Borgo Santa Rita: Val d’Orcia, Village History and Motorsport

Borgo Santa Rita brings together different landscapes, a recent village history and unusual motorsport experiences. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Borgo Santa Rita, you will therefore encounter very different sides of Tuscany: the Ombrone Valley, the proximity to Val d’Orcia, architectural evidence from the 20th century and the MX Borgo Santa Rita sports facility.

Landscape between the Ombrone and Val d’Orcia

Borgo Santa Rita lies along the Ombrone Valley on the western edge of Val d’Orcia. The Ombrone River forms the western boundary of the area, while the Orcia River marks its northern boundary. These clear landscape references give the village a well-defined setting: on one side is the Ombrone Valley, and on the other is the characteristic landscape of Val d’Orcia.

Val d’Orcia begins just a few kilometres from Borgo Santa Rita. This extensive landscape lies in Tuscany, in the province of Siena, north and east of Monte Amiata, near the border with Umbria. The Orcia River flows through its centre. Appealing landscape panoramas and medieval towns such as Pienza and Montalcino shape this area. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether your stay should focus primarily on the river and valley landscape, the history of the village or the broader impressions of Val d’Orcia.

A village with a history spanning several periods

The area around Borgo Santa Rita has been inhabited since the Etruscan, Roman and medieval periods. However, the modern village did not develop until the mid-20th century, as part of the reorganisation of agriculture made possible by the agrarian reform. Borgo Santa Rita was inaugurated in 1964 at the Piani Rossi site, after a new planning commission had been appointed in 1960.

The original village centre consisted of a church and an elongated building for public services, a bar and shops. This means that the village’s creation can be understood not only as a period in contemporary history, but also as a planned combination of religious, public and everyday life.

Church, chapel and religious traces

The Church of Santa Petronilla was built in 1963–1964 to a design by Boccianti. Even after its intended deconsecration, ordinary and ritual celebrations are still to take place there. There is also an ancient, now ruined chapel from the 14th century near the settlement. Together, these two buildings represent clearly different historical layers: Santa Petronilla belongs to the period when the modern village was established, while the chapel points to a much older past.

Motorsport as a distinctive travel highlight

The racetrack in Borgo Santa Rita offers a completely different facet. It is entirely flat and has many bends; these characteristics make it particularly suitable for three- and four-wheeled vehicles. Minicross and motocross courses take place at the MX Borgo Santa Rita track in Tuscany. MX Borgo Santa Rita is a sports facility with a motocross track and a flat-track circuit.

Depending on your interests, Borgo Santa Rita can therefore be experienced in different ways: as a place at prominent river and landscape boundaries, as a village whose origins lie in the agrarian reform, as a destination for cultural and historical discoveries or as a location with a strong motorsport focus. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can use these focal points to determine the mix you want for your stay, without reducing the village to just one travel concept.

Discover more places

For further orientation, you can also find Sabatina, Campagnatico, Grotte Cavalieri, Potassa, Gavorrano, Montevitozzo, Carige Alta and Massa Marittima.

For the overarching travel overview: Grosseto.