Ciao tutti,
The weekend before my last class of the semester ended, I
went to Tuscany (Toscana) with my study abroad program, BCSP. This is the second
of two gite (trips) planned through
BCSP (the first was to Lake Garda).
MONTERIGGIONI
Our first stop of this fantastic two-day trip through
Tuscany was to the little town of Monteriggioni, outside Siena, where the
Medieval walls surrounding the city are still intact. We got our first taste of
the Tuscan panorama by being able to walk along the walls and look out across
the countryside:
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| A typical street in this small town |
SIENA
After only a short stay in Monteriggioni, we boarded the bus
again and drove to the great Tuscan city of Siena, where we spent the rest of
the day. We had a few hours of free time to wander the streets and visit the
local vendors before going on a group tour of the city, where we learned all
about the history of this picturesque gem of Medieval Tuscany. On the tour, we
learned about the Palio, a horse race
held twice every year in the central piazza, known as the Campo. We also learned about the tradition of contrade, which are historical neighborhoods within the city that
have no political significance today but still are a matter of great pride to
the Sienese people. For example, typically each horse that races in the Palio represents a different contrada; and thus the horse that wins
the Palio brings great pride and
bragging rights back to that particular contrada.
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| view of Siena |
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| Siena |
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| the Palazzo Pubblico at the Piazza del Campo |
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| la Fonte Gaia. We studied this fountain extensively in my art history course earlier in the semester. You can actually drink out of it, too! The Sienese mastered the intricate system of underground rivers during the Renaissance. |
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| il Campo |
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| il Campo, site of the Palio |
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| A hand-made candle shop we stumbled upon. They use this system of heating colored wax to paint designs on the candles. |
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| il duomo (cathedral) di Siena |
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| busts of Popes inside the duomo |
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| inside the duomo |
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| inside the duomo |
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| typical Sienese street and architecture |
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| Panforte. Siena is famous for it. It literally means "strong bread," but it is more like fruitcake, with bits of fruits and nuts baked inside. |
SANT’ANNA IN CAMPRENA
After departing Siena, we drove to the countryside to a
former monastery-turned-agriturismo Sant’Anna in Camprena, where we stayed for
the night. The grounds were spectacular, which amazing views, amazing food, and
amazing hospitality.
PIENZA
The next morning we drove to the quaint town of Pienza,
where we had some free time to see the sights and explore the city. There was a
flower festival going on which added to the beautiful feel of the city. The
cathedral was beautiful in a simple sense, and behind it lied some more fantastic views
of the panoramic countryside.
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| flowers on display for the festival |
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| inside the Pienza cathedral |
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| simply beautiful. |
PIOMBAIA
After stopping in Montalcino, another quaint Tuscan town, to
grab a bite to eat and relax a little bit, we headed to the countryside again
to visit the Piombaia winery. We were very fortunate to tour this family-run
establishment, meet the family (and their dogs!), and sample some of their
wine.
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| The vineyards |
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| walking into the winery facility |
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| the aging barrels for the wine |
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| One of the family dogs, Pablo, enjoying our company. He was very friendly and excited to see us :) |
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| Pablo! |
Later that afternoon, we took a two-hour walk through the
Tuscan countryside to our bus before driving back to Bologna. I’ll admit I was
a little apprehensive of this walk, what with the sun blazing strong at around
80˚F.
However, the hike was mainly on flat ground and a cool breeze accompanied us,
so it was a lot more enjoyable than I had anticipated. Plus, with views like
these, who can complain?!
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| Ending our hike and trip in Tuscany, arriving at the Abbazia (Abbey) di Sant'Antimo |
Ciao for now,
Augusto
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