Tuscany: One Weekend, Five Towns
Five Tuscan towns in 3 days with two great friends, all by bus from Naples… Lets do it!
Florence
Florence, also called Firenze, is best known for its role in renaissance art and architecture. It was a hub for merchants and artists of all types, and it shows thoroughly in the modern face of the town. It is the largest spot we visited by far and there is so much to do within the city. Between the cathedrals, museums, and art galleries, you will not be bored in Florence!
San Gimignano
San Gimignano is known for its ancient towers and medieval architecture. Nicknames include “Town of Fine Towers” and ‘Medieval Manhattan”. It is encircled by a border wall and boasts stunning views on all sides. Its easy to see San Gimignano in the horizon with its spiky towers dominating the skyline. The town is very quiet and quaint with rich history you can see with the naked eye.
Siena
Siena is most well-known for the Palio, a famous horse race held semi-annually in the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo. The streets were beautiful to walk through, especially the street with the flags of each horse racing team. The town is also encapsulated within a millennia-old wall. Palio and architecture aside, the Cathedral is easily one of my favorites of all time. I love the striping throughout the exterior and interior, and the inside was magnificent. The room with the golden ceiling was my favorite part.
Lucca
Nicknamed the “Town of 100 Churches”, Lucca holds nearly 100 churches within it’s medieval walls. The architect behind the wall surrounding the town was Leonardo Da Vinci. A town favorite for runners and cyclists, the wall is broad enough that there is a road for cars that loops around the top. Inside the thick wall, the town still holds the old charm it did from centuries ago.
Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa may be the most famous, but is not the only remarkable building in this town. The town itself is quite small, with most of the main buildings in the Piazza del Miracoli. The Cathedral of Pisa (directly next to the tower) and the Baptistry of Pisa (next to the Cathedral) are both ornate and unique buildings with great historical value. The famous tower was built as a bell tower for the Cathedral, but it started developing a lean due to its sandy foundation early on in the construction. The architects and engineers then tried to compensate for the lean but nothing they tried worked. Eventually, they finished the tower and at its worst, it leaned 5.5º. Due to modern day fixes of the foundation, it now leans a meager 4º.
My Final Thoughts
This trip was a dream! Although we didn’t spend much time in each place, we still got a general feel of the area and got to see the most beautiful sights!
My local tour group offered this tour to travel by bus from Naples so I jumped on it as soon as I could! We drove between each town and stayed the two nights at a centralized hotel.
I would definitely visit each of these towns again and again and recommend the trip to anyone in the area!
Thank you for reading and happy traveling.
Date Visited: November 29 - December 1, 2019
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