Italy - Tuscany 2015
Countries-Holidays
Travelogue from Tuscany
This year in July, we went to Tuscany in Italy for summer holidays. We travelled with a tour operator and stayed in the town of Montecatini Terme. Our travelling companions made a pleasant party, and our tour guide was very good. Throughout the holiday, the weather was beautiful with temperatures from 35 to above 40 centigrade. Montecatini Terme was a very nice town. Atop the city, Montecatini Alto lies with a beautiful view to Montecatini Terme and the surrounding area.
We made excursions to Lucca, Firenze, Siena and Pisa. They were all very beautiful towns, where you really sensed the presence of history. Lucca was the most relaxed of the towns. Our guide expressed it this way:” Lucca is a feminine town, whereas Firenze is a masculine town.”
Lucca today has about 85-90.000 inhabitants. A complete town wall girdles the old town of Lucca. Today pedestrians and cyclists go about on the wall. On our walk around the old town, we saw the three Romanesque churches, San Michele, San Frediano and the cathedral San Martino. On top on an old Roman amphitheatre is built a square called Piazza Anfiteatro. Close to the old town wall we saw Palazzo Pfanner, built by a family who belonged to the merchant nobility. From the town wall, we had a very nice view to the surrounding area. Piazza Napoleone is named after Napoleon by his sister, who ruled the Lucca principality. Old plane trees line the square. Today the square is known for its many cultural arrangements. In Lucca, the composer Giacomo Puccinni was born. We passed his museum and birth house.
Firenze was an imposing town with the many very nice buildings. The town is the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. The original name Florentia means The Blossoming. Today Firenze has about 380.000 inhabitants.
Our meeting point with our official guide was the Basilica of San Lorenzo. The Danish scientist Niels Steensen is buried in the Church. From there we walked to the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It is an imposing structure with a very big dome. Close to, The Babtistery of St. John locates. We continued to Piazza della Signoria with the medieval City Hall, Palazzo Vecchio and further to the famous art museum Uffizi Gallery near the river Arno. From the embankment of Arno, there was a very good view to the old bridge Ponte Veccio with many jewelry shops. We crossed the bridge to see the shops. Next we walked back to see Piazza della Repubblica, and after that it was time to go to our departure point. We walked along Arno in full sun and a shadow temperature on more than 40 centigrade. It was not only warm; it was hot.
In Firenze, we were cheated to pay 30 euros for two ice cream cones.
Siena, we felt, was a very intimate town with narrow and steep streets, which made it fairly crowded. UNESCO has declared the historic centre of Siena a World Heritage Site. We entered the city at the Basilica of San Domenico, which was under reconstruction. Close to there, was a beautiful view to The Cathedral of Siena. Our first stop was Piazza del Campo, where the Palio horse race takes place. At one side of the square, the Palazzo Publico and Torre del Mangia locate. This building inspired the Danish architect Martin Nyrop in his design of the town hall of Copenhagen. From here we continued to the cathedral. The cathedral is a beautiful building and both the outside, and the inside of the church is decorated with stripes of white and black marble. From the church, we walked around in the city. We found the Palazzo Chigi-Saracini housing Accademia Musicale Chigiana and passed the Piazza Indepenzia. Siena as such has about 60.000 inhabitants
In Pisa, everything important to see was lying on the square “Piazza dei Miracoli.” Here we found The Cathedral, The Leaning Tower, The Baptistery and the cemetery Camposante. We also had a walk in the old city where we passed Piazza dei Cavalieri with Palazzo della Carovana and the church Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri. We continued to River Arno, where Piazza Garibaldi lies and the bridge Ponte di Mezzo crosses the river. Pisa has a population of about 90.000 citizens
Our hotel had a country house “Collina Toscana Resort", where they rented out rooms, and where they grew vine and olive. We visited the place, which was located with a beautiful view, and we tasted their wines and specialities.
Furthermore, we visited a Chianti vineyard “Castello di Verrazzano”. It was also situated with a very beautiful view to the surrounding area. They produced some very nice wines, which they served with local food, including their homemade prosciutto.
Hans Bruun-Jensen
Slideshow with a few samples of photoes from Tuscany
To see the complete album go to: Our photo Gallery, Countries - Holidays / album: C-H_Italy 2015 Tuscany.