Search underway for missing young woman near Montalcino

A large search operation is underway near Montalcino, the Tuscan hilltop town world-famous for its Brunello wine, after 20-year-old Viktoria Peroni disappeared on Monday afternoon.

According to local authorities, Viktoria — born in Russia and now a resident of Montalcino — reportedly left home voluntarily around lunchtime and never returned. Her parents reported her missing, prompting the Prefecture of Siena to activate the official provincial search and rescue plan for missing persons.

Search efforts are concentrated in a wooded area on the outskirts of the town, where the terrain is steep and difficult to navigate. The operation involves firefighters, including teams specialized in topography applied to rescue (TAS), as well as Carabinieri, municipal police, and around 40 volunteers from local civil protection groups.

Rescue dogs, an aerial unit, and infrared drones are being used to monitor the area even after dark. Local hunting teams, familiar with the roughest parts of the surrounding countryside, have also joined the search to help cover ground that is otherwise hard to access.

The municipality of Montalcino shared details about the young woman’s appearance, urging anyone with information to contact the authorities. Viktoria is 170 cm tall, with shoulder-length light brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing gray trousers, a short black jacket with a hood, black sneakers with white soles, and a beige backpack.

Montalcino, located about 40 kilometers south of Siena in the scenic Val d’Orcia, is surrounded by forests, olive groves, and vineyards — a landscape both stunning and challenging for rescue teams working through the night.

Updates: Missing woman found safe near Montalcino

After more than 24 hours of searching, 20-year-old Viktoria Peroni has been found alive in a wooded area a few kilometers from Montalcino, the Tuscan town famous for its Brunello wine.

Viktoria, born in Russia and living in Montalcino with her family, had left home around lunchtime on November 4 without her phone. Her glasses, discovered near her home in the historic center, were the only clue until she was spotted this evening by a local resident who alerted authorities.

According to initial medical checks, she is in good health.

The search operation, coordinated by Siena’s Prefect Valerio Massimo Romeo, had mobilized firefighters, Carabinieri, local police, volunteers, and rescue teams with infrared drones and tracking dogs. Over the course of the day, search areas were expanded beyond the nearby woods after investigators analyzed security camera footage and electronic devices linked to the young woman.

Montalcino’s mayor, Silvio Franceschelli, had earlier said that searches would continue “on multiple fronts,” both operational and investigative — a commitment that proved successful just hours later.

The wooded area where Viktoria was found is known for its dense vegetation, making it easy to lose one’s bearings. Her case had drawn widespread concern in the small Tuscan community, where many residents had joined the rescue efforts.

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