We are now in our second week in Tuscany and are getting into a bit of a rhythm... a full day of exploring the hills by car followed by what the boys call " free day" & I call "laundry day"!
Thursday we visited the towns of San Gimignano, Monteriggioni and Siena. All 3 of these towns were on the ancient pilgrimage road from Canterbury to Rome- the Via Francigena. In Medieval times, people from England, France Switzerland and Italy who wanted to visit the tombs of Peter and Paul or see the Pope would take this route, so these towns were cities filled with merchants, banks and hospitals to meet the needs of all the travelers.
*Interesting fact: Hospitals (from the latin hospas) during the Middle Ages were not a place for the treatment of diseases but more like a guesthouse or hostel for foreigners.
Visiting San Gimignano was like stepping back in time because a change in the trade routes once the city came under the control of Florence in the 1300s diminished the population by one-third & poverty set in so no changes or improvements were made for hundreds of years. The city is still completely surrounded by the ancient walls and has 14 towers still standing.
Of course, we had to climb to the top of the tallest tower in town- the Torre Grossa. Afterwards we visited the church which had beautifully preserved frescos covering the walls. One side was dedicated to the stories of the Old Testament and the other illustrated the life of Christ from the New Testament. The boys really enjoyed "reading" the stories from the paintings just as those in the middle ages would have done (art at that time was used to educate the people because most commoners could not read).
At this point in our travels, we have been in many churches and seen many frescos but these were very special... just God's story on the walls...my personal favorite so far.
 |
| Streetscape with Torre Grosso in the background |
 |
| San Gimignano City Gate |
 |
| Climbing to the top of the tower |
 |
| View of the city from the tower |
 |
| Symbol for 'Hospital" seen over a door- sign for weary pilgrims to "Stop here" |
 |
| Frescos of God's Story |
On our way along the Via Franigena to Siena we stopped for lunch in another small town with its walls still intact- Monteriggioni. It is hard to believe it is truly a town as today only forty (40) people live here. The restaurant however was delicious!
 |
| Monteriggioni city wall |
Our last stop for the day was Siena. Many travelers today use this city as their base to tour Tuscany and enjoy its grand square (which is oval)- Il Campo- but I will remember Siena for 2 things: it is the historic rival of Florence and the home of the famous horse race known as the Palio.
It may be because we breezed through the major sites in a few hours and weren't able to get a real feel for the town but ...
I think the thing the boys will remember most is that our guide Camilla and I chose a most unfortunate place to eat our gelato (right below a pigeon roost!)
On Friday "Free Day" the boys and I played around the agriturismo while Matt when on a hike. He set out in the morning after breakfast with camera in hand to scout out a good trail for the four of us to trek later in the day. Around 2 pm, just as we were wondering if we should send for help he showed up at the gate having walked nearly 12 miles. In his wanderings, he discovered an old monastery and a snake or two & took in some fantastic vistas. He and the boys walked a shorter loop before dinner.
It may be because we breezed through the major sites in a few hours and weren't able to get a real feel for the town but ...
I think the thing the boys will remember most is that our guide Camilla and I chose a most unfortunate place to eat our gelato (right below a pigeon roost!)
 |
| Siena- buit on 3 hills |
 |
| The flags of the Districts- each district has a horse in the Palio |
 |
| Siena's gothic Duomo |
 |
| The famous Il Campo- 2 times a year a dirt track is laid down for the horse race |
On Friday "Free Day" the boys and I played around the agriturismo while Matt when on a hike. He set out in the morning after breakfast with camera in hand to scout out a good trail for the four of us to trek later in the day. Around 2 pm, just as we were wondering if we should send for help he showed up at the gate having walked nearly 12 miles. In his wanderings, he discovered an old monastery and a snake or two & took in some fantastic vistas. He and the boys walked a shorter loop before dinner.
Here are a few shots he took:
No comments:
Post a Comment