Comune di Buonconvento

We stumbled on this little village quite by accident. From the main road an impressive city wall is visible. There is parking outside and we stopped and wandered in. There was a quaint little garden filled with lavender and other colourful plants but we didn't see any people. There are two entrances to Buon Convento - the name is derived from the Latin meaning happy community.

Wandering off the main roads we found this wonderful town, great markets, foods and views. Definitely recommend a visit.

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Buonconvento is a town in the province of Siena registered in the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Very well kept and peaceful. Enclosed by beautiful walls, with its churches and artisan shops in the alleys, they make the village a beautiful place to visit.

Buonconvento is an Italian town of 3.137 inhabitants of the province of Siena in Tuscany. It rises in the Ombrone Valley, at the mouth of the river Arbia in the Ombrone river at the 200 km of the Cassia. Its main activities are: agriculture, tourism and commerce. Together with the municipalities of Asciano, Montalcino, Monteroni d'Arbia, Rapolano Terme, and Trequanda forms the District of the Crete Senesi. It is part of the circuit of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The name comes from the Latin "Bonus Conventus" happy, lucky place. The first historical hints are around 1100, but certainly the most important fact occurred in 1313 when, on August 24, perhaps not in the capital but nevertheless within the municipal territory, died the emperor Henry VII of Luxembourg, ( better known as Arrigo) who had come down to Italy to restore the imperial authority. Legend has it that the emperor, poisoned during a communion by a local friar, died shortly after along the Via Cassia, probably near the village of Serravalle. This history of poisoning actually has something true. In fact, Henry VII had contracted the anthrax, an acute infection that creates sores of dark color and at the time to treat it were used to pack arsenic. From the examination of the bones, exhumed by the Cathedral of Pisa, where they had been buried, prof. Francesco Mallegni revealed that the emperor was poisoned by arsenic [4] [5]. Analysis of the skull also showed that the face carved by Tino di Camaino does not correspond to what he really had. The construction of the walls began in 1371 and ended 12 years later, in 1383. It is the most important center of the Val d'Arbia, also testified by the Podesta office which includes 32 localities and the recognition of Sienese citizenship granted by the city governors in 1480. With the fall of the Republic of Siena, in 1559 it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany under the Medici family.