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A Small Hill Town of Tuscany – Volterra
VOLTERRA: Volterra is another medieval charm of Tuscany and another town that attracts thousands of tourists every month. Like San Gimignano or Siena, this is one of many walled cities of Toscana.. Situated on a hill, Volterra gives beautiful views of the countryside and nearby small hills. Getting lost in the cobble-stoned alleys and being surrounded by enchanting old buildings make this city awesome. For us, it was a small and sweet trip. If you are in Florence or Siena, making a day trip to Volterra would be perfect for few hours.
TIME of TRAVEL: It was our second time in Tuscany in October of 2013. After visiting Siena, Florence, and San Gimignano, Volterra was our last town to visit in this region of Italy. When we arrived here it was almost dark and it got a bit windy because of the elevation. I think it’s always a good idea to carry a light sweater, especially around this time of the year.
OUR HOTEL: We stayed in “My One Hotel in Radda” for the whole time in Tuscany. It’s located in the hills of Chianti…a place which is not only famous for its wine, but also for its art, history, natural beauty, and simplicity. This was a 4 or 5 star resort. We had free grand breakfast buffet, spacious room, clean linens, and excellent customer service. But above all of those, the best part of it is the view from our balcony or from the hotel terrace. Standing on the upper terrace one early morning, I got the perfect glimpse of Tuscan hills and trees hugging the autumn clouds…it was a breathtaking feeling. I felt like I didn’t need to get out, I could have just sit in my hotel balcony all day and enjoy Tuscany right from there. It took us about hour and half from Volterra to our hotel, thru some winding and hilly roads.
EATING and SHOPPING: We were in Volterra for a very short time, only about couple hours. We had lunch in San Gimignano before coming here. But if you are hungry in Volterra, you can find plenty of bars, grills, and restaurants in the Old Town…unfortunately most of them were closed or getting ready to close by the time we were done visiting all the spots.
Volterra is very well-known for its alabaster items, ceramics, and pottery arts. There was a big souvenir alabaster shop right before we entered the Old Town, very close to the parking lot. Alabaster can be very heavy depending on the size of gifts you are buying but they all looked very gorgeous with reasonable price tags.
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: We only got to spent couple hours in Volterra historic Old Town. We decided to take a trip to Volterra when we figured we still had enough time to kill after visiting San Gimignano.So made a short stop here before heading to our hotel in Radda in Chianti. The drive was absolutely breathtaking from San Gimignano to Volterra. But once we reached there, it was almost end of the day and it quickly started to get dark outside. We parked our car outside the Old Town and started walking towards the main sights as soon as possible. Here are some of the places we could see during our short trip in Volterra.
1) PIAZZA dei PRIORI: This is where we first stumbled while trying to figure out what we want to see and do here. Though it was late and the square looked empty, Piazza dei Priori is the main square here. Volterra Town Hall and Palazzo dei Priori were located in this square. Palazzo dei Priori was open till 5pm, so we couldn’t really explore what that really was. By the way, the tourist information center is also in this piazza, if you need to pick any maps or talk to anyone for help.
2) MARIA ASSUNTA CHURCH CATHEDRAL: After the piazza, we walked few minutes following the sign to go to the Duomo or Santa Maria Assunta. The first mention of Church of the St. Mary dates back to 992 AD. This is a Parish cathedral of Volterra in the heart of the town. Some of the most important sites of this church are the main altar, splendid pulpit, Bishop’s chair, and mesmerizing ceiling, which represents the heaven. The interior differs from the exterior in that only a little of the old Romanesque structure remains in it. There is a Baptistery in front of the Duomo and they both are located in Piazza San Giovanni. Inside the Duomo was very dark and Gothic looking. It was about to close, so we entered and exited after getting a quick peek inside the Duomo. Both the Duomo and the Baptistery are free to enter. The Baptistery was very small, had a marble wall and a painting…another brief look for me.
3) ROMAN THEATER: Roman Theater was about 10 to 15 minutes of walk from the Duomo. It was only ruins and the site was not a well-maintained area. We saw some ancient columns and grass-covered steps from the Roman times. Tourists can walk and go closer to the decayed site. We only browsed it from up above, where you can stand and enjoy some other views as well.
4) ALABASTER MUSEUM: We kind of got lucky with this museum. It was already dark to do anything else. But the Alabaster Museum was still open and we had only an hour to look around. If I can remember correctly, the museum had three floors in total with old alabaster items on display from different eras of Volterra. Volterra had its own alabaster mines at one time and all the items you see here are mostly local artifacts. It is 8 euros per adult for both Alabaster and Pinacotec Museum.
5) PINACOTECA MUSEUM: Alabaster Museum and Pinacoteca Museum are both in the same building. The building, known as Palazzo Manucci, is from the 16th The museum has a collection of paintings from the 14th century which includes religious arts and paintings on woods. You can see some medieval sculptures, some church ruins from the 12th century, and old altarpieces.
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Town with a Hundred Towers – San Gimignano, Italy
SAN GIMIGNANO, ITALY: Northwest of Siena, on the hills of Val d’Elsa, stands the medieval town of San Gimignano, also defined as the town “with a hundred towers”. Like many other towns in Tuscany, the historical town of San Gimignano is a walled city surrounded by breathtaking vineyards and olive groves. Its impressive architecture symbolizes power and wealth of locals from few centuries ago. Out of the original 72 towers, 14 of them are still standing today. The artistic and cultural treasures that San Gimignano possesses today derived from the Middle Ages, when trading developed and pilgrims crossed by this town on their way to Rome.
After visiting few other towns of Tuscany, San Gimignano became my most favorite town in this region, even more than Siena. Its small and dark alleys and medieval charm along with rich cultural background make this a gem of Tuscany. Best part was that the historic city center was not overloaded with tourists and lurkers. This hill city in Tuscany makes a great day-trip venue from nearby cities, like Siena or Florence. Additionally, it is small enough to enjoy leisurely even on a tight schedule.
TIME of TRAVEL: Our second trip to Tuscany was in October of 2013. That’s when we had the chance to really explore and appreciate Tuscany. Other than San Gimignano, we were blessed to visit other towns like Siena, Florence, Volterra in Italy and drove all the way up to San Marino. Weather was fantastic with some signs of autumn. Tuscany looked at its best with little bit of vibrant falls colors here and there.
OUR HOTEL: We stayed in “My One Hotel in Radda” for the whole time in Tuscany. It’s located in the hills of Chianti…a place which is not only famous for its wine, but also for its art, history, natural beauty, and simplicity. This was a 4 or 5 star resort. We had free grand breakfast buffet, spacious room, clean linens, and excellent customer service. But above all of those, the best part of it is the view from our balcony or from the hotel terrace. Standing on the upper terrace one early morning, I got the perfect glimpse of Tuscan hills and trees hugging the autumn clouds…it was a breathtaking feeling. I felt like I didn’t need to get out, I could have just sit in my hotel balcony all day and enjoy Tuscany right from there. San Gimignano was little more than an hour drive from our hotel but the drive was well worth it.
EATING and SHOPPING: After spending couple hours in the beautiful Old Town of San Gimignano, we had to sit down and enjoy some Tuscan food. And what other piazza would be better other than Piazza della Cisterna. We sat outdoor under a big umbrella of a restaurant, called Bar La Cisterna. They have panini, pizza, pasta, variety of soups and salads, gelato, and other sweet treats to choose from. We had some Tuscan bean soup and some breads with porcini mushrooms on top.
San Gimignano ceramics, potteries, and local handcrafts are particularly beautiful souvenirs for tourists. Their vibrant colors and artistic designs will attract anyone. Paintings by local artists are also very popular here…you can get typical Tuscan landscapes, vineyards, traditional houses, and many more in the galleries of Old Town. Packet food, such as different colors and shapes of pasta, olives, olive oil, spices, and cheese are well known too. But I would suggest to get authentic gourmet olive oils directly from olive presses from the countryside, out of touristic zones.
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: We were in San Gimignano only for few hours before heading towards Volterra, another medieval town close by. San Gimignano’s Old Town is very small and can easily be covered on foot. But you must leave your car outside the city walls. The local Tuscans are very friendly and helpful here, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if you have any questions about anything. If you can spare some extra time, try visiting one of the original medieval towers here. Torre Grossa is the tallest one from the 13th century at about 200 feet and it allows visitors to go inside for tours. We didn’t go inside, therefore can’t say how the interior looks; but should be an impressive architecture to visit.
1) CHIESI de SAN FRANCESCO: This place kind up showed up when we entered and started walking towards the center. There is no church here at this moment. It’s now a gourmet shop to buy local souvenirs. Only the outside wall still stands.
Historically, this church was originally dedicated to St. John and belonged to the order of the Knights of Jerusalem. It dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, but the only part of the original building still standing today is the lower section of the façade which is marked by five bowed arches set on semi-columns. The various decorative patterns of the Romanesque façade are evidence of the influence of Pisa and Lucca.
2) PUNTO PANORAMICO: We were following a sign for “Punto Panoramico” and ended up on this spot which gives you some exceptional views of the countryside, vineyards, old houses, and distant mountains. Standing there was absolutely breathtaking and gave us the chance to get some stunning glimpses of Tuscany.
3) THE COLLEGIATA or DUOMO: San Gimignano Duomo, also known as Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, is located in Piazza del Duomo. Piazza del Duomo is the town church square surrounded by many thousand-year-old towers and another piazza that I fell in love with instantly. This piazza also house the Pinacoteca Civica, which we didn’t cover, is an art and painting gallery.
The Duomo is a must-see here. This is a parish church of San Gimignano from 1148. The interior consists of three naves divided by columns with capitals sculpted by local workers. Its splendid series of Biblical frescoes on Old and New Testaments are beautiful to look at. Although the church is not that big, it contains some pretty ceilings and artistic objects.
It is 4 euros to enter the Duomo and 6 euros if you add Holy Art Museum. We weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside the church.
4) PIAZZA della CISTERNA: Connected with Piazza del Duomo with a narrow pavement, Piazza dell Cisterna is probably the most beautiful square of San Gimignano. It is bordered with nobility houses and centuries old stone buildings with an old well in the middle. You can find plenty of gourmet eateries here, one of the best places to enjoy a meal or drink in the old part. Originally, this was a marketplace with local performances and cultural activities. Currently, this is a gathering place with plenty of gourmet eateries and shops.
5) ROCCA: Rocca is a site where an old fortress used to be if I am not mistaking. We didn’t see any sign of fortress there really other than some ruins of walls, but it is a nice spot on the hill to get a beautiful panoramic view of the countryside.
6) PORTA SAN GIOVANNI: This is one of the old town gates from the 13th We didn’t really see much here, except some old ruins buried on the open ground. You do get a nice view of the hillside from a corner.
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Europe’s 3rd Smallest Country – San Marino
SAN MARINO: Republic of San Marino is a unique little country that claims to be the world’s oldest republic. In addition to that, this is also the third smallest country in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco. Its capital, also known as San Marino, sits on Mount Titano at more than 650m above sea level, and it offers impressive views of the surrounding hills, countryside, Adriatic Sea, and Italy. It’s the main city of this country and where we spent all of our time during this trip. The appealing historic center along with Mount Titano is a UNESCO World Heritage site of this capital. The few towns that make up San Marino are all located on the mountain sides.
TIME of TRAVEL: It was our second attempt to go to San Marino. First time we were in Tuscany (February 2012), we made our first attempt to go there, but had to return back to hotel after more than an hour drive towards San Marino due to heavy snow storm in the mountains. This time our trip to Tuscany was in October of 2013 and the weather was extremely favorable. It was a long drive but thanks to the scenic highways and roads, they kept us energized all the way.
OUR HOTEL: We didn’t stay overnight in San Marino. We stayed in My Hotel One in Radda in Chianti in Tuscany, Italy and made a day trip here. It took us about 3 hours to reach here after getting lost a few times but it was worth every moment.
EATING and SHOPPING: Food in San Marino is exactly same as Italy, like pasta, pizza, and gelato. We had lunch at a restaurant called Cesare Cafe exactly opposite of La Fratta on Via Salita all Rocca, right after entering the Old Town next to parking lot 6. They not only had very good food and good service, but we also enjoyed the magnificent view of the hills from the restaurant windows.
Same goes for shopping, souvenirs are very similar to the ones you will get in Italy, except you don’t have to pay the tax that you will do in Italy. Old Town has many shops for leather, purses, generic souvenir items, and so on.
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: Historic old city center of San Marino is very well-marked and all the sites are within walking distance. It offers spectacular views everywhere you look. All the sites here are very well-preserved, maintained, and marked clearly for everyone. Here are all the places we’ve visited in Old Town of San Marino in a day.
1) OLD TOWN: We spent our whole time in the Old Town of San Marino and that’s where most of the touristic sites are. Good restaurants and shops are everywhere too. Even if you just walk around the city thru its narrow streets and winding up and down ways, you will be thrilled with all the surprises you will find in this small town. We parked our car outside the wall and walked on foot taking time in each spot and enjoying the stunning views from up here every once in a while.
2) 1ST TOWER – GUAITA: After a small pedestrian shopping area in the Old Town of San Marino, we climbed uphill to reach the 1st We got a mind-blowing view of the encircling mountains as soon as we reached the base of the tower.
This UNESCO World Heritage site is the principal defense of Mount Titano and of the town of San Marino. The first documented record of its existence dates back to the 13th century. Over the centuries, it has been extended and modified to adapt the structure to the evolution of warfare. It also served as a prison where dangerous criminals were tortured and kept. Extensive renovations were carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries which emphasized the 15th century appearance of the building. This is the reason the tower looks so much older than similar fortresses in nearby areas.
This was one of the three medieval towers of San Marino. We didn’t visit the other two towers, but they are open to the public. It is 3 euros for one tower and 4.50 euros for two towers combined. We spent about an hour here walking around the old walls and going thru few sections of this tower.
3) BASILICA di SAN MARINO or BASILICA del SANTO: About 5 minutes’ walk from the tower, in Piazzale Domus Plebis, is Basilica di San Marino. It’s main façade with Greek-style Corinthian columns, all white interior, majestic ceiling and altar, and statues on the sides of the walls inside make this place elegant and a must-see in San Marino. It is free to enter for anyone…so don’t miss the chance.
4) PIAZZA della LIBERTA or PIAZZA PUBLICA: Going down from the basilica to the left for only two minutes is Piazza del Liberta or Piazza Publica. This is a small piazza that houses the City Hall and other government official buildings. The best part of it is that you get a phenomenal panoramic view of the layers of mountains and towns below. There is a statue in the middle of the piazza overlooking the people of San Marino. It looked like this is the main square of the city and a popular gathering place for the locals.
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Castle of Montereggioni in Tuscany, Italy
MONTERIGGIONI, ITALY: This is a very small commune in Tuscany bordering with Chianti. It’s magnificent countryside and vineyards gave us an alluring look to beauty of this region. As the history goes, the town of Monteriggioni grew up on the sites of earlier settlements of Lombard origin. In 1213 the Sienese government built a ring of walls to protect the town and the garrison-post controlling the valleys in the direction of Florence, Siena’s historic rival.
TIME of TRAVEL: We were in Tuscany in October 2013. The best part of visiting Tuscany during this time was that we had this beautiful place almost to ourselves. The crowd slowly starts to vanish once the summer is gone and autumn shows up. While is very pleasant during the daytime, it can get a bit chilly on the mountains or in the countryside in the late afternoons, always better to carry a light sweater for those moments. We were on our way to hotel after visiting Siena at the end of our first day in Tuscany and had just little time to spend before the daylight was gone. We drove to Monteriggioni just in time to enjoy a beautiful sunset in the hillside of Tuscany.
OUR HOTEL: We stayed in “My One Hotel in Radda” for the whole time in Tuscany. It’s located in the hills of Chianti…a place which is not only famous for its wine, but also for its art, history, natural beauty, and simplicity. This was a 4 or 5 star resort. We had free grand breakfast buffet, spacious room, clean linens, and excellent customer service. But above all of those, the best part of it is the view from our balcony or from the hotel terrace. Standing on the upper terrace one early morning, I got the perfect glimpse of Tuscan hills and trees hugging the autumn clouds…it was a breathtaking feeling. I felt like I didn’t need to get out, I could have just sit in my hotel balcony all day and enjoy Tuscany right from there.
EATING and SHOPPING: There were couple restaurants inside the castle complex where people gathered for drinks and meals. But didn’t see any shops or souvenir stores there…I was rushing to capture the sunset, maybe that’s why?
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: We barely spent about an hour in Monteriggioni right around sunset time. The hills and fields looked gorgeous as the sun turned bright orange and went down the horizon slowly. I roughly managed to see the castle from outside while my husband and girls stayed in the parking
CASTLE of MONTERIGGIONI: This was the only site I saw in Monteriggioni as it was already around sunset time. We didn’t do much research on this town either as far as what to see and do, since we just decided to show up here at the last minute.
Historically, the construction of the castle started in 1213 with the expense and labor paid for by the people of Siena. From the very starting the castle was enclosed completely by walls. The castle was traversed by countless armed clashes with its rival Florence, which on various occasions tried to destroy the walled hamlet. Monteriggioni, an unconquered and “unconquerable” fortress, fell only during the siege of 1553 under the imperial troops allied with the Florentines, who attacked and bombarded the castled until it surrendered. The rustic and simple character of the 560 meters of walls, 14 towers, and 2 gates convey an idea of the medieval world which are fascinating even today.
I am not sure if tourists are allowed to go inside any of the castle buildings or if there were anything else that we could have seen or done here, nevertheless it was a short but nice stop to take in more of Tuscan magic.
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Medieval Siena in Tuscany, Italy
SIENNA, ITALY: Sienna is one of the most popular destinations in Tuscan region of Italy. It is famous for its enclosed medieval old town and charming old alleys. Sienna is one of many towns of Tuscany which is ringed with a medieval wall and has web-like narrow alleys to get lost into. It’s rich and historic atmosphere will impress anyone effortlessly.
We rented a car during our visit in Tuscany. Finding a parking can be a bit of a challenge here. Once you are in the old part of Sienna, covering the old town and its cobbled-stone streets on foot is preferably the best option. I couldn’t take my eyes off of those lovely medieval buildings and some newer architectures as well…it’s amazing how they all blend in just perfectly.
TIME of TRAVEL: Our first trip to Tuscany was in February of 2012. It was a cold and bitter winter in Europe that year. We visited Florence and Pisa that time. We planned to go to San Marino but had to turn back around from the mountains because of heavy snow blizzard. That wasn’t really the best way to enjoy Tuscany…we had to go back there for the second time. This time it was in October 2013 and it was as perfect as one could expect.
OUR HOTEL: We stayed in “My One Hotel in Radda” for the whole time in Tuscany. It’s located in the hills of Chianti…a place which is not only famous for its wine, but also for its art, history, natural beauty, and simplicity. This was a 4 or 5 star resort. We had free grand breakfast buffet, spacious room, clean linens, and excellent customer service. But above all of those, the best part of it is the view from our balcony or from the hotel terrace. Standing on the upper terrace one early morning, I got the perfect glimpse of Tuscan hills and trees hugging the autumn clouds…it was a breathtaking feeling. I felt like I didn’t need to get out, I could have just sit in my hotel balcony all day and enjoy Tuscany right from there.
EATING and SHOPPING: Our lunch in Sienna was at a place called “4 Cantoni”. We had some porcini fried as appetizer, then some Tuscan soup with bread. If you are in the mood for some desserts, try tiramisu. The restaurant had many options of pasta and gnocchi too.
This old part of Sienna is filled with quick-luncheons to sit-down restaurants and bars. Italian cookies or biscotti are famous here too. For those fancy shoppers, you can find stores with brand names and designer shops to local boutiques and small artisans. Olive oil, leather items, and potteries are just some of the things you can bring back from Sienna or whole Tuscan.
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: Old city of Sienna is enclosed within a city wall which is few centuries old. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes. There are lots of slopes and stairs to climb. But the fun part is walking around in between the medieval walls and buildings.
We spent about little more than half a day in Sienna and followings are some of the sites we managed to visit. But if you have more time, there are plenty of other palaces to visit from the 15th century, art museums, and historic buildings. If you have spare days in Tuscany, explore other small towns and villages like Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra, or the scenic hillsides and vineyards of this region.
1) PIAZZA del CAMPO and PALAZZO PUBLICO (SIENNA CITY HALL): After entering the old city wall of Sienna, our first stop was Piazza del Campo. This is the main square at the center of Sienna. It’s the gathering point for locals as well as for tourists and a lively place to hang out. Countless restaurants, bars, gelato places, and shops surround the square…a great place to enjoy meals while watching the world go by.
Palazzo Publico or Sienna City Hall dominates Piazza del Campo and its tower Torre del Mangia overlooks the square. This is an 800 years old city hall and is still in working condition. We couldn’t do it with the kids, but tourists can climb some 300 steps of “Torre del Mangia” to get a 360 degree panoramic view of whole Sienna and its countryside. The ticket is 8 euros per person and only 25 people can access it at any given time for 15 minutes.
Civil Museum is also located near the city hall. It is 8 euros, another place we couldn’t visit.
2) SIENNA DUOMO: From the main square of Sienna we headed to the main highlight of Sienna…Sienna Duomo. If you have time to see only one thing in Sienna, this would be it. This is one of the most extravagant cathedrals in whole Tuscany. Its black and white interior and Italian Romanesque style architecture with grandly curved entrance never fail to please the visitors. Loved the gorgeous altar, magnificent ceiling, artsy floor tiles, medieval frescoes, and every single statue.
You can rent an audio-tour for a fee which elaborately talks about the history of this cathedral. We spent about little less than an hour inside the cathedral (yeh, it’s that big and filled with relics and beauties) and enjoyed every corner of it.
Opposite of the duomo is Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. It has separate door and entrance fee. Both of these are located in Piazza del Duomo.
3) BASILICA SAN FRANCESCO: About 7/8 minutes of walk from Piazza del Duomo is Basilica San Francesco. It was quiet and empty when we were there late in the afternoon. But the oversized paintings and gorgeous altar with black and white interior immediately caught our attentions. It was a bit similar to Sienna Duomo but a simpler version.
There is no charge to enter the basilica. It is open 7:30am-12pm and 3:30pm-7pm.
4) SANTUARIO di SANTA CATERINA: This is a small church but very gorgeous inside. We spent some time with the kids in its cozy courtyard. I think the best of this place was getting here…we passed some old residential buildings, climbed slopes, and enjoyed looking at laundries hanging from the windowsills.
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