Exploring Tuscany: Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena
When I studied abroad last year, I saved my trip to see the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa for the last day of my time in Florence. This approach was great, in theory, until I accidentally slept through 3 alarms and wound up missing my tour. Therefore, this weekend I was incredibly excited to finally fulfill my wish to see Pisa and to also explore a few more towns in Tuscany.
Pisa
While there are several churches and museums in Pisa to check out, the primary sight I wanted to see was the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Baptistry, and the Cathedral. The famed tower is actually the campanile, or bell tower of the Cathedral. The 183 foot tall structure has been leaning since its construction due to a weak foundation, and was completed in 1372.
I love this shot of the Leaning Tower peeking out from behind the Cathedral
When visiting Pisa, you are sure to encounter tons of tourists all trying to get the same iconic shot, which, I will admit, I had to take as well.
Pro tip: Have the camera person move to line you up with the tower, not the other way around.
San Gimignano
Following our stop in Pisa, we hopped on the bus and drove through the picturesque countryside of Tuscany-I’ve actually never had a more beautiful bus ride. When we arrived in San Gimignano all of us were immediately enchanted by the quaint medieval town. San Gimignano is known for its tall towers, which were erected by wealthy townspeople, however, none of them are taller than the one built by the town’s mayor. Today, only 14 of the original towers remain due to battles between neighboring towns.
The Piazza della Cisterna is named for its medieval well.
One of my favorite things about San Gimignano was the wide variety of unique shops, art galleries, and stores to walk into.
I loved spending my day popping into the local galleries and shops.
As great as the shopping was, the best thing about San Gimignano was the award winning gelato I had at Gelateria Dondali, which you can read all about here. Be sure to head to the Piazza della Cisterna and try some for yourself!
I opted for chocolate and coffee, my favorite gelato combo!
Siena
After an informative and delicious wine tasting experience, we headed to Siena, the site of one of my favorite churches in Italy.
I love the intricate facade of the Duomo and the variety of marble used
After a walking tour of the city, we got free time to admire the Duomo, shop around, and explore the wonders of Siena. As an Art History major, I was in heaven examining the incredibly detailed scenes created with marble covering the floor of the Cathedral.
Just one of many beautiful scenes captured on the floor of the Duomo
All in all, I had an idyllic day exploring more of Tuscany, and it was great finally seeing so many places I’ve been wanting to go to!
If you are looking to explore a few Tuscan towns, I would highly recommend booking a day trip like this one so you can maximize your time in each place and avoid the hassle of booking trains. You can find this trip here and save 5% with promo code “CATALINA”.
There are a few places cliaimng to have the best gelato in the world, Grom and San Crispino being just 2 that I know of. I am prepared to do quite a bit of research on this.We stayed in that main piazza last time we were in San Gimignano, right by the well. It is a gorgeous place, completely taken over by tourists, but what can you do?
What a lovely place to stay! I was only there for the day, but I can’t wait to go back! It is very touristy, but if you go during the off season it is much quieter.