From April 2014... Okay, we picked Certaldo Italy as our Tuscany tourist-free stop for a couple of…read moredays. I was apprehensive that there would be nothing to do there but instead it was the perfect inexpensive lodging location in the center of Tuscany. We had excellent lodging, food and sights. The Certaldo-Alto area with the incline railway was spectacular!Head to Certaldo for a quiet laid back part of your european trip.

This was actually my favorite piazza in San Gimignano. It's the one with the old cistern, or well…read more There's always a bunch of people sitting on it as they do on the steps in other public squares. What's unusual is that this square is really in the shape of a triangle. You'll also see the Devil's Tower near the cistern. It has been said that the owner returned to find his tower taller than it was when he left it. Lol! That's kind of spooky. What I loved most about this medieval piazza is the famous gelato shop. It was a historical and tasty experience.

This is a lovely piazza/town square in the heart of Sam Gimignano. Admittedly, San Gimignano was…read moreone of my two favorite places visited during my two weeks in Tuscany and this square was absolutely lovely. There is an old cistern (hence its name) in the square along with lots of lovely shops, including a pair of dueling gelato shops (one of which is often featured on travel shows). There are plenty of opportunities for getting your perfect Instagrammable moments here as well.

It's the main gateway into the medieval village of San Gimignano, and not to be confused with the…read morefamous one of the same name in Rome. It's located in front of the Martyrs of Montemaggio Square where there's a war memorial to the fallen of San Gimignano. There's also a beautiful view of the Tuscan countryside as you walk up to this impressive looking gateway. There are many views like that one as you walk along the walls of this ancient town. However, you'll need to overlook the touristy parts of it so that you can truly appreciate and enjoy it.

This town is a MUST stop if going wine tasting through the Tuscan region. Beautiful views of the…read moreTuscan valley from the top with a fantastic shops and restaurants. We got to experience someone reading some beautiful Italian poetry on the top of the hill who we found out is typically doing this daily.

The Duomo di Siena is one of the most visually appealing cathedrals in Italy...a place where art…read moreand devotion converge in extraordinary harmony. Towering over Piazza del Duomo in Siena's historic center, the cathedral immediately commands attention with its distinctive dramatic blackandwhite striped marble façade, a color scheme that reflects the ancient symbols of the city itself. While we have seen many beautiful Italian cathedrals, this one is one of the most unique ones. Stepping inside the cathedral is awe-inspiring and completely breathtaking. Unlike many cathedrals whose beauty lies primarily on the exterior, Siena's Duomo interior is splendid and grand. The interior is lavishly decorated with striped marble columns, gilded details, sculptures, and frescoes that make the space feel more like a grand art gallery than a traditional church. While indelible photographs are forever etched in our minds, our tour guide discouraged us from taking photos inside the cathedral. One of the cathedral's greatest highlights is its marble inlaid floor, created over several centuries by dozens of artists. Often described as one of the most beautiful cathedral floors in the world, it features intricate biblical scenes and moral lessons created in marble mosaic. When you view such beauty, it feels bigger than yourself. Majestic!

We were lucky enough to see the cathedral in October when the floors were uncovered and it was…read moretruly a sight to see. Absolutely worth the visit and make sure to go to the top of the bell tower during your visit for a spectacular view and a great photo opportunity.

We did a wine tasting with Laura - she was amazing. Super knowledgeable and tailored to our…read moreinterest. She is funny, friendly and her English was on point. The tasting meal was divine - it was far more elaborate - and delicious than expected. The tasting room is elegant- furnished with antiques and vintage photos. Laura made sure we were well taken care of. We loved her sense of humor and how easily she engaged with us. Well worth your time and money. Highly recommend Laura as the host /guide and the winery.

The tower is the tallest in San Gimignano below is the church and museum. The 13 Euro combo ticket…read moreincludes the Torre Grossa, 4 other museum and church. To visit the tower need physical strength to climb up to the top of tower. There no elevator to take you. But they do have the screen display entire way to the top of the tower. It has different movies and spectacular mechanical display. The view on the top is beautiful. You can see the entire city within the wall. I believe this is a watch tower at the past. It is part of the defense scheme to spot the enemy far away. The tower visit is minimum 1 hour but if you are fast, it can be done in 30 minutes. A bell is at the top of the tower in the steel cage. It can use for the warning of the town, fire, or church bell.

Such an amazing memory of San Gimignano and the panoramic views of the Tuscan Countryside from the…read moreTorre Grossa. A day I will never forget. Thank you for helping me to fall even more in love with Italy.

San Gim has much to offer travelers like Vernaccia di San Gimignano (a famous white wine),…read moreCinghiale (wild boar salami) and breathtaking views from one of its fourteen towers. Just admire how M.C. Escher saw the city -- http://www.mcescher.com/Gallery/ital-bmp/LW96.jpg It also has a dark and sordid history as a hub for prosecuting and punishing those deemed heretics by the Roman Inquisition. Some of the common charges included practicing homosexuality, promiscuity, Protestantism and Judaism. The museum that houses the tools of the torment trade was an optional excursion during my tour but I'd have rather died than miss it. Here are some of the grisly gadgets I saw -- Guillotine. A true classic I've actually considered installing a small one in my kitchen, because I want to start the deliberate and systematic destruction of a particular group of plants...lettuce. When compared to arugula or radichetta, it's an inferior race of leafy green vegetable. Just thinking about it makes me want to hum my assassin's anthem, Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Iron Maiden. An 80's hair metal band or a torture device meant to look like a sculpture. You can host a dinner party and no one would know you're also doing your sacred duty of punishing the wicked. Don't worry the victim's screams won't spoil the meal, it's completely soundproof. Once the guests have left you can open one side and have a peek at the damage the steel-spiked interior has done. Unfortunately by then the accused may have passed out due to the intense claustrophobia the maiden of Nuremberg was designed to induce. Judas Cradle. Get busted for crimes against the church and you'll get placed on a wooden triangular apparatus named for Jesus' betrayer. If you were lucky on your chest or back, if your jailer was having a particularly bad day...you'd be forced to sit on it while the Judas Priests strapped heavy weights to your ankles and left gravity do their dirty work. http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljq9cmVgFQ1qaod4yo1_500.jpg Pear of Anguish. A spreading caliper of pain that opens in four directions with a locking mechanism to hold it in place in the prisoner's mouth, vagina or rectum. It was often used in this fashion -- Inquisitor, "What do you say we take a break from all this thumb-screw business I'm famished. Would you like a pear?" Alleged Blasphemer, "Oh yes. I'm so nauseous and in terrible pain, mercy...please!" Inquisitor, "OK but since you're in cuffs I have to feed it to you, open real wide." http://www.kinkcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pear-03.jpg Obviously someone didn't know the unwritten rule, never accept anything from an executioner, they're known to have notoriously cruel senses of humor. The detainees at Gitmo don't know how good they've got it; I'll take barking German Shepherds and waterboarding any day over the tamest device of displeasure they keep in this joint. Admission is €12/7/5 for adults, children, and groups respectively which is double or triple the price of most institutions in Italy, but I doubt this museum has much philanthropy. You can't really have a press conference with a giant cardboard check that says "Torture Museum" on it when they're a so many kids with leukemia in the world. At the time I was ready to poke my own eyes out if a saw another damn fresco or architectural marvel and it was a welcome off the beaten path distraction. I recommend it and so does the Wu-Tang Clan. They stopped at St. Gimmy's Museo della Tortura during the first leg of their European tour, which inspired this skit -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnYsAeqUzUc

We were walking through San Gimignano and saw this museum. We went in and purchased tickets. $34…read morefor 4 of us. You get two museums for the price of one. They are within walking distance. Plenty of old torture devices to see. Pretty cool if you are into medieval memorabilia. There is a cool basement cellar area. It's worth the trip while there. It's a quick walk through.