GEOGRAPHY |
The Val di Chiana is a some 100 Km long valley extending over an area 1832 Km². The valley stretches out to the north between the Arezzo valley and the Orvieto plains and includes the entire watershed of the Canale Maestro della Chiana (a large canal stretching across the valley), the main watercourse of the area originating from the Montepulciano Lake. The valley is bounded to the east by the pre-Apennine range featuring some of the tallest mountains of the area such as the Alta Sant’Egidio (1057 m), mount Lignano (837 m) and mount Corneta (744 m) and to the west by the Val d’Orcia.
The landscape is mainly characterised by gentle rolling hills with a long flat stretch right by the Canale Maestro. Average height is 450 mt. a.s.l. |
HYDROGRAPHY |
Anciently crossed by river Clanis (from Latin clinus, sloping), an ancient tributary of the river Paglia, in its turn an affluent of the river Tiber the valley is today cut across by the Canale Maestro della Chiana. The latter although almost re-tracing the ancient course of river Clanis runs, however, in the opposite direction and is the left tributary of river Arno.
Countless torrential streams cut across the valley running very low in the summertime and with a higher water flow in the remaining periods. These streams are typically very short and spring from the mountains to flow into the Canale Maestro. |
CLIMATE |
| The valley enjoys a typically peninsular and continental climate with warm summers and moderately cold winters; on clear days daytime temperature ranges are wide. Spring and Fall are typically mild and often characterised by high rainfall (especially between September and December). Snowfalls are quite rare; snow usually falls between December and January but only coats the valley for very few days. |
GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISION |
| The Val di Chiana may be divided based on the current provincial distribution that reflects, however, the historical partition between the Arezzo territory formerly under the rule of the Medici and the territory under the domination of the Republic of Siena (Val di Chiana Aretina and Val di Chiana Senese). |
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