Tuscany

In central Italy, the region of Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence on culture.  It was the birthplace of the Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science. Tuscany also produces fine wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano,  and Brunello di Montalcino. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered "a nation within a nation". Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: Florence, Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano, Pienze, Val d’Orcia, and the Medici Villas and Gardens.  The small hill town of Chianciano was our home base for a week of exploring this beautiful area. 

Chianciano traces its history back to the 5th century BC, when the ancient Etruscans built a temple here dedicated to the god of good health.  The town's tradition as a spa town dates back more than 2,000 years.  the curative powers of Chianciano's thermal waters was known during Roman times and many luxurious Roman villas were built near here.  Today the "new town" is a tourist center, known for its many thermal pools.  The "old town" still maintains its architectural heritage and traditions.  Its narrow streets, neat piazzas and beautiful churches make it seem that time has stood still.   

Porto Rivellini, an elegant Renaissance structure is the main gateway into the old town.  Just inside the arch is the Church of the Immacolata, which housed a hospital dating to 1272.  It was restored in 1588, though its famous paintings are now housed in a museum.   

 

At the end of the main road stands the elegant Clock Tower, which bears the coat of arms of the Medici family and offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. 

Further uphill is a small piazza surrounded by the palaces of the one-time lords of Chianciano, a small church and the Town Hall.  An 18th-century fountain stands in its center. 

The church of Madonna della Rosa sits at the foot of the hill, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.  The church takes its name ("Madonna of the Rose") from a fresco portraying the Virgin giving a Rose to the Child, the work of a 15th-century Sienese master.

 

 The Etruscan Archaeological Museum is considered the finest of its type in all Italy because of the wealth of archaeological finds housed here.  It is a tremendous exhibition of the Etruscan civilization that once thrived here.    

 

 

Our hotel in Chianciano was small, so small that our travel group occupied the entire facility.  It was an enjoyable stay, including lessons on making pasta, tying scarves, and dancing up a storm.

 

*****

Chianciano borders the Orcia Valley (Val d’Orcia), a World Heritage Site recognized as “an exceptional reflection of the way the landscape was re-written in pre-Renaissance times to create an aesthetically pleasing picture.”  It is indeed beautiful, but the local people believe that this designation has seriously damaged economic growth here since any improvement (i.e., change) violates UNESCO rules. 

We drove along two ancient roads:  the Via Cassia, an important Roman road leading from Rome into northern Italy, and the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome.   Here the Archbishop of Canterbury walked in 999 AD, before the anticipated ‘end of the world’ in the year 1000. Today the scenery is lush farmland - sheep, Chianina beef (white cow with green eyes), vineyards, and orchards. 

 

Legend has it that these pastures and meadows give the best sheep’s milk for the production of pecorino cheese.   We tested this premise with a visit to the Pianporcino Fattoria, a family-owned ‘cheesery.’  Our host, Giuseppe, showed us how their cheese is made and how different varieties are created.  And then he treated us to a light lunch:  ten different kinds of cheese (mozzarella, ricotta, and 8 varieties of pecorino), three different kinds of meat (prosciutto, salami, and cappicola), salad, Tuscan bread, and wine.  Quite a feast!

The sheep farm was quite a spread, too.  Giuseppe and his brothers have a thousand Sardinian sheep on a 450-acre farm.  It’s a beautiful place to visit, but clearly a lot of hard work.

 

*****

Radicofani is a medieval town perched on a hilltop overlooking the Val d’Orcia.  Its main landmark is the Castle of Ghino di Tacco, built sometime in the 9th century and restored in the mid-1500s. 

An arched gate leads into the town, which is a delightful maze of winding streets, narrow alleys, squares, shops and houses.

 

 

The Romanesque Church of San Pietro (St. Peter) dominates the town’s main square.  It houses several frescoes, marble floors, and blue-and-white pottery by della Robbia.    

 

The Palazzo della Posta stands on the old Via Cassia. A Medicean villa, it was built by Ferdianndo I de Medici as a postal station at the halfway point between Rome and Florence.  It was later transformed into a customs house and hotel.

Radicofani turned out to be a nice spot for a mid-morning snack – ciambella (pastry) and vin santo (holy wine) from the local bakery and grocery shop.  This was early in the trip and we were to learn that our guide loved to eat and to share local delicacies with us. 

 

*****

 

Florence, built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, was the birthplace of the Renaissance, an outburst of artistic activity from the 14th to the 16th century that changed the world.  Under the benevolent eye (and pocketbook) of the Medici family, Florence blossomed into an unrivaled repository of art and architectural treasures.  The historic heart of the city has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

The centerpiece of Florence is its Duomo, with its magnificent Brunelleschi dome.   Named in honor of Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral is a vast Gothic structure built on the site of an old 7th century church.  Construction began at the end of the 13th century, and the dome was added in the 15th century.  Two centuries to complete this building!

 

The Campanile (bell tower) was designed by Giotto and it is commonly called Giotto's Campanile.

The Baptistery of John the Baptist, from the 11th century, is one of Florence's oldest buildings. Its exterior is made of green and white marble and has three sets of bronze doors. The relief sculptures on the doors were done by Lorenzo Ghiberti, who used his own image on the door knobs.  The east doors so impressed Michelangelo that he dubbed them the "Gates of Paradise".

 

The Piazza della Repubblica is the oldest square in the city, built on the site of the ancient Roman forum.  Today it is home to a statue of Victor Emmanuel, street artists, and cafes. 

The Mercato Nuova is an open air loggia full of souvenir stands, as well as Pietro Tacca's bronze Porcellino (Little Pig) fountain.  Built in 1612, this is Florence’s equivalent of the Trevi Fountain in Rome - visitors place a coin in the boar’s mouth, hoping it will fall through the underlying grate for good luck.  Rubbing the boar’s snout ensures a return to Florence. 

 

The Piazza della Signoria, Florence's most famous square, is an open-air sculpture exhibit.  The graceful Loggia dei Lanzi, which functions as an open-air sculpture gallery, was built in 1376; its curved arches foretell Renaissance classicism.

 
The piazza has been Florence's political center since the middle ages.  The town hall, the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, sits on the piazza.   A copy of Michelangelo’s David stands near the main entrance. 

 

The Santa Croce Church is the largest Franciscan church in Italy.  It contains monumental tombs of some of the most noted and respected artists of Italy including Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Dante.

We spent much of our time in the Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery), which holds the world’s most important collection of Renaissance art.  There are thousands of paintings here, from medieval to modern times, as well as many antique sculptures, illuminations and tapestries.  Artists include Michelangelo, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, and Raphael.  To say that we were overwhelmed would be a major understatement. 

From the back of the gallery, there is a great view of the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), built in 1345.  This was Florence's first bridge across the Arno River and is the only surviving bridge from the city’s medieval days.  On the near side of the river is the Vasari Corridor, an enclosed passageway built in 1564 to allow the Grand Duke to move freely between his residence and the government palace.

 

As we left the city, we stopped on the far side of the river for a magnificent view of the Duomo, the Arno River, and millions of red tile roofs.  Nearby we could see a portion of the old city walls.

 

On our way back ‘home,’ we stopped at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, located on the WWII site that was liberated by the US Fifth Army in August 1944.  Today there are 4400 headstones marking the graves of US soldiers, as well as tablets with the names of 1400 persons missing in action.  We arrived late in the afternoon and members of our group assisted with lowering and folding the flag; it was a moving experience, especially for veterans who participated.

 

*****

Sitting high on a limestone ridge, Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town in the southern part of Tuscany.  Montepulciano is a major producer of food and drink, known for its pork, cheese, “pici” pasta, lentils, honey, and especially for its wine. Connoisseurs consider its Vino Nobile among Italy's best wines.  Montepulciano is a walled city, delightfully walkable and car-free – and visible for miles away. 

We entered the city near the top of the hill, through the Porta delle Farine, a 13^th-century gate.  Nice views from here, as well as all along the narrow streets of the town.

Along our walk there were wine shops, also one selling truffles and another that was the studio of a mosaicist. 

 

The Chiesa del Gesu (Church of Jesus) was designed by Andrea Pozzo in the 17th century.   The facade is unfinished but the inside is beautiful and elegant.

 

The town’s main square is Piazza Grande – the Cathedral, the town hall, several fine palaces, and an old well. 

The Palazzo Cervini (now a bank) was built around 1525 for Cardinal Marcello Cervini, who later became Pope Marcellus II.

The Chiesa de San Agostino, built in 1427, has a Renaissance facade and houses a 15th-century wooden Crucifix and many 16-17th century paintings. 

In front of the Church, the Pulcinella clock tower (1523) with a statue of Pulcinella (a Neapolitan character of the Commedia dell'Arte) that strikes the hours. The statue, dating from the end of the 17th century is one of the symbols of the town.

The Palazzo Bucelli has a most unusual façade – an archeologist’s nightmare.  The original owner was a scholar and antique collector, who filled his home with a large collection of Etruscan and Roman artifacts.  The objects he considered of little importance, including funeral urns, inscriptions and fragments of tombstones, were used to cover the bottom of the external walls of the place.  You can distinguish which pieces came from the Romans (1st century BC) and those belonging to the earlier Etruscans (3rd century BC) by the differences in their alphabets.  The “backwards” Etruscan letters (they read from right to left) look more like Greek than the more modern Roman letters. 

 

 

Chiesa e Chiostro di Sant’Agnese (Church and Convent of St. Agnes) honors the town’s patron saint.  It occupies the site of an earlier church built by the Saint herself.

The Piazza Savonarola is located near the main entrance to the city and seems to symbolize that we have arrived in the “city of Nobile Wine.”  The square is surrounded by wine cellars and shops offering the chance to sample local products: pecorino cheese, salami, honey, olive oil, and, of course, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

 

Also in the square is the Colonna del Marzocco, a column topped by the Florentine lion.  The lion was placed on the column in 1511 to replace the Sienese she-wolf, signifying the city’s submission to Florence, after 26 years of domination by the Republic of Siena.

This column is also the starting point for Montepulciano’s annual Bravio dell Botti, a competition among the local neighborhoods or contrada.  Each contrada selects two stout young men to roll a 180-pound wine barrel up the hill through town.  Hopefully, the prize is all the wine they can drink.

*****

Pienza is a tiny, walled village on a hilltop in Tuscany.  Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice here when Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace, the village of Corsignano.  The architect Bernardo Rossellino created a model Renaissance town – cathedral, papal palace, town hall and other buildings that united the Renaissance ideals of art, architecture and civilized good living.   The town has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The Piazza Pio II is the town’s main square, flanked by the cathedral and three palaces: one for the government, one for the bishop, and one (of course) for Pius II.

The Duomo, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, was completed in 1462 and dominates the Piazza.  Its octagonal bell tower stands over an ancient crypt with the same octagonal shape.  Its interior is simple but richly decorated with Sienese paintings and beautiful windows. 

The Palazzo Piccolomini was built in 1459 as a summer home for Pope Pius II; it was also the home of the Piccolomini family, which lived here until 1962.  The Palazzo Vescovile was built by one of Pope Pius’ cardinals.  It now houses the Diocesan Museum and is filled with church paintings from the 12th to 17th centuries.

Across from the church is the town hall, or Palazzo Comunale.  It has a three-arched loggia on the ground floor facing the Cathedral and above it is the council chamber.  For the flower festival, it is filled with displays, including a mosaic made entirely of flowers and other plant material. 

 

Beyond the main square lies a charming town – narrow streets, ancient buildings, flowers, and interesting shops.

 

It seemed that every shop had plants or crafts or food to tempt visitors …

 

Not far from the main square is the Church of San Francesco, with a gabled facade and Gothic portal. It is one of the few buildings that survived from the old village of Corsignano; it is built on a pre-existing church that dated from the 8th century. The interior contains frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis. 

Behind the church is a lane leading to a panorama of the surrounding countryside.   Rolling green hills, vineyards and olive orchards, punctuated by dark, almost black, cypress trees. 

*****

Leaving Pienza, we drove through that beautiful scenery to the spa town of Bagno Vignoni.  The thermal baths here were enjoyed by the Romans and became even more popular during the Middle Ages, thanks to their proximity to Via Francigena.   In the 12-13th centuries, Bagno Vignoni became a stopover point for Christian pilgrims traveling this route on their way to Rome.  The large pool is no longer open to the public, but there are still plenty of easy-to-access hot springs. 

 

*****

Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city.  Florence's great historical rival was founded by the Etruscans, and during the late Middle Ages it was both wealthy and powerful. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning, and they have preserved their city's Gothic appearance throughout the centuries.  The whole city of Siena was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape, for which it has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

Sienese identity is still defined by its 17 medieval neighborhoods known as contrades, each with its own church, museum, symbol and colors.  These groups uphold ancestral rivalries during the centuries-old Palio Horse Race around the main square in late summer.  It was an honor to hold the flag of the Imperial Contrada of the Giraffe!

 

The Church of San Domenico (St. Dominic) was named for St. Dominic, but it is best known for its Holy Head, a venerated relic of Saint Catherine from Siena.  Her head and her thumb are on display in a chapel inside the massive church.  The church was built at the edge of the city to provide pilgrims a place (indoors) to rest on their way to Rome.

 

Inside the city walls, we were immediately lost in a maze of crooked streets and alleys, occasionally opening into small squares.  But what a fine place to be lost – we could have explored for days and not seen it all.

 

Also inside the old city walls is the Fortezza Medicea (Medici Fortress), a fort built in the city in 156.  The Florentine Duke Cosimo hoped to prevent any attempt by the Sienese to recover their independence; the Medici coat of arms remains on the fortess wall.   

 

Near the center of the old town stands the Duomo, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption.  This great Gothic building, filled with art treasures, was constructed between 1215 & 1263 on the site of an earlier structure.  The cathedral is in the form of a Latin cross with a dome and bell tower.   The exterior and interiors are decorated in white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, black and white being the symbolic colors of Siena.  The façade is divided into sections, each frame filled with patriarchs and prophets, studded with roaring gargoyles, and topped with intricate pinnacles. 

Inside, the heads of 172 popes peer down on a forest of striped columns and a spectacular floor of stone mosaics depicting 56 different scenes.  With the coffered dome, a large stained glass window at one end, an altar designed to be the tomb of Sienese-born Pope Pius III, a marble pulpit, and an art gallery’s worth of early Renaissance art, this place is completely overwhelming.

 

 

The north transept is home to a bronze statue by Donatello of an emaciated St. John the Baptist, while the south transept houses Bernini sculptures of St. Jerome and Mary Magdalene.

A magnificent Michelangelo sculpture of St. Paul stands just outside the entrance to the Piccolomini Library.  Inside the library are beautiful frescoes painted by Pintoricchio to celebrate the life of Aeneas Piccolomini, who became Pope Pius II.  The frescoes have never been restored – they are nearly as vivid now as when they were finished over 500 years ago – the excellent light from windows made candles unnecessary, thus saving the paintings from accumulated soot.  

 

In front of the Duomo is Santa Maria della Scala, one of the first examples of a hospital in Europe, caring for abandoned children, the poor, the sick and pilgrims.   Today it is a museum with colorful ceiling and wall frescoes depicting day-to-day life in a medieval hospital. 

To the left of the Duomo is the Palazzo Arcivescovile , the Archbishop's Palace, built in 1718-23 in 14th century Gothic style, designed to preserve the architectural unity of the square. Here also is a column topped by the she-wolf nursing the twins Romulus and Remus – the symbol of Siena.

 

Just a few twisting turns from the Duomo is the fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, one of the biggest medieval (12th century) squares in the world.  It is the heart of Siena, geographically and metaphorically.  The square is surrounded by handsome homes of rich and famous Sienese.  Il Campo’s shining moment is the summertime Palio horse races, when the entire square is cleared and a race track laid around the perimeter. 

The largest building on the square is the Palazzo Pubblico, built with red bricks and decorated with white marble, Siena’s City Hall since the 1300s.   Here also is the Torre del Mangi, one of the tallest (335 ft) and oldest bell towers in Italy. 

On one side of square is the 15th century marble Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy).   The joy is about how the Sienese Republic blessed its people with water and today it still reminds folks that life in Siena is good. 

*****

Assisi is an Umbrian hill town that retains a serene, almost mystical air around the legacy of St. Francis, the patron saint of Italy and the town’s favorite son.  Francis was a 12th century monk who founded the Franciscan order and sparked a religious revolution with his audacious asceticism.  He put Assisi on the map – today it is an important pilgrimage site for religious folk and tourists of all persuasions.  UNESCO designated the Franciscan structures of Assisi as a World Heritage Site. 

The Basilica of San Francesco (St. Francis) is the main reason we are here – and it is magnificent (too bad Francis never got to see it).  Consecrated in 1253 AD, it is a major pilgrimage site.  It is covered with frescoes by the all-stars; the Basilica is one of the greatest spiritual and artistic attractions in Italy.   The basilica consists of two superimposed churches.  The lower church is somewhat dark and austere, but it is adorned with beautiful frescoes.  The crypt of St. Francis is here.  The upper church is much more light and elegant; it, too, is covered with frescoes, including a famous series by Giotto depicting the life of St. Francis. 

 

The Basilica is reason enough to visit Assisi, but the town itself is charming – narrow streets, lots of hills, and loads of churches.

 

 

Heading (more or less) down the hill from the Basilica, the nearest church is Santo Stefano, a small Romanesque church.  It is quiet and simple.

The Piazza del Comune is the main town square, with its Lions’ Fountain and two medieval castles.  The square occupies the site of the old Roman Forum. 

The Town Hall with its clock tower is here, along with the Church of Mary over Minerva.  A Roman temple, dating from ca. 50 BC and dedicated to the Roman goddess of wisdom, was converted to church with arrival of Christianity.  Outside it is a noble Roman building with portico and 6 Corinthian columns; inside it’s a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.   

The Cathedral of San Rufino is Assisi’s Duomo.  It was built in the mid-12th century.   St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized here.

The Basilica di Santa Chiara (Basilica of St. Clare) is a red-striped church dedicated to the woman who gave all her riches to the poor and, with St Francis, founded the Order of the Poor Clares.  The Basilica was built around 1260 AD to house the tomb of St. Clare.  It’s a pretty church – the views from its courtyard are even nicer.   

 

The Chiesa Nuova (New Church) was built in 1615 on the site of the birthplace of St. Francis, the house of Pietro di Bernardone.   The high altar is set over the room of St. Francis, and the church preserves the stairwell in which Francis was imprisoned by his father. This is the place where Francis decided to answer the divine call and to renunciate all worldly goods.

Just outside the old Roman walls of Assisi is the Church of San Pietro and San Victorinus.  The abbey here dates back to 1029 AD.

High on the hill above the town is the Zocca Maggiore (Great Fortress), a ruined castle looming over the city.  The fortress was built over an earlier fortification dating back to time of Charlemagne. 

At the foot of the hill below the town is the Franciscan Sanctuary of Rivotorto – the Sanctuary of the Sacred Hut.  This stone hut – now inside the larger church building – was the original dwelling place of St. Francis and his companions in the early days of the Franciscan Order. 

 

*****

Cortona is a walled town sitting on a steep hillside covered with olive trees and vineyards.  With its narrow, twisting streets, jumble of small squares and colorful buildings, Cortona is a classic Tuscan hill town.  The city began as an Etruscan settlement, which grew in the 13th-16th centuries into a colorful and powerful city known for its art and architecture. 

 

Piazza Garibaldi was our first stop as we hiked up the hill to visit the town.  Here, just outside the city walls, is San Domenico (St. Dominic), a church built in Gothic style in the early 15th century.  It was part of a monastery of the Dominican friars.

The view from the piazza was worth the climb.  We could see the valley (Val de Chiena) and Lake Trasimeno.

 

Inside the city walls, the town center is the Piazza della Republica.  The City Hall was built in the 12th century on the ruins of the forum of the Roman city.  It was expanded in the 16th century with the construction of the bell tower and of the massive access staircase.

The Piazza Signorelli is the home of the Teatro Signorelli, which was built in 1854.  It is located in the spot once occupied by the ancient church of St. Andrew.   The Museo Dell’Academie Etrusca is adjacent; it was founded in 1727, when members of the Etruscan Academy donated their collections for the creation of this museum. 

The Church of San Agostino (St. Augustine) was built in 13th century in Gothic style by the Augustine monks. It was redone and expanded in 1600.  Parts of the old monastery are visible in the courtyard.    

 

The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Calcinaio was constructed in the late 1400s.  The Renaissance style church built on a Latin cross plan with an elegant dome soaring above the green hillside.

The Basilica di Santa Margherita (Basilica of St. Margaret) was built in the 13th century; her embalmed body is exhibited in a display cabinet behind the main altar. The church is loaded with paintings and marble sculpture, a Baroque altar and a beautiful rose window on the façade.

 
Cortona’s Duomo is the 15th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.  This building rests on the ruins of the ancient parish church, which dates from the 4th century, when it was built on the foundation of a pagan temple.    

 

Near the cathedral are several houses that date to the 1300s.  The medieval home of ordinary people was usually a tall narrow building with one room on each of the three floors. Clear evidence of this type of construction can be found in these small houses, one-room wide and two-rooms long.  The houses are distinctive in that the facade at the level above the ground floor overhangs above the street. These houses are made of stone only on the ground floor, while the upper floors are made of brick. The support beams are placed above the ground floor and jut out to become the support for the lighter construction in brick.

 

While we were wandering around Cortona, our guide was busy shopping.  She hit all the local markets and spread out a picnic of with assorted breads, meats, cheese, olives, sweets, and (of course) local wine.  It was a memorable meal!

*****

Orvieto is a walled city in Umbria designed to be impregnable when it was founded by the Etruscans on the top of a steep hill.  Eventually, the town was sacked by the Romans, but the Etruscan cisterns, mills, pottery workshops, quarries, wine cellars and burial sites were preserved underneath – a split-level town! 

The Duomo of Orvieto is one of the most beautiful in all of Italy, a black and white striped building in mixed Romanesque and Gothic styles.  Construction began in 1290 A.D.  The carved-stone façade took 33 architects, 152 sculptors, 68 painters, and 90 mosaicists some 300 years to complete.  

 

Impressive as the cathedral is, the piece-de-resistance is inside:  a series of frescoes by Luca Signorelli on the theme of the Last Judgment.   When Signorelli was given the contract for these frescoes, he added a stipulation that he should be given all the Orvieto wine that he could drink! Whether it was the wine or his talent, his Last Judgment at the cathedral is a masterpiece. This series is considered to have provided the inspiration for the more famous Last Judgment of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

 

Across the square from the Duomo, there is an old mechanical clock tower that chimed the moments of work and rest for the workmen in the cathedral building site over the centuries. 

 

The Piazza della Repubblica has always been the municipal heart of Orvieto and used to be the center of religious life too before the Duomo was erected.  Next to the Town Hall is the Collegiate Church of Saint Andrew, an Etruscan temple which later became an early Christian basilica. 

The area near of the Piazza della Rebublica is known as the Medieval Quarter.  It has kept its old houses, Gothic churches and medieval towers. 

 

Like many of the hill towns we visited in Tuscany and Umbria, Orvieto was charming and could have kept us happily exploring for days.  Our visit was short, but it did include some time to see some of the beautiful ceramics for which the area is famous.

 

And with that, we headed south through more beautiful scenery …