Il Viaggio di Marco a Italia
A Trip To San Gimingnano
23 Luglio 2005Saturday. I got up early for a nice ride up Monte San Michele (turns out that my favorite ride is the highest mountain in Toscana!). I returned to find Dana and Megan just getting up. At 11:00AM, we headed off to a stable just across the way, and then went for a horseback ride through the nearby vinyards. It turns out that the vinyards there are all owned by Sting. Seems he came here in Walt Disney fashion and bought up a big piece of land, knocked down all the houses and built himself a nice villa - or so the rumor goes. I haven't seen it yet.
San Gimingnano is a small city located on a hilltop. It used to have over 70 towers in it, but only 13 remain standing. The likely explanation for the towers deals the fact that San Gimingnano was known for its textile industry in medieval times. In fact, the town kept within its walls the secret of saffron yellow dye. As ground space was limited, the textile makers had to build vertically.
It is about an hour's drive from the villa up over the mountains into the next river valley (Val Di Elsa). San Gimingnano is a walled city whose major appeal is the city itself. So, we went and walked around, had a nice lunch at a cafe, and returned home.
Here are the pictures we took in and around San Gimingnano.
A Small Metal Smith Shop in San Gimingnano
A Small Courtyard Near The Central Church. A wedding was just getting started there when we arrived, so we watched the bride, grom and guests march from one hall to another.
Shiva: a street vendor's dog. She (the vendor not the dog) made beuatiful necklaces of soft leather squares. Megan bought one.
The Valle Di Elsa (east of San Gimingnano)
San Gimingnano's outer wall. A path goes around the outside of la citta'
Dana and Megan looking out at Toscana
Mark Sieging La Citta' Di San Gimingnano.
Mark Claiming Sour Grapes (having failed to breech the city walls)
View From Outside The City Walls
The Pointy Trees (as Megan likes to call them)
View From Outside The City Walls
The Path Outside The City Walls
The Outer Wall
Nice View Through The Trees Towards The River Elsa
Vinyard Art. San gimigliano is surrounded by vast groves of olive trees and vinyards. Of course, that can be said of any hill town in Tuscany.
Modern Art (look closely!)
The Main Street In San Gimingnano
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