By Francesca Lungarotti
There are places on Earth that take us to other universes, and some of them occupy small areas yet are capable of transporting us to the moon!
In the central Italian region of Tuscany, in the area encompassing the municipalities of Asciano, Buonconvento, Montalcino, Rapolano Terme, Monteroni d’Arbia, Pienza, and Trequanda, southeast of Siena, lies a gray-blue and ochre landscape. This area of clay mixed with rock salt and chalk, a particular compound also known as “mattaione”, derives from sediments from the Pliocene sea dating back to a period between 2.5 and 4.5 million years ago. This area is called the Crete Senesi.
Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Europe. Italy. Tuscany. Siena. Country In The Crete Senesi Area (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Universal Images Group) 
Crete Senesi, Asciano, Tuscany, italy (credit: Universal Images Group)
The Crete Senesi presents a serene and barren landscape, gentle, undulating, with a few isolated farmhouses, cypress trees, and oaks. It is an arid and rugged landscape, characterized by ochre, gray, and blue, with vast expanses of barren fields punctuated by sparse shrubs. Its characteristic features are fractures in the ground and whitish domes, very different from other Tuscan areas and towns such as Chianti and nearby Val d’Orcia, These areas feature the typical postcard-perfect Tuscan landscape known to most, with hills and cypress-lined avenues leading to hilltop farmhouses. The Crete Senesi lacks these transcendent geometric harmonies typical of Renaissance landscapes, bright green in spring and golden in summer, which are richly cultivated with vineyards and olive groves thanks to the fertile tuff soil.
Cypress trees in the countryside. Crete Senesi. Tuscany. (credit: Mauro Flamini/REDA/Universal Images Group) 
Countryside. Crete Senesi. Tuscany. (credit: Mauro Flamini/REDA/Universal Images Group) 
Snowy Landscape. Crete Senesi. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Countryside. Crete Senesi. Tuscany. (credit: Mauro Flamini/REDA/Universal Images Group) 
Scenery of Crete Senesi. Tuscany. Italy (credit: Bluered/REDA/Universal Images Group) 
Landscape around Siena. called ‘Crete Senesi’. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Vittorio Sciosia/REDA/Universal Images Group) 
Flock of Sheep and Landscape. Crete Senesi. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Snowy Landscape. Crete Senesi. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group)
The typical terrain formations of the Crete Senesi include gullies, ravines, cliffs, and the gerothermal, lunar-like landscapes of the Biancane Natural Park. Within the Crete Senesi lies the semi-arid area known as the Accona Desert, where these formations are even more concentrated.
Landscape. Crete Senesi. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Landscape. Crete Senesi. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Tractors At Work. Landscape. Crete Senesi. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Flock of Sheep and Landscape. Crete Senesi. Siena. Tuscany. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Crete senesi is the name of a vast area in southern Tuscany, stretching between the provinces of Siena and Arezzo. (credit: Paolo Picciotto/REDA/Universal Images Group) 
Italy, Tuscany. Crete Senesi Area. Vergelle Ranch. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Italy. Tuscany. Siena. Country In the Crete Senesi Area. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group) 
Italy. Tuscany. Crete Senesi. Asciano Area. Nature Train. Historical Diesel Locomotive. (credit: Giulio Andreini/Universal Images Group)
Geologically, this is the composition of the Crete Senesi, but spiritually they present themselves as a hymn to minimalism and melancholic contemplation and are a true “respite” for eyes accustomed to the more familiar and famous colors associated with Tuscany. The Crete Senesi presents a surreal fragment of the moon on earth, lesser known but part of the wonderful Soul of Tuscany and a vibrant source of great Photographic Inspiration!
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