We were on a tour and drove to San Gimignano, an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of…read moreFlorence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel so it was well worth taking a few moments to visit this gorgeous church. This inside is surrounded with statues of Saints and altars with furnishings of gold and silver. It is an absolute must if you intend to visit.

Great church at Medieval town. This church is part of the museum. This church is a gem in Tuscany…read moreItaly. The church good charm due to the great painting in the church. It was painted in the 13th century. The church also call the Collegiate Church. The church originally build in 10th century. At 13 century it was rebuilt and expand to current big building. The wall painting is the best of the church to tell the story of Christ. The wall painting includes the crucifixion, last supper, Good Friday and more. They are detail painted. Some of the wall paints faded due to long history on the wall. This church has pipe organ and side chapel. The columns and ceilings are well decorated. It is a small church that good for this medieval town. It is renaissance style church with a lot of Arch.

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.

This is another ancient gate in San Gimignano that served as its second southern gate. The gate,…read morealong with the tower next to it, belonged to the Becci family. A wealthy and prominent merchant that lived there. I still find it fascinating how the architecture and layout of this arch and city is still very well-preserved. It's an UNESCO World Heritage site for a good reason.

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.

This museum includes the church. There is a path link to the Torre Grossa. The museum has good…read moreFleming Style art. A lot of Christian symbol painting at the museum. The museum is low light but you can see everything there. The museum is tiny. I think 30 minutes is enough. It is on the south side of the of the Duomo. Next to tower. I would said it ok visit since I have combo ticket. Lippo Memmi's Maestà in the Sala di Dante is at the chamber reception room. This drawing on the wall show Mary sit on the throne and surround by the saint and angel. One of the room painting by the Florentine and the other by Maestra who paint the Assisi wall. This painting is 13 century. It is great to see different expressions of different painter.

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.

Beautiful town with stunning views, a beautiful church--actually at least two…read morechurches--restaurants, and cute shops. We enjoyed a tour of the churches and enjoyed the beauty and history of this village.

Pienza is a beautiful hilltop town in the heart of the Val D'Orcia in Tuscany and is a UNESCO World…read moreHeritage Site. The town is best known for being rebuilt by Pope Pius II as an "ideal city of the renaissance." The town is small and you can easily walk from one end to another. The center of the town is where you'll find the duomo and the Palazzo Piccolomini. It's stunning and surrounded by beautiful flowers. And if you're a fellow foodie, this is the place to stock up on Pecorino cheese (sheep's milk). The town is packed with cheese shops, which are all pretty much identical, so there are plenty of opportunities to make a purchase. The views from Pienza are also stunning, but this is luckily the case with most of the hilltop towns in the Val d'Orcia.