7 Best Places for Photography in Tuscany

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Tuscany photography is a must for any landscape photographer.

Tuscany is a region of Italy located in the central part of the country, famous for its vineyards, lush rolling hills, and Renaissance hilltop towns.

Photography-wise, though, we need to delve a little deeper into the geography of the area to truly understand where we should go if we want to capture those iconic pictures that represent the region well.

Most of the photography spots are, in fact, located in a fairly limited area south of the province of Siena, called Val d’Orcia. This valley, shaped almost like a triangle, lies between three ‘main’ towns: Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, and Pienza.

All of these are fantastic places if you’d like to experience the local culture, as well as being perfectly located to easily reach all the most famous photography locations that we will discuss in this article.

Tuscany weather and seasons

Tuscany mostly enjoys fairly mild weather conditions due to its position along the Mediterranean Sea.

However, when it comes to photography, you need to be aware of the conditions you might encounter throughout the year, depending on the month and the season you decide to visit.

Let’s quickly go through the four seasons before diving into specific locations so that you have a better understanding of what to expect to shoot at any given time of the year!

Read more: How to Photograph the Seasons

Spring

Spring is by far the most photogenic season to visit Tuscany. The fields are blooming and getting ready to be harvested, with a thousand different shades of green, while wildflowers like poppies and cornflowers appear around every corner.

The fields are mostly cultivated with wheat (the vast majority) and canola flowers, which add a nice touch of bright yellow here and there.

Days are already fairly long, but the pace of your trip won’t be overly tiring: sunrise will be around 5:50 AM and sunset a little past 8:00 PM. Temperatures are still mild.

The spring season, photography-wise, reaches its peak between late April and late May. Canola flowers are generally the first to bloom, followed by poppies and cornflowers later in the season.

Summer

We need to split summer into two “sub-seasons.” Early summer, meaning the month of June, is still nice for photography, with the wheat turning yellow (the golden fields!) and some poppies still around.

Normally, at the end of June, it’s possible to see the first sunflowers blooming, which create a beautiful pop of colour in the fields.

Temperatures are still decent, despite getting warmer and warmer, and weather conditions might still be interesting with the last storms of the spring season passing through.

Then we have the second part of summer, July and August: this is one of the worst times of the year to visit Tuscany for photography.

The fields have been harvested, there’s almost zero chance of fog, the weather is consistently sunny and hazy, and temperatures are boiling hot. Oh, and you’ll also encounter plenty of crowds everywhere!

If you are interested in visiting Tuscany to enjoy the long summer days with photography as a secondary activity, that’s fine. But if you are travelling to Tuscany with the main goal of taking pictures, avoid these two months more than anything else!

Days will be incredibly long throughout summer, so be prepared for some very early wake-up calls in the morning and late dinners in the evening.

Autumn

After the summer heat, temperatures start to drop in September, and the first rains of the season arrive. By October and November, the chances of low fog in the valley are at their peak throughout the year.

Autumn is the best season if you are chasing low fog. You won’t get the lush green fields but rather ploughed fields with more earthy tones and the foliage in the trees scattered throughout the valleys.

You will have fairly short days and mild temperatures again.

From a pace perspective, autumn is by far the best time of year to visit: sunrise will be around 7:00–7:30 AM (which means no super early wake-up calls), and sunset will be around 6:00–6:30 PM, which means you can go straight to dinner right after sunset.

Foliage-wise, the peak of the season generally occurs between late October and early November.

Winter

The winter season can offer plenty of interesting situations. Chances of low fog are still fairly high, some fields are turning green again due to some farmers planting winter crops, and there are good chances of encountering dramatic weather conditions.

You need to be aware that it’s considered low season in the area, which means you will have to deal with many accommodations and restaurants closed for the season. You might also encounter a streak of bad weather (mostly rain), as it’s generally the rainiest season of the year.

Finally, temperatures will be fairly cold (around freezing). You can capture some amazing images, but winter is definitely the most challenging season of the bunch.

The best locations of tuscany

Now that you have a better understanding of the seasons let’s dive into where to go for great photography in Tuscany.

1. Podere Belvedere

The Podere Belvedere is by far one of the most iconic and classic vistas you can find in Tuscany. It’s a beautiful country house surrounded by cypress trees, with a multitude of hills stretching as far as the eye can see.

It’s one of those locations that every photographer visiting the Val d’Orcia has on their list!

It can be found just outside San Quirico d’Orcia, along the road that leads to Pienza, and it can be photographed from multiple angles within the span of 1 km.

It’s definitely a sunrise location, as that’s when you get the best light on the hills and the highest chances of low fog in the valley!

The best lens for this location is a 70-200mm, which allows you to capture both images with some sky and closer views of the isolated villa.

2. Podere Baccoleno

The Podere Baccoleno is another country house surrounded by cypress trees, but this time, what makes this place so famous and iconic among photographers is the winding road that leads to the house, rather than the house itself!

This cypress-lined road, with the villa at the end, has become a huge classic, especially in the last decade or so, thanks to social media and the internet in general.

It’s a sunset location, as you can see from the image above, since you’ll have the sun setting right in front of you. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some amazing colours in the sky!

Lens-wise, the best choice here would be a 24-70mm or a 24-120mm.

3. Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta

This little chapel on top of a hill is one of the most photogenic (and unique) churches you’ll find on your trip to Italy!

At sunrise, the sun will rise almost in front of you (depending on the time of year), as you can see from the image above, while at sunset, the sun will be at your back, with the last light illuminating the front of the chapel.

You can either photograph the church from the main road that runs between Pienza and San Quirico d’Orcia, or you can walk all the way to the church if you want to opt for a wider view.

In both cases, make sure to have your telephoto lens at hand because the beauty of this location is that the church is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a plethora of other subjects to shoot, especially if you’re lucky enough to capture some low fog in the hills!

4. Poggio Covili

Another classic shot of the Val d’Orcia is Poggio Covili, also known as the straight line of trees with the house at the end! This spot can be found just south of San Quirico d’Orcia, on the main road that leads to Rome.

This location can be captured from several different angles. The first image you see above is taken from an elevated viewpoint, which provides the best view on foggy mornings when the trees and the house are the only things sticking out of the fog.

If, instead, you have a clearer morning, you can opt to drive all the way to the cypress-lined road and shoot the line of trees itself with a wide-angle lens, as shown in the second image.

In both cases, this is more of a sunrise location than a sunset location!

5. I Cipressi di San Quirico d’Orcia

This location is what I like to call a ‘photographer’s playground‘. With lone trees, winding roads, and rolling hills, your imagination is the only limit!

Of course, there’s the more classic view to capture, as shown in the image above, but that’s just one of the endless perspectives available at this location.

Make sure to wander around, arrive at the spot with plenty of time, and scout the area thoroughly so that you know what captures your attention the most and don’t miss out.

While I mostly recommend visiting this place at sunset, sunrise can also be an option! The classic views are typically taken with lenses like the 24-70mm or 24-120mm, but I highly suggest having a telephoto lens in your backpack.

Many other perspectives require a longer lens to capture effectively.

You’ll find this location a bit north of San Quirico d’Orcia, along the main road driving towards Montalcino.

6. Podere Terrapille (The Gladiator House)

If you’ve seen The Gladiator movie (directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe), then you should instantly recognise this house. This is one of the two locations used in the movie.

I won’t share the exact scene where this location appears, as I don’t want to spoil the movie for those of you who haven’t seen it yet!

The location can be found just below Pienza. To reach it, you’ll need to walk about ten minutes down a steep, unpaved road, and then climb back up again.

It’s a hike that is manageable for anyone with a good level of fitness, but it will probably be the hardest walk of your Tuscany trip.

You can photograph the house from several perspectives as you walk down the hills. These include elevated views, the classic Gladiator shot replicating the movie’s composition, and the perspective shown in the image above, taken right from the edge of the road.

You’ll enjoy finding all the possible ways to capture this spot!

7. Pienza

No matter where you photograph it from, Pienza is arguably the most photogenic hilltop town in the area.

While driving down the road to Monte Amiata, you’ll find some amazing viewpoints to shoot the town perched on top of the hill. From within Pienza, you can capture all sorts of charming street scenes, as every corner offers picturesque alleys!

In both cases, the lens you’ll find most helpful is something like a 24-120mm.

Sunrise is ideal for street scenes, as there will be fewer people around, while sunset is better for photographing the town from the outside, as the last light of the day illuminates it beautifully.

In Conclusion

Tuscany is, without a doubt, a fantastic destination for all types of photographers. Everyone will find something to capture in this land of rolling hills and historic towns!

As with any trip, make sure to plan your itinerary carefully and allow extra time for scouting each location. Scouting is one of the most crucial activities for photographers once on-site, no matter how well-informed you are beforehand.

Stay updated on the weather forecasts and choose your shooting location accordingly, rather than the other way around.

It’s not just about photography, though; Tuscany has so much more to offer.

Take time to tour a vineyard (and perhaps enjoy a wine-tasting experience), stroll among the olive trees and try fresh extra virgin olive oil, savour the local cuisine, and learn about the rich history of these towns. Tuscany offers plenty of activities for everyone—not just photographers!

7 Best Places for Photography in Tuscany