Tuscany - The Medieval Hilltop Cities of Volterra, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni

Day 10 - Today we had a fabulous day exploring the medieval Tuscan hilltop towns of Volterra, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni with our entertaining and knowledgeable guide (our favorite so far!) Elio.

We started in Volterra, which you might remember was referenced as the city where the evil family of vampires was coming from in the Twilight movies. While it’s a super cool medieval town, there were no vampires in sight!!

Three things in this city were particularly intriguing and set it apart from other places we’ve visited. First, all throughout the city, you'll see many items made from alabaster stone, which we learned is an ancient tradition in Volterra with the precious material coming from nearby quarries. We stopped in an alabaster artisan’s shop and watched as he created a beautiful vase that would later be sold in his family shop. The artisans here pass down their skills through the generations…and they ship FedEX!!  We were happy to support their business!

Second, we saw some of the oldest intact architectural features we’ve seen to date!  The Porta all'Arco Arch, one of the city's ancient gates, is the oldest gate and remains mostly intact, with features from the 5th century.

Additionally, a 1st century Roman amphitheater sits on an older Etruscan site and is one of Italy's finest and best preserved of its kind. Behind the 2,000 year old amphitheater, there are remains of Roman baths from the 4th century and of the Roman forum.

After Volterra, we drove to a small family run farm where we enjoyed a traditional lunch prepared using the farm's own seasonal products. The meal was phenomenal, and included dishes prepared with saffron (a staple crop of the farm) accompanied by the refreshing, local Vernaccia white wine. We even got our daily dose of gelato for dessert! Sorry Dan, no vanilla!!

Then, on to San Gimignano, where one of the places we visited was particularly interesting for Scott and Gayle. The 13th-century Palazzo Comunale has always been the centre of San Gimignano's local government (it remains the City Hall). Its magnificently frescoed Sala di Dante has frescos depicting the justice system of the day.

Our final stop of the day was in quaint Monteriggioni, a perfectly preserved medieval fortress with a complete ring of walls and turrets built in the 13th century and mentioned by Dante in his Devine Comedy. This was Siena’s main bastion of defense against the armies of Florence.  Today, the outside of the fortress walls are lined with olive trees and vineyards. Its a beautiful view over the Tuscan countryside!

We ended the day with a sunset dinner at our hotel, overlooking the walls of Siena! Tomorrow, we leave for Rome. We'll miss our time in Tuscany!

Tours: Full Day Tour of Tuscany Hill Towns with Wine Tour Adventures

Our driver Elio Martino was fantastic! If you need a private guide for something in this region or in Florence, you can contact Elio at lillomart@hotmail.com

Step Count: 7.553 steps or 3.75 miles