Today we venture out from Firenze to visit the hilltop towns of Siena and San Gimignano. Twin gems in the Tuscan countryside, each town offers a distinclty unique history, art and architecure, and both represent an opportunity to sample the local farm-to-table fare!
We weren’t crazy enough to visit during the Palio, but with a nod to my dear father, a lifetime horseracing fan, the featured photo depicts the ingenious Sienese, who transform their town square, the Piazza del Campo into a mad bareback competition twice each year!
No trip to Tuscany would be complete without a segue to Siena and San Gimignano. Nestled north-east of Italy’s Chianti region, these medieval hilltop towns afford savvy travelers two diverse, unspoiled views into in a bygone past. We are met by our Romecabs driver at the Westin Excelsior Florence, where we have been pampered by rooms in this authentic palazzo ideally situated on the banks of the Arno River.
Our day begins with a requisite stop at the Piazzale Michelangelo for a scenic vista of Firenze before embarking on a ride though the rolling Tuscan farms, a mixed bounty of olives and grapes, dotted with villas that would make any Hamptonite jealous!
Many travelers eschew the crowds, and instead opt for an afternoon selecting farm-to-table ingredients under the guidance of a local chef, who will oversee their transformation into a delectable meal, naturally paired with one or more of the region’s sublime wines.
No time for cooking for me (I infinitely prefer reservations), we proceed to Siena, where our driver is one of few authorized by local authorities to bring us directly up to the gates of this traffic-free hilltop town, thus preserved by strictly prohibiting vehicles within its walls. Travelers coming by train (or to a lesser extent, bus) have an arduous uphill climb to reach the entrance, however we have all the insider knowledge needed to make easy work of the details!
The Black Death of 1347 decimated some 60% of the Sienese population, causing much of this medieval gem to be frozen in time since there were so few people left to enact “progress”!
We stroll through the winding streets to the Piazza del Campo for a view of Della Quercia’s Fonte Gaia, or rather a mediocre imitation. As with so much of Italy’s outdoor heritage, originals have been moved to museums for conservation, replaced by copies of varying degrees of quality. Most tourists are blissfully unaware of this ruse, however we know where to seek out their authentic counterparts in the galleries throughout town, and do so during our visit in order to savor the true genius of their creators.
We move on to the Duomo, and are indeed fortunate to have scheduled our visit to coincide with a rare glimpse of its masterpiece – the floor!
Crafted by 40 artists between the 14th and 16th centuries, 56 panels create an interlocking marble carpet of Sibyls, scenes from the Old Testament, allegories and virtues.– a true Sienese masterpiece and the finest example of marble porphyry outside of St. Johns Co-cathedral in Malta!
As beautiful as it is fragile, the floor is covered to protect from the wear of thousands of annual visitors’ shoes, reaffirming the value of insider knowledge – our trip was planned to coincide with one of the two rare annual unveilings! Described by Giorgio Vasari as “the most beautiful, largest and most magnificent floor that ever was made”, this Renaissance wonder comes fully to life when consumed en masse from the upper level, aptly named the Gate of Heaven!
We stop to view Pinturrichio’s stunning fresco cycle in the Piccolomini Library before reluctantly departing the Duomo for our next stops – the Basilica of San Domenico and the home of St. Catherine of Siena. The first female Doctor of the Church, this remarkable woman altered the history of the Papacy in a time when women were barely out of the kitchens and birthing rooms!
Our final destination is the Civic Museum where we are privileged to view the original Sienese masterpieces (remember all those outdoor objects d’art?), then stop for a snack of espresso and gelato (I am on vacation!) before meeting our driver for our further journey to San Gimignano.
Ciao, Ciao, Siena! You are indeed one of the most delightful towns we have ever experienced!
