Today we took a bus trip through the beautiful rolling hills of the Chianti countryside on our way to Siena and San Gimignano. I don't know know how we do it, but yet again we happened upon the most glorious weather and deepest blue sky day imaginable for our trip into the heart of Tuscany.
We chose a local tour company for this outing and on board the bus were greeted by our lovely Italian guide, Tytsianna. Well, she was the double of Dolly Parton in every way except for the bit her name implied. She was quite tiny really, but sounded just like Dolly and was a wealth of information about the area.
It was market day when we arrived at Siena and the streets outside the walls were filled with stalls and cars and every person from miles around doing their weekly shopping. Once inside the walled medieval city it was much quieter. Siena was established as a military colony by the Romans in the first century B.C. and once enjoyed great wealth as a prominent city on the Via Romea, the pilgrims' route to Rome. A plague outbreak in 1348 killed two thirds of the 100,000 inhabitants and led to a decline that culminated in the city's handover to Florence. Medici rule curtailed its power, but in preventing new development, preserved its historic centre. Entering Siena, on Unesco's World Heritage list as the living embodiment of a medieval city, is like stepping back in time.
We began our wanderings in the Piazza del Campo, the famous sloping civic and political centre which is the heart of the city. As we entered the piazza we were met by an eerie mist rising and parting around the bell tower which loomed like a giant rocket about to take off. It felt like we were in some weird Doctor Who scene and we watched in wonder as the mist made its moves and eventually cleared. A coffee and croissant (both delicious today and inexpensive) in one of the outdoor cafes gave us more time to appreciate this lovely piazza made famous by the Palio, the horse race held here twice a year, as it has been done for 700 years.
We eventually dragged ourselves away from this delightful spot and approached the magnificent Duomo via a long staircase from the low streets behind the bell tower. Always stunningly beautiful in full Gothic style, it looked even more so towering up against a blue sky background. The church is as lovely inside as it is on the outside. After enjoying both we walked more of Siena's streets and took in some breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside from its walls. We lunched in a tiny local restaurant which had been a favourite haunt on our last visit here and the food was as good as we remembered. It was crowded with locals which made for a noisy, jolly atmosphere. With full bellies and hearts warmed by the local Chianti, we joined back up with the group to drive on to San Gimignano.
Like Siena, San Gimignano lay on the main pilgrim route from northern Europe to Rome, but the plague had disastrous consequences leading to economic decline which, in the long run, preserved its medieval heart. From a distance, the sight of its 14 remaining towers looming like ancient skyscrapers is stunning. The original 72 towers built as lookouts by wealthy families must have looked simply amazing against the countryside backdrop. Its savage past of plunder and fighting is hard to imagine as one now strolls through its quiet, peaceful alleyways and quaint piazzas. The streets were quite empty while we were there which is one of the great benefits of travelling in the winter time. Before departing we witnessed a golden sunset which made the surrounding hills and vineyards glow softly in the fading light. Then, under the watchful eye of a waxing moon, we made our way back to Florence.