The Montagnola Senese hills (classified as a SCI - Site of Community Interest - and as a SIR – Regional Interest Site) can be considered one of the most interesting natural attractions of southern Tuscany.
The presence of holm oak, oak, maple trees, and chestnut trees in the higher areas characterize it.
The undergrowth is rich in juniper, honeysuckle, cistus, holly and strawberry tree. The highest area is Montemaggio (671m).
It is rich in natural caves mostly characterized by narrow cracks in the rock that descend to a depth of 90 meters. About 60 caves have been explored. Among the most beautiful we should mention the Buca delle Fate in Leccetto, the Chiostraccio and the Buca a’ Frati.
As far as the fauna is concerned, the territory of the Montagnola Senese has been for centuries conditioned by human activities such as logging and quarrying for marble (the most famous is the yellow Siena marble).
The draining of lakes and other wetlands was very important for the adaptation of the fauna:
- Lake Verano stretched over the current flat Pian del Lago and it was drained in the eighteenth century; today it remains the drainage canal that is a great engineering work and 2173 meters long. The canal is called Canale del Granduca and in memory of the reclamation it was built a monument (also known as Pyramid because of its shape) near the locality Osteriaccia;
- the marsh of Canneto stretched between Abbadia a Isola and the hills of Monteriggioni.
