Discover Pietraia: Church Art, Traditions and Wine

When looking for a hotel in Pietraia, it helps to consider the themes that can shape your stay: a geological connection reflected in the name, a specific work in the Chiesa di San Leopoldo alla Pietraia, the Presepe Vivente, and wine and cycling experiences. These highlights are quite distinct. Art and traditions give a trip a cultural focus; cycling experiences, meanwhile, center on the places mentioned or the route itself. Wine events also come in different formats: one tasting is accompanied by food, while another event combines it with a concert and a tour. This lets you plan your stay around a specific interest instead of treating all the experiences as a single program.

Sandstone, Church Art and a Specific Work

The name La Pietraia comes from a sandstone outcrop considered the only one in the Valdichiana. The place name therefore has a geological connection. The Chiesa di San Leopoldo alla Pietraia is another cultural point of interest. It is located in Selvapiana, in the plain of Cortona near Lago Trasimeno. The church contains an oil painting created by Baldassarre Moracci in 1893. It depicts the Madonna dei dolori and Saint Leopold. For those interested in art and local history, there are two distinct points of connection: the sandstone explains the origin of the name, while the painting, with its artist, date of creation and figures depicted, is a specific sacred work.

The Presepe Vivente as a Reason to Visit

The Presepe Vivente di Pietraia is a community event that has been held every two years for more than 30 years. The 2025/26 edition combined a traditional procession of the Three Wise Men to the nativity hut with a walking route of more than two kilometers, featuring around 80 to 100 performers and approximately 20 stations. This combination of a procession, walking route and stations brings the community spirit of the Presepe to life. If you choose the Presepe as a reason to visit, check the dates for the relevant edition, as the event takes place every two years.

Wine Tastings and Event Formats

Wine-related experiences also come in different formats. At the Baldetti experience, a tasting of five wines is accompanied by Tuscan bread, their own Poggiobarullo extra virgin olive oil, and a selection of Pecorino cheese and cured meats. The products served alongside the wine may vary. At the Note di Vino event at Azienda Agricola Pasini in Pietraia, a concert, a tour of the estate and a wine tasting were combined. While the Baldetti experience focuses on the five wines and their food pairings, Note di Vino combines wine with music and an introduction to the estate.

Two Different Cycling Experiences

The two cycling experiences can be distinguished by their routes. The Valdichiana 2 cycling loop passes through Pietraia and connects Castiglion Fiorentino with Camucia. The guided Pietraia Bike Tour follows a different route: from Camucia, it goes to a winery visit and then through the village of Pietraia on the way to the Baldetti winery. For the first cycling loop, the places mentioned and its route through Pietraia are the key points; the guided tour combines a winery visit with a stretch through the village. When planning, you can therefore choose between a cycling loop through named places and a guided itinerary with a wine connection.

Discover more destinations: Mercatale, Terontola, Fratticciola, Ossaia, Barullo-Centoia, Monsigliolo, Montanare, Chianacce

For the broader travel overview: Cortona.