The Strade di Siena project was presented on the 25th of January as part of “Terre di Siena Slow”, involving 28 municipalities in the Province of Siena.
Attending the press conference alongside the council member for tourism Alberto Tirelli and the creator of the Eroica itinerary Giancarlo Brocci, were also the Deputy Mayor of Asciano Lucia Angelini, the council member of Casole d’Elsa Daniela Mariani, council member of Abbadia San Salvatore Massimo Sabatini, Manuel Giuggioli of Bici Club, Luca Bonechi of ARI Audax, and Alberto Paggetti of FIAB.
At the centre of the project is the launch of a new website and associated social channels: Facebook and Instagram, inaugurated simultaneously during the presentation. “Strade di Siena” is a digital platform that aims to be the reference point for those interested in actively visiting Siena and its territory, while it also aims at improving the current paths and cycling conditions. In the version launched today, the itineraries of the Via Francigena and the Via Lauretana are already included to underline the importance of these two paths of national interest, along which Siena takes up a central role. Over the course of 2021 at least another 20 paths will be added to the platform, starting with the Eroica.
Council member Tirelli underlined “how good teamwork has been at the basis of this innovative tool. It will be a portal aimed at the development of all aspects concerning bicycles. It’s an excellent starting point to improve and extend as much as possible the stay of cyclists in the area.”
All the itineraries will be compatible with the latest update of the Sustainable Mobility Masterplan of the Province of Siena and for every itinerary useful services and information will be indicated on the map, such as bicycle workshops and bike rental locations. An entire section will be dedicated to food and wine, featuring first of all the bike friendly wineries in the area. Another part will focus on train + bicycle mobility.”
Tirelli concluded by underlining that “the Municipality of Siena has financed with its own resources the creation of a network of local companies, to ensure added value to the project. In agreement with the other municipalities and in collaboration with the Touristic Study Center in Florence, the Municipality of Siena has also nominated the initiative to become a regional standard through the proposal of “Tuscany by bike”.
Thanks also to resources made available by the Region of Tuscany, four local associations participated in the development of the platform: FIAB Siena, the Eroica Foundation, ARI Audax, and Bici Club Terre di Siena.