Monte Amiata, Tuscany's highest peak, rises out of a tract of lower hills between the valleys of the Orcia, Fiora and Paglia in the south of Tuscany, on the boundary between the provinces of Siena and Grosseto. Topography Monte Amiata (known to the Romans as Mons Tuniae or Mons ad Meata) is an extinct volcano, with numerous springs which supply water to Siena and Grosseto.
It is rich in workable minerals (mercury, antimony), which were already being exploited in Etruscan and Roman times. On the fertile lower slopes of the hill corn, vines and olives are grown; higher up are forests of chestnut, oak and beech, traversed by attractive footpaths. In recent years an extensive winter sports area has been developed, roads (kept open in winter) constructed and hotels built. The summit of Monte Amiata is encircled by a 13km/8 mile long road, some stretches of which have steep gradients, but the drive is well worth while. The road, which is most easily reached from Abbadia San Salvatore, has a track on the south side leading to the summit on which a tele-communications station has been set up and on which stands a steel cross. From here there is a magnificent panoramic view.
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