just over one thousand inhabitants , stands perched on a hill and historical sources date its birth to the 12th century , as a castle belonging to the archbishopric of Volterra . What catches our attention is the Teatro del Silenzio , an amphitheater created in 2006 by Bocelli himself using the natural conformation of a hill . According to the original idea , the structure was created to be assembled and host only one show a year ( hence the name " Teatro del Silenzio "). The construction consists of a circular " stage " at the center of which a different scenography stands out every year ; the most famous , which has become the very symbol of the Theatre , is an imposing sculpture depicting a human face created by the Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj for the scenography of Manon Lescaut and later donated by the sculptor to the foundation of the theatre .
If man has certainly done his best to enhance these territories , it is the scenery created by nature that strikes us . We take the easy dirt road that leads us to the Molino d ’ Era crossroads where we continue along the detour of the municipal road of San Ottaviano . Here we are catapulted into postcard Tuscany in a succession of long cypress-lined avenues that lead to ancient houses transformed into farmhouses . The few cars we meet carry Northern European license plates , and it is not difficult for us to understand why they choose these places to get away from the stress of city life . After various hairpin bends on a natural ground , we reach the tiny cluster of houses that bears the name of Ulignano . To welcome us a cat basking in the sun , who , annoyed by the noise of our motorbike , seems to ask us how we got here .
We find the asphalt on the SP62 which at the height of Pancole gives us a wonderful view of San Gimignano . We are in Val D ’ Elsa
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