Poggio Alla Malva: Macchia, Etruscans and Church Art

Poggio Alla Malva offers several distinct reasons to stay: a trail through woodland and Mediterranean macchia, Etruscan traces, church art and a long-standing September tradition. When planning your trip, it is worth deciding first whether you would rather explore the outdoors, discover art history or include a culinary event.

A trail through woodland and macchia

The Sentiero Poggio alla Malva–Artimino follows a section of CAI Trail No. 300 from Poggio alla Malva to the villa and village of Artimino. The route description thus specifies a particular course and its destinations. Along the way, the trail passes through a pine forest with an undergrowth of typical Mediterranean macchia species and skirts the Etruscan site of Prato Rosello. Landscape and archaeology are therefore different aspects of the same route as described: the forest shapes the trail, while the detour to the site adds a historical note.

Etruscan traces in Artimino

The Prato Rosello necropolis in Artimino dates from the late 8th to the 6th century BC. Its defining features are tombs in the form of tumuli. This long period places the site within the area’s Etruscan past; the tomb form also gives the necropolis a distinctive archaeological feature. Those interested in ancient cultures can consider this focus alongside the landscape aspect of the trail. The two interests remain distinct: the Sentiero is a route through woodland and macchia, while the necropolis is an archaeological site with its own date range and tomb form.

Church and works of art

The Chiesa di Santo Stefano a Poggio alla Malva is a 16th-century oratory dedicated to San Sebastiano. It was rebuilt and enlarged around 1742–48; in connection with this work, the parish seat was moved there from the old Chiesa di Santo Stefano alle Busche. This building history links the oratory’s dedication with a later change in its ecclesiastical role.

The church houses Neri di Bicci’s panel painting Madonna and Child Enthroned between Saints Sylvester, Stephen, Bartholomew and Lawrence, dating from 1475 to 1480. There is also a detached fresco fragment depicting the Flagellation, which comes from the Chiesa di Santo Stefano alle Busche. The dated panel painting and the fresco fragment offer different points of interest: one is a precisely identified work from the second half of the 15th century, while the other points to the former church through its provenance.

Visiting hours are daily from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Check these hours before your visit.

September tradition and tastings

The Sagra della polenta, dei funghi porcini e del cinghiale has been held in Poggio alla Malva for over 25 years, on the second and third weekends of September. The name itself makes the festival’s culinary focus clear: polenta, porcini mushrooms and wild boar take centre stage. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, check the dates for the year of your trip.

Another option is Bottega Pecchioli, a wine bar in Poggio alla Malva that offers tastings by reservation. The two culinary occasions therefore differ in how they are planned: the Sagra takes place on specific September weekends, while a tasting at Bottega Pecchioli requires a reservation.

What would you like to shape your stay around?

If you are considering Poggio Alla Malva as a base for your stay in Tuscany, you can make your choice according to the themes that interest you most: a trail through pine forest and macchia, Etruscan history and church art, or a culinary event in September. The information offers several specific points of interest, without requiring all of them to fit into the same travel itinerary.

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