Clanis Goes Global: The Valdichiana Senese Tells Its Story to the World
Clanis, the narrative podcast devoted to the Valdichiana Senese, now tells its stories in English, carrying the history, landscapes, and identity of this Tuscan region beyond Italy’s borders — a land familiar to some, yet still waiting to be discovered by the wider world. Produced by Chora Media in collaboration with Valdichiana Living and the Valdichiana Senese Tourist Area, the podcast weaves tales of timeless villages, rolling hills, and local traditions, offering a journey through one of Italy’s most captivating hidden gems.
Over three episodes, Clanis takes listeners on a journey through the landscapes of this corner of Tuscany, where “every hill has a face, like a living person,” echoing the words of Piero Calamandrei that open the series.
The first episode, The Etruscans Rediscovered, begins in Chiusi, exploring its extraordinary Etruscan past. It then moves to San Casciano dei Bagni, home to the recently discovered sanctuary where bronze statues emerged from the thermal waters and have since been exhibited in museums around the world. The journey continues to the Tomb of the Infernal Quadriga in Sarteano and the necropolises of Sinalunga, forming an archaeological landscape that remains alive and evolving.
The second episode, A Human Landscape, guides listeners through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, exploring the valley’s transformation, water management, and the development of its villages. Figures from Italian art and culture come to life along the way — the overlooked Donatello in Torrita di Siena, Domenico Beccafumi in Sarteano, and Il Sodoma in Trequanda. The Renaissance town of Montepulciano is also highlighted, along with its ties to Piero Calamandrei, a central figure in Italy’s civic and cultural life in the twentieth century.
The third episode, Soul Valley, brings the story into the present. The journey begins in Cetona, with its deep prehistoric roots, and continues to contemporary stories of people who have chosen to move to the Valdichiana Senese, such as the Japanese designer Kaori Shiina in Petroio, a village in the municipality of Trequanda. In the background, Chianciano Terme, which inspired Federico Fellini’s 8½, and Montepulciano, a town that today continues to blend tradition with cultural experimentation, provide a vivid setting for these stories.
The guiding thread is the ancient Clanis River, now vanished but still visible in the shape of the valley. The podcast uses it as a lens to explore the landscape.
“Promoting a territory today means being able to speak in new languages, explore new channels, and inhabit new spaces. Clanis in English is a concrete example of how a territory can be told through contemporary tools without betraying its depth: audio storytelling is a deliberate choice, capable of creating an emotional connection with the listener even before they visit. At the same time, telling the story of a territory today also means doing so responsibly, enhancing its identity while respecting local communities, resources, and environmental balance. Sustainability is no longer a peripheral issue, but an essential lens through which contemporary tourism must be understood. This is the challenge we have chosen to embrace at the Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano e dei Sapori della Valdichiana Senese: innovating the way we present ourselves, experimenting with new forms of communication, and building a narrative of the territory that lives up to its history and its future,” says Doriano Bui, President of the Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano e dei Sapori della Valdichiana Senese, within which the Valdichiana Living brand operates.
The podcast is written by Anita Franzon and narrated by John Aquilecchia, with editorial supervision by Graziano Nani and production by Marco Paltrinieri. It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Spreaker.