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San Gimagnano, Siena, & Volterra
Now begins our drive across Tuscany to San Gimagnano with a brief stop in Siena, where driving seemed like a bumper car ride. It was very tough to navigate, even using both Waze and Google Maps and we missed a few different turns and had to try and turn around : not easy. Then there was the parking. Cars park right up against just about anything, including other cars. We find a spot to park and seek out a few Siena highlights.
The central plaza, Piazza del Campo, a sloping circular affair is busy with workers erecting Christmas displays, and a handful of tourists walking about. Not much going on really.
The Siena cathedral and opera house is next. It’s gorgeous as befitting a cathedral, seemingly in competition with the many cathedrals in Italy. Before we even step inside it seems overdone. Zoom in on the photo of the exterior and you’ll see what I mean. There’s a lot going on there.
The inside is just as over the top. Particularly impressive to us both is the room filled with illustrated manuscripts. I’m sure all who enter are transfixed by the hand painted illustrations and calligraphy on the pages. But the ceiling is also worth examination. Lovely, but my neck aches for those who had to perform that work.
We complete our drive to San Gimignano, a smaller hill town encircled by old fortress walls. Our first two days are spent just exploring town, since the fog is pea soup and not worth driving to site see when there is 50’ visibility. It’s enjoyable to watch the town preparing for the holidays with all the religious nativity plus flashing red lights, the full spectrum of Christmas decor, with both Jesus & Santa taking center stage.
Loads of vineyards dot the countryside just outside San Gimignano creating the beautiful Tuscan landscapes you’ve all seen. The morning of our visit to Pietraserena Vineyard is still foggy, but a tad less fog than previously. We learned much about the stringent wine requirements and how each region in Italy must be certified. Did you know they are required to protect even the skins, seeds, and stems of their grapevines? We have a great tour of the facility and Tom enjoys a tasting. The vineyard ships home a couple of Tom’s favorites.
The fog lifts just as we arrive back in town so we take the opportunity to climb the highest of the many towers in the town. We finally get to see what we’ve always heard about: Tuscan landscapes. The views are spectacular. On the way back down, we step into the museum “galleries” to see more iconography. The “Saint” Fina paintings seem bizarre to me. Although not officially a saint, she is quite celebrated here in San Gimignano as a healer.
December 8th, The Feast of Immaculate Conception arrives and the town is now officially in Christmas season. The town square has 7 or 8 tents for homemade and homegrown wares such as honey, woolen products, wines, and cheeses. I don’t know if all pecorino cheese has the rind made of grasses, but it looked curious and tasted good too. Most people gathered under an eave conveniently located next to the wine tasting area. Of course most people congregated there, huddled over cups of wine and the real warmth of roasting chestnuts, but we were scared off by the live jazz. Furthest from the jazz, we found an indoor venue with not only wine tastings but olive oil tastings as well. We stepped inside to warm up, but the vendor had not yet deciphered the thermostat so it was just as cold inside as out, possibly colder. Tom tasted wines, I sampled oils, but we were the only ones. Apparently the area with chestnuts roasting was warmer or else these people can tolerate jazz more than us. And since when did jazz become a Christmas thing?
Side Note: everyone knows an expert in wine is called a sommelier, but did you know an expert in olive oil is called an oleologist?
Earlier in the day we decide to drive out to explore more Tuscan landscapes. No destination in mind we ended up in Volterra, another ancient walled hill town, larger than San Gimagnano and definitely more picturesque. The town prizes it’s alabaster and we contemplate buying a Christmas ornament, but decide against it in our quest to remain minimalist travelers. Exploring the streets we find a cool art gallery, reminds us of the cave gallery in Matera, but most of the work here is in alabaster. Very cool! If returning, we’d definitely stay here. It starts to rain so we retreat back to San Gimagnano.
The next morning the town seems to rise above the fog which snuggles the valley into where we will soon be heading.
Next up: returning the car to Florence and starting our train travels.
I want to taste wine with Tom. So glad the fog lifted…even if in fits and starts. Beautiful photos of buildings and interior exploration of art… from churches to galleries. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Carry on❣️
😘💚😘💜
It may not be in Tuscany but we can certainly make that wine tasting together happen, Kath. In the meantime…cheers!!
Wine just responds to Tuscany so of course it’s a favored place to drink it in — scenery included. Nicely captured in photos! I love the alabaster as well. Would have been a nice souvenir but your decision makes more sense.
Excited to vicariously enjoy your snowy Swiss sights
xxoo
I want to taste wine with Tom. So glad the fog lifted…even if in fits and starts. Beautiful photos of buildings and interior exploration of art… from churches to galleries. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Carry on❣️
😘💚😘💜
We visited San Gimigiano and Volterra on our trip to Italy. I brought home a small dish.
Volterra is the backdrop for one of the Twilight series books. Beware of Vampires🤓
You have truly done your homework for this trip… take me next time…