The Chapel of the Madonna di Vitaleta is located in the hills of the Val d’Orcia on the road between San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza, and is one of the most beautiful and evocative places in this incredible territory, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The small chapel, framed by two rows of cypress trees was built in the spot where legend says the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherdess. In 1533, a statue of the Virgin Mary by Andrea della Robbia was installed in the church, today conserved in the Church of Madonna di Vitaleta in San Quirico.

The chapel as we see it today was restored and redesigned in the 1800s by Giuseppe Partini, to whom we owe the simple, clean appearance of the small church. The façade is decorated with stone from Rapolano and a small rose window.

Today, the chapel is one of the most photographed…