Here's Dan "at work."
Written by Go Ahead’s copywriter, Dan, while on our Venice, Florence & Rome tour.
In 1296, the city of Florence had acquired such wealth that its richest families decided to build a church. The church was to serve two purposes: 1) to give praise and thanks to God for the city’s wealth and power, and 2) to demonstrate to anyone with a pair of eyes that Florence was indeed wealthy and powerful (the city’s priorities were not necessarily in that order).
View from the Florence duomo.
Today, the Florence Duomo still stands as a testament to this city’s glorious past, and travelers from around the world flock to this marvel. But to get a feel for this city, this region and this country, you may want to head out into the hills and villages of Tuscany.
The views from the top of the Duomo are absolutely breathtaking, but in my personal opinion, nothing beats the panorama of the Tuscan hills from San Gimignano. I know, I know—we’re heading to Rome in less than 24 hours, and I shouldn’t declare a “favorite” part of my trip yet. But if you’ve ever been to San Gimignano, I think you know what I mean.
One hundred years before Florence laid the first stone of its cathedral, San Gimignano claimed its own architectural legacy. The wealthy families of this town on a hill built towers to tell the world of their importance. Many of the towers have fallen or been taken apart for use in other structures, but fourteen have survived through the centuries. The towers are San Gimignano’s calling card, but I wanted to see if there were more to this town.
Extraordinary panoramic view of the Tuscan hills from San Gimignano.
As the rest of my group sat down to enjoy lunch and the views of Tuscany, I sought high ground—specifically, San Gimignano’s ancient fortress, perched on the highest point in the city. At the very top of the citadel, there’s a walled courtyard where I found a guitarist playing under an olive tree. After tossing a euro into his case, I found a staircase that led me to the very top of old fort. It takes more than 460 steps to reach the top of the Florence Duomo, and I have no idea how many steps it took me to get to the top of San Gimignano, but both climbs were well worth the sore legs. With Tuscany spreading out before me and light, fluffy clouds in the sky, I reclined on the wall, dug out the apple I’d brought with me and enjoyed the view.
Local entertainment at the top of the citadel.
If you’ve been to San Gimignano before, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t been to San Gimignano before—well, put it on your list.
