cultural heritage: presentation of the ‘Cuspide’.

Further details on the events in Radicofani, Montalcino and San Quirico d’Orcia will soon be available. These events will focus on the protection and regeneration of small villages, food and wine excellence in relation to cultural landscapes and rural development, and the development of sustainable tourism in World Heritage areas.