Tuscany Day 3

We cooked on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and ate dinner out the other two nights. It was a cooking AND walking tour, so back to the walking. The weather was pretty nice, sunny and cool on all the days except day 3. On that day, it was very cold and rainy. Michelangelo picked us up about 10 AM and we headed out of Florence to San Gimignano, a walled medieval town high on a hill in Tuscany, looking much like it did in the middle ages except for the noise, dirt and smell.

There are many medieval towns in Tuscany but San Gimignano is one of the most important. Founded more than 2,700 years ago by the Etruscans it became important in Roman times and medieval times as the main town on the road from southern Italy to France. The pilgrims from northern Europe who wanted to do their homage to the Pope traveled through San Gimignano. In the middle ages, about 12,000 to 13,000 people lived there but today it has at most a population of about 2,000.

Because it was cold and raining and early spring, San Gimignano seemed desolate to me. Stone streets, walls and towers all around with rarely a sight of anything green or friendly. I know it is an important tourist destination with its imposing towers reminding visitors of the Italian tradition of feuding families. We did find several shops selling beautiful Tuscan ceramics. I bought one piece for 50€. It was one of the cheaper pieces. Yeow! Ceramics are an important tradition in Tuscany. More than 3,000 years ago, the Etruscan people who inhabited the hills and valleys became expert makers if pottery. The popularity of painted ceramics among Americans has made it a thriving industry.

Even though it was miserably cold, we enjoyed a gelato at the Galeteria di Piazzi owned by Sergio Dondolei, winner of the world cup of gelato-making in the last two competitions. According to expert taster and Gelato fan, Elda Morris, the award was well-deserved.

The medieval starkness of the stone in San Gimignano hides an amazing treasure in the church of Santa Maria Asunta. If you go to San Gimignano, don’t miss this church with frescoes from the 14th century recently (10 years ago) restored. The church is filled with the frescoes from top to bottom and beginning to end, for the most part, beautifully restored to their original color. The frescoes tell the story of the Life of Jesus as well as the creation.

The church is also home of the chapel of Santa Fina, a local saint, who engaged the medieval towns with visions telling them how they should live. There is a glass coffin supposedly with the remains of Santa Fina but she looked more like a wax doll tome. Maybe the wax covered the bones. I couldn’t get a clear answer on that.

Ron was asked to remove his hat in the church. But other than that, nothing embarrassing happened.

After wearing us out in San Gimignano, Michelangelo, our guide insisted we go to Volterre, known for its silver, gold and alabaster. I put my foot down and refused to leave the car in hurricane-force winds and rain. Ron, Elda and Michelangelo, however, trudged up the hill to the village of Volterre, meaning “high land.” Elda bought a lovely small alabaster vase which was made in front of her. She was happy to find such a treasure and it made her forget about the wind and rain. I was sorry not to see the making of the alabaster vase but “what the hey.” Later I learned that Volterre was one of the most important sites for Etruscan tombs and artifacts and regretted giving up on the face of gale force winds. Not.

Dinner was at a great Pizzeria close to the Villa Il Paradisino. Cold, wet and tired we fell into bed about midnight.