Excursion to Siena and S.Gimignano | Tours

(duration of this tour: 10 hours)

This tour will start with us picking you up at your hotel and than having a lovely drive up from the region of Lazio into Tuscany passing many beautiful areas and countryside of Italy. Tuscany has some of the most beautiful countryside with medieval towns popped in the middle. It is here that some of the best wines and oils are produced and you will be able to see where it is all grown.

SIENA

Siena is one of Italy’s most charming cities. The historic part of the city is still mainly surrounded by its medieval wall, and so is very manageable on foot. At the heart of the city is the gently sloping shell shaped main square, Il Campo. This beautiful brick-tiled square was laid out in the 14th century. It has become famous for the running of the Palio, which is raced on 2 July and 16 August. The Palio is a unique event, a festive occasion that is a savage and fundamentally grave celebration, but none the less, joyful, with jubilant crowds who shake the entire city during the time of these horse races.

The local people come out in traditional costumes, parading through the square and twirling and throwing huge flags. This is an amazing experience to see!! Winding out from the city center are many of the main roads that will take you by other remarkable places; such as the Duomo, Siena’s main church and oldest building in the city. It has a mix of Gothic and Romanesque elements in its architecture which gives it an exclusive and breath taking sense of history and beauty. It has a magnificent façade of white, green and red marble, an impressive dome and 13th century bell tower in black and white stripes, like the side of the building. Inside there are decorations by some of the best artist of the time like Nicola Pisano and Pinturicchio.

Not to be missed!
Siena was the arch enemy of Florence, and trading city of it’s time, and still has the same atmosphere that it had at the time of its greatest grandeur of the 13th and 14th centuries. There are so many astounding building and squares to this city that you have to see them to grasp the full distinctiveness of this beautiful city.

SAN GIMIGNANO

San Gimignano is one of the most enchanting Italian Medieval towns; it can be seen from far-off sitting on its hill, with its magical setting of 13 soaring towers standing out against the sky, in the unmistakable peace of the Tuscan countryside. San Gimignano was founded by the Etruscans, and began to be developed between the 9th and 12th centuries, thanks to its trading privileges due to the nearby crossroads. There really is no place like this left.

You can visit one of the towers and get a spectacular view of the town and surrounding country. Its main square has a cistern in the middle and is lined with houses and towers all dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. It is a lovely little place to visit that has many points of dazzling views, churches, squares and of course towers all built 150 years before Michelangelo was even a twinkle is his mother’s eye.