This beautiful Tuscany Cypress Grove is located in Cipressi di San Quirico d’Orcia and represents everything that makes the Tuscan landscape iconic – rolling golden hills, vibrant green fields, dramatic skies, and the unmistakable silhouette of Italian cypress trees. This small grove of cypresses near San Quirico d’Orcia has become one of the most photographed locations in all of Tuscany. It was on my must-have locations for photography in the region. The trees stand perfectly grouped on a hilltop, creating a natural focal point against the undulating landscape of the Val d’Orcia.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Tuscany is a photographer’s dream, offering many compositions throughout the changing seasons. . The landscape transforms dramatically with the seasons. The iconic view of this location is with the vibrant green fields, but this had been harvested already when I arrived. As a landscape photographer you have to play the hand that is dealt to you, regardless, I still thoroughly enjoyed the view this location had offered.
Some things to note if attempting to capture this iconic scene, the location is on private farmland, so respect the property! While I was there on the edge of the property with my tripod, there were several selfie takers wandering through the field. This is common in several areas in the region and can understand why locals would get frustrated with tourists.
You will want to bring a wide and medium lens to this location. I shot this at about 40mm with a full frame sensor. As you will be several hundred meters back from the grove it helps with framing and compressing the scene.
This is a wonderful, easy to access location in the the Val d’Orcia region. This region of Tuscany has been immortalized in Renaissance paintings and was even featured as a filming location for Gladiator. This particular cypress grove captures the essence of Tuscany.
This image was captured as part of a an amazing 12 day trip to Italy. If you are interesting in an amazing Italian itinerary check out this blog post.