La Bandita

Top choice in Val d'Orcia


Sophisticated urban style melds with stupendous scenery at this rural retreat in one of the most stunning sections of the Val d'Orcia. Owned and operated by a former NYC music executive and his travel-writer wife (non–Lonely Planet, we hasten to add), it offers spacious rooms, amenities galore (we love the Ortigia toiletries), communal dinners (set menu €45 per person) and personalised service.

Put simply, this is the type of retreat we all fantasise about owning, but probably can't afford. It's also the perfect base for exploring nearby Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Val d'Orcia attractions

1. La Foce

1.15 MILES

Built in four stages between 1924 and 1939, these formal gardens were commissioned by Anglo-American expat Iris Origo and her Italian husband Antonio…

2. Chiesa di San Biagio

4.43 MILES

Designed by Antonio da Sangallo (Sangallo il Vecchio) and constructed in the late-16th century, this splendid Renaissance church in the valley below the…

3. Duomo

4.6 MILES

Montepulciano's 16th-century duomo is striking, largely because its unfinished facade gives the building a stern, heavily weathered look. Inside, don't…

4. Piazza Grande

4.62 MILES

Elegant Piazza Grande is the town's highest point and main meeting place. If you think it looks familiar, it might be because it featured in New Moon, the…

5. Palazzo Comunale

4.63 MILES

Built in the 14th century in Gothic style and remodelled in the 15th century by Michelozzo, the Palazzo Comunale still functions as Montepulciano's town…

6. Via Ricci

4.65 MILES

From the central Piazza Grande, Via Ricci runs downhill past Palazzo Ricci, now home to the European Academy for Music and Performing Arts. The street…

7. Museo Civico & Pinacoteca Crociani

4.66 MILES

It was a curatorial dream come true: in 2011 a painting in the collection of this modest art gallery was attributed to Caravaggio. The work, Portrait of a…

8. Palazzo Ricci

4.66 MILES

Built for Cardinal Giovanni Maria Ricci in the 16th century, this handsome palazzo has a rear loggia with a stunning view of the countryside. Home to many…