Bellavista
Bellavista: a thriving village in Tuscany
Bellavista is an Italian hamlet situated south of the municipality of Poggibonsi, in the province of Siena, in Tuscany. Nowadays, it has more than 1,500 inhabitants and has experienced remarkable development throughout the 20th century, thanks to the creation of a large residential area and the establishment of an autonomous parish.
Physical geography
Bellavista extends on the crest of a hill overlooking the valley of the Staggia stream, only 25 km south of Siena. The hamlet is bathed by the same stream, which borders it to the west, and borders the nearby Staggia Senese to the south. The surrounding territory offers a typically Tuscan landscape, characterized by hills, valleys and groves of holm oaks and oaks.
History
The inhabited core of the hamlet dates back to the medieval era when it was located near the parish of San Pietro a Megognano. Over time, the area became a holiday resort for local bourgeois families, thanks to the beauty of the surrounding scenery. However, the village also suffered the consequences of the Second World War when it was heavily bombed.
In the 1980s, Bellavista experienced significant urban development, thanks to the construction of a new neighborhood that integrated various types of housing. The village grew considerably in population, surpassing 1,500 inhabitants in 2011.
Monuments and places of interest
The parish church of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the most important places of worship in the hamlet. It is a neoclassical style building from the 1970s, which rises in the center of the residential quarter of Bellavista. The façade is simple but elegant, enriched by a small pediment above the entrance portal and a circular oculus. In 2017, an illuminated cross with steel profiles was erected behind the religious building.
In the surroundings of the village, in Megognano, there is the ancient noble farm that preserves a seventeenth-century chapel dedicated to San Pietro. Another place of interest is Villa Poggiarello, a splendid villa-farm dating back to the 18th century, with an Italian garden and private chapel. Next to this, in Villa Pini, there is another noble chapel dedicated to San Bartolomeo.
Conclusions
Bellavista is a welcoming hamlet, immersed in the lush nature of Tuscany and enriched by the presence of important monuments and places of interest. Those who visit the village can enjoy the beauty of its landscape, enriched by the presence of the Staggia stream and the distant city of Siena. The village also offers a wide choice of services and activities, making it the ideal place to spend an unforgettable stay in the land of Dante and the sweet life.
