The Famous Cypress Trees of Tuscany

I thought I was coming to photograph a few trees.
I discovered so much more.

The Cypress Trees of San Quirico d'Orcia

Standing like a cohort of Roman legionaries on a hilltop, the cypress trees of San Quirico have become one of Italy’s most iconic symbols.

Cypress of San Quirico d'Orcia from Above

I’ve been living in Tuscany for two years, yet I’d never been here. Not because the place didn’t appeal to me. Quite the opposite. But because it appeals to everyone. The most photographed places are often the ones I tend to avoid.

So why come here in the end? To test a simple intuition: can a place still tell a story after it has already been photographed millions of times?

We arrived before sunrise. The silence was almost complete. Only the Via Cassia, in the distance, quietly reminded us that Tuscany isn’t a frozen postcard.

The moment we stepped out of the car, each of us experienced the place in our own way.
One fell in love with the Val d’Orcia. The other fell asleep.

ROADBOOK:

Contrary to the many legends surrounding it, the grove itself holds no real mystery.
It was created around 1750 as a roccolo, a traditional structure designed to attract birds for hunting.
The cypress trees we see today are the result of numerous replantings following storms, lightning strikes, and simply the passage of time.

The Magic Formula of the Val d'Orcia

A few hundred metres away, another group of cypress trees catches the eye.
After the square… a circle.
Then a line.

As if someone had carefully sketched the landscape. A harmony so perfect it almost feels like an equation.

So, can a place still tell a story after it has been photographed millions of times? Yes.
Watching Mana run freely across these rolling hills made the moment even more special.

People come for the famous cypress trees. They leave remembering the landscape that makes them what they are.