Italiano"MONTERIGGIONI, SAN GIMIGNANO and VOLTERRA" ITINERARY
Three enchanting towns, immersed in the splendid Tuscan context, consisting of vineyards and works of art. The three well-known tourist destinations around the world are about 40 to 45 minutes' drive from each other.
MONTERIGGIONI
Coming from Siena, Monteriggioni is the first of the three destinations we find.
The best way to see all of Monteriggioni at a glance is the walk along the medieval walls that surround the city. They are the same that appear from a distance when you approach the town in the province of Siena.
Nothing has changed: they are the same walls that impressed Dante, so much to mention Monteriggioni in the XXXI canto dell'Inferno, when he wrote "however that as on the round circle Monteriggion of towers crown", to indicate the majestic and similar appearance towers of Nembrotto, Fialte and Antaeus, the huge giants fixed in the abyss of Malebolge. The 14 towers built to defend this territory for centuries disputed between Siena and Florence, repeatedly conquered by one and the other city, are still intact. Today Monteriggioni welcomes only tourists, artists and writers, attracted by the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of Piazza Roma, the only large city space overlooked by the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta and the restaurants offering local cuisine.
SAN GIMIGNANO
The second destination we find along this visit is San Gimignano, about 45 minutes drive from Monteriggioni.
The 15 towers of San Gimignano appear as a mirage already from many kilometers away. They emerge in the Sienese hills offering the same view as a medieval traveler, when the towers of San Gimignano were 72. You enter the village from one of the two gates, and immediately you catapulted into a medieval atmosphere, despite the tourists coming from all over the world.
A single main road climbs towards the main square of San Gimignano and then comes back down. Along the way the old craft shops of the Middle Ages have been replaced by more modern souvenir shops. It is the price that must be paid to modernity, immediately rewarded by the splendid frescoes of the Duomo and the Church of Sant'Agostino, without forgetting to visit the masterpieces preserved in the Civic Museum of the Palazzo Comunale. An interesting stop along the way are the two sites of the Museum of Torture, for those who want to discover the man's ability to invent instruments of death and suffering.
San Gimignano is also the area where the famous "Vernaccia di San Gimignano" wine is produced. It is very easy to find wineries or wine shops to be able to make tastings admiring beautiful views.
VOLTERRA
Finally, Volterra, a city with an unmistakably medieval look, where it is still possible to enjoy the atmosphere of an ancient village, whose authenticity has been protected over the years.
In Volterra history has left its mark with continuity from the Etruscan period until the nineteenth century: the city is rich in artistic evidence of great importance, to admire walking through the streets of the historic center and visiting the city's museums, such as the Etruscan, the Pinacoteca , the Museum of Sacred Art, or the Alabaster Ecomuseum. And the beauties also continue just outside the historic center, where you can admire the splendid Roman Theater, as well as the ruins of the Etruscan Acropolis. At this point, you will only have to admire the surrounding uncontaminated landscape before discovering the secrets of a rare craft production: that of alabaster.