Siena / San Gimignano / Pisa

Day Two

Day Trip: Tuscany in One Day Sightseeing Tour

Booked this Full Day Tour online via Viator website few weeks prior to our trip. The cost for this trip was EUR 72 per person, which included entrance fees, transportation in air-conditioned coach and lunch. This trip include sites in Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa which are outside Florence city but within Tuscany region. All these 3 sites are declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

After taken our breakfast at the hotel, we then walked to Piazza della Stazione which was the meetup point for the tour. The coach bus (left photo below) departed on time at 8 am soon after confirming the tour group. Each tour member was provided with radio device connected earpieces (right photo below) so that everyone in the group could hear better from our tour guide.

Reached Siena at about 9 am after almost an hour travel from Florence.

Siena

Siena is a city in Tuscany and it is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year in Piazza del Campo.

The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995.

Basilica of San Francesco

First site in Siena was Basilica of San Francesco (photos below), which was erected in around 1228 to 1255 in Gothic style.

Palazzo Salimbeni

Palazzo Salimbeni is a Gothic style urban palace located on the Piazza Salimbeni (left photo below). The building, associated with an ancient mercantile family of Siena, currently houses the main offices of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena which is one of the oldest banks in the world. The bank has been operating continuously more than 550 years ago since 1472. In the middle of the square stands a statue of the local religious figure Sallustio Salimbeni (right photo below).

Palazzo Spannocchi

The Palazzo Spannocchi is a Renaissance style urban palace located on the Piazza Salimbeni (left photo below). What attracted me was the protruding busts at its ceiling (right photo below). These solid protruding cornices near the roofline are the busts of Roman emperors.

San Cristoforo

San Cristoforo or Saint Christopher Church (left photo below), is a Roman Catholic church located on Piazza Tolomei. The niches flanking the entrance hold statues of Saint Bernardo Tolomei (right photo below) and Blessed Nera Tolomei.

Palazzo Tolomei

This classic Gothic style building, Palazzo Tolomei (left photo below) caught my attention at Piazza Tolomei. It was erected between 1270 to 1275. It is now the home to Banca Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze S.p.A., also known as Banca CR Firenze.

Basilica of San Domenico

Basilica of San Domenico (right photo below) is a basilica church which began construction in 1226 to 1265. It is a large edifice built in bricks with a lofty bell tower on its left and the church contains several relics of Saint Catherine of Siena.

Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo (photos below) is a shell-shaped public space in the historic centre of Siena, and is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity established before the thirteenth century.

At the end of the square was flanked by Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia (left photo below). Constuction began in 1297 to serve as a town hall for the seat of Siena's government. The Cappella di Piazza (right photo below) is the marble tabernacle that rises the foot of the Torre del Mangia in Piazza del Campo and it is the only building protruding from the surface of the square.

The Fonte Gaia or "Joyous Fountain" (photos below) was built in 1419 as an endpoint of the system of conduits bringing water to the city centre. It is a rectangular basin that is adorned on three sides with many white marble bas-reliefs.

Siena Cathedral

Siena Cathedral or Duomo di Siena in Italian (left photo below), is a medieval church completed between 1215 and 1263. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with the addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena. On the upper façade of the cathedral is the mosaic depicting the Coronation of the Virgin Mary (right photo below).

The marble high altar of the presbytery was built in 1532 (left photo below). At the sides of the high altar, the uppermost angels are definitely masterpieces. There are eight candelabras in the form of angels (right photo below) mounted against the pillars of the presbytery.

Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library (photos below), which house precious illuminated choir books and frescoes paintings.

The ceiling is covered with painted panels of mythological subjects (left phot below). The cycle of frescoes was painted around the library between 1502 and 1507 with striking detail and vivacious colours (right photo below). Each scene is explained in Latin by the text below and they depicted ten remarkable events from the secular and religious career of pope Pius II, first as a high prelate, then bishop, a cardinal and ultimately pope.

The pulpit is made of Carrara marble (left photo below) and was sculpted between 1265 to 1268. The whole message of the pulpit is concerned with the doctrine of Salvation and the Last Judgement.

The hexagonal dome (right photo below) of the Siena Cathedral is topped with Bernini's glided lantern, like a golden sun. The coffers were painted in blue with golden stars and colonnade in the drum is adorned with images and status of 42 patriarchs and prophets.

The stained-glass round window was made in 1549 depicting the Last Supper (left photo below) and one of the earliest remaining examples of Italian stained glass.

Inlaid marble mosaic floor is one of the most ornate of its kind in Italy, covering the whole floor of the cathedral. The "She-Wolf of Siena" with the emblems of the confederate cities probably dates from 1373 (right photo below).

Column of the she-wolf

Located at the Piazza del Duomo is the column of the She-Wolf (photos below).

According to legend, the sons of Remus were the original founders of Siena. Romulus and Remus, born to a she-wolf, had founded Rome. But when Romulus killed Remus, sons of Remus feared for their lives and fled the city. As they left Rome, they stole the statue of the She-Wolf from Apollo's Temple. Their hasty journey brought them to the hill of Castelvecchio where they founded the ancient city of Sena, named after Senius. While becoming a symbol of the new city, the she-wolf was also a permanent reminder of their origins.

Old Streets in the centre of Siena

Walking on the medieval and well conserved streets in the centre of Siena can be amazing (photos below) where every photograph taken can be picturesque.

Fattoria Poggio Alloro

Fattoria Poggio Alloro is situated in the garden surrounded by the Tuscan countryside of rolling hills and lush fields (left photo below). The towers of San Gimignano on the horizon, some 5-km away, complete this fantasy picture (right photo below).

We were first shown to the farmyard where the white Chianina cattle were raised (photos below). Chianina is an Italian breed of cattle and it is one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world.

Next, we visited the wine production facility (photos below) where its manufacturing processes were introduced.

The highlight of this tour was lunch! We were brought to a cozy restaurant within the farm house.

Toasted bread topped with olive oil (left photo below) was served together with white wine (right photo below).

Delicious pasta (left photo below) was then served together with red wine (right photo below).

A selection of cured meats, local cheeses and salad (left photo below) was then plated. Lastly, we got to taste the dessert wine together with the crispy biscotti (right photo below).

After lunch we visited San Gimignano which is a small medieval hill town.

San Gimignano

The Historic Centre of San Gimignano has been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1990.

Visitors are initially greeted by the medieval walls of San Gimignano (left photo below) and the main south gate Porta San Giovanni (right photo below).

After walking pass the stone arch (left photo below), narrow street of 'Via San Giovanni' could be seen with many shops and cafes (right photo below).

San Gimignano is famous for its unique in the preservation of about a dozen of tower houses which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form "an unforgettable skyline" (photos below).

San Gimignano has managed to conserve fourteen towers of varying in heights. The towers of San Gimignano were not just displayed of wealth, they also represented the power of the families who built them. The taller the tower, the more important the owners appeared to be.

The picturesque surrounding landscape of San Gimignano is not to be missed (photos below).

Following is the panorama view with vineyards in the background.

Piazza della Cisterna is the main square of the town (left photo below) with many Romanesque and Gothic buildings. At the centre of piazza stands a well which was the main source of water for the town's residents.

The Collegiate Church of San Gimignano (right photo below) stands on the west side of Piazza del Duomo. The church facade, which has little ornament, can be approached from the square by a wide staircase and interestingly has a door into each of the side aisles but no central portal.

Pluripremiata Gelateria

While we had some free time at San Gimignano, we decided to try the gelato from Pluripremiata Gelateria (left photo below) at Piazza della Cisterna, as recommended by our tour guide. This shop holds the Gelato World Champion title in year 2006/07 and 2008/09.

There was relatively short queue outside the shop and after about 5-minutes we got our gelato! For comparison with previous day gelato, I got myself tiramisu, hazelnut and banana flavor at EUR 2.30 (right photo below). It is the best gelato so far!

We left San Gimignano and reached at our last site of the tour, Piazza dei Miracoli at Pisa.

Piazza dei Miracoli

Piazza dei Miracoli or Sqaure of Miracles, is a walled 8.87-hectare area located in province of Pisa (photos below).

It is recognized as an important centre of Europrean medieval art and one of the finest architectural complexes in the world.

The Piazza del Duomo was declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Pisa Cathedral or Duomo di Pisa in Italian (left photo below), is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in the heart of the square. The façade was constructed using grey marble and white stone set with discs of coloured marble.

Pisa Baptistery of St. John or Battistero di San Giovanni in Italian (right photo below), is the largest baptistery in Italy standing at a height of 54.86-meters with a diameter of 34.13-meters.

Campaniel (bell tower), known commonly as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, is the last building to be constructed after the Cathedral and Baptistery. The height of tower is 55.86-meters from the ground and weigh about 14,500 metric tons. After the tower was completed, the lean was approximately 1 degree, or 80-cm from vertical. As at 2010, the lean was measured approximately 4 degrees (photos below).

Following is the photo that wrapped up the trip in Piazza dei Miracoli.

After exiting from the west gate (left photo below) of Piazza dei Miracoli, noticed that there are many souvenirs stalls attracting lots of tourists (right photo below). Same advice is to be careful with personal belongings while browsing the stalls.

The day trip ended and we were brought back to Piazza della Stazione at about 7.20 pm.

Ristorante Tira Baralla

Decided to have dinner in this Ristorante Tira Barilla (photos below) located near to Firenze S.M.N. railway station.

Ordered a Pizza to share (left photo below), 'Spaghetti Carbonara' (right photo below) for myself and 'Mozzarella cheese Baked Rice' for my colleague. Really enjoyed the Italian food. Cost was EUR 13.15 per person after dividing the bill.

After dinner we walked back to hotel to rest and prepared for our Venice trip the next day.