Tuscany

 

Here is a region of Italy which much to see. From beaches, hills covered with olive groves, mountains and cypresses trees and endless vineyards. We have probably travelled in this region the most. We can always return to Tuscany and find a small place to stay and relax heading out with endless sights to see.

As reported in the May 2008 Travel + Leisure article on Tuscany, make time to travel the strade bianche, the white roads, as they often give you the best experience. Now for those who still carry a Micheline Map that means something, for those dependent on a GPS system the notation of while and yellow roads are quickly starting to mean less an less.

As the map to the right shows, there are a number of provinces within this region, and each have places of note.

The Isola of Elba, as long as you do not try to visit it in August, is lush with greenery and there are wonderful beaches. The ferry to the island is not difficult or overly expensive and driving on on the island is easy. Lots of good hotel choices also.

We have often used Orvieto as a base. Being south of Florence it makes it relatively easy to travel west to Siena and the see the Crete Siense. Places like Cortona or Todi to the east are also very pleasant. We have also used the Chianti area, west of Florence as a good area to use as a base. Regardless, you will need more than one trip to really see Tuscany. Florence to Siena is about an hour and a half drive. So remember if you are planning to drive there from Florence, you have to drive back, and there goes 3 hours plus of your day just in driving.

But, get off the main roads and you will find driving in Tuscany, while very scenic, a slow and time consuming process. Enjoy it. It will take you about an hour to drive from Montalcino to Montepulciano. Give yourself time and enjoy it.

Many of the towns have the remains of walls, towers, and other structures used in battles held in the previous years.

The rectangular merlons with straight edges represent the Guelph. An example of those are pictured to the right, the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. You can look at those and you will know the side of the long conflict bewteen the Guelphs and the Ghibellines the castle or palace. The Guelphs were on the side of the Pope, the Ghibellines the emperor. Those cities that had pro-papal policies were called Guelph towns. They paid no taces to the emperor.

Those merlons that were more horned in the shape of a swallow-tail, as shown by those of the castle at the left, represent the Ghibelline.

The split between the two followings was evidently very strong. Generally I think that Florence and Lucca were more on the sides of the Guelphs and Pisa, Sienna and Pistoria were ruled by the imperial Ghibelline families. There were divisions within the actual towns also, so it was not a case of everyone in the town being of one leaning.

Once I realized that by looking up at the merlons it told on whose side the palace stood, it just added onemore point of intest in my travels.

All around are ancient Etruscan and Roman ruins. Bring lots of film!

Travel Journal information on:

• Arezzo
• Chianti (Castellina in Chianti, Fonterutoli, Panzano, Vertine)
• Colle Val D'Elsa
• Elba
• Firenze | Florence
• Lucca
• Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Abbaye
• Montecatini Terme
• Montepulciano
• Pienza
• Pisa
• Pitigliano
• Abbey S. Antimo
• San Gimignano
• Siena
• Volterra