Tuscany in 3 days: walking among UNESCO sites

Not everyone will know the town of San Gimignano, a small medieval town dating back to the year 1000. The city's historic center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking through its alleys is like taking a plunge into the past, it feels like going back in time.

Small traditional stores, wine bars and newly built stores accompany the walk to the main square of the city: Piazza Duomo. From the Piazza you can catch a glimpse of some of the Towers that have remained untouched by time, 16 to be exact, compared to the 72 that originally adorned the landscape of San Gimignano. It is dominated by the 54-meter-high Torre del Podestà.

It is easy to get around the town, the entire village is walkable, and it is worth it to admire every single detail that time has preserved. It should be mentioned that San Gimignano is also famous in terms of food and wine. Yes, because a decidedly good local wine called Vernaccia is produced. A fresh white wine that delights the palate as you lose yourself on the green vistas on the horizon.

Impossible to go to Tuscany and not stop a day in the city of Pisa. One of the most important historical and cultural sites of our peninsula. The obligatory stop is Piazza dei Miracoli, so called because one day Gabriele D'Annunzio, flying over the square in an airplane, called it a meadow of miracles for that agglomeration of monuments present in one close area. The same man of letters and poet wrote about it within the novel "Perhaps that Yes, Perhaps that No."

It must be said that the gigantic square is actually nothing more than evidence of what was once the ancient Christian citadel in the heart of the city of Pisa. Inside the wall was the religious life of the city, while outside the wall were, and still are, the political buildings, such as the town hall.

The Piazza dei Miracoli, with its Baptistery, monumental cemetery, cathedral and leaning tower, is an iconic site for Tuscany and Italy, a source of international tourism. Few people will know that the Tower of Pisa is actually nothing more than the cathedral's bell tower.

Today it is possible to visit the tower for the price of 20 euros, and you cannot take anything with you except your cell phone, camera or water; everything else cannot be taken with you also to ensure safety, given the limited space available and to avoid causing damage that could affect the structure itself.

Did we mention the famous Dondoli ice cream shop in San Gimignano? Good, because those who love ice cream even in that of Pisa can enjoy a very special one. Where? Gelateria De' Coltelli, considered one of the best ice cream shops in Italy and even in Europe, winner for four years in a row of Gambero Rosso's Three Cones, the Michelin stars of the industry!

If you have time left over, we recommend a visit to one of the most exclusive universities in the world: the Normale University of Pisa.

Some people call it a nativity scene, some call it a suburb. In reality, Siena is a true medieval city that has survived the passage of time as if under a spell. Completely wired it has no antennas, no wires, no obstructions that could spoil the scenery. It is like looking at a painting depicting a scene from the Middle Ages. As you stroll through its streets, which are made up of rather strenuous ascents and descents, so equip yourself with comfortable shoes, you can admire small kiosks on street corners that indicate which contrada you are in.

But what is a Contrada? They are neighborhoods, zones, found within the city, existing since the 1700s, that divide the city's inhabitants like fans of soccer teams. A Contrada is forever, one chooses it and honors it until the end without the possibility of changing it. Each Contrada corresponds to a symbol or a name, and it is those "teams" selected from all the contrade that will compete in the famous Palio of Siena. To date, the total number is 17 Contrade and they are the Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre and Valdimontone.

The Palio of Siena is the city's main tourist "attraction," welcoming thousands and thousands of visitors from all over Europe. Everyone gathers in Piazza del Campo, the nerve center of the city, and watches the race. The period of the Palio runs from June to August, so if you plan to visit the city of Siena, you need to make reservations a little earlier because finding accommodation may be very difficult.

In addition to the Pizza del Campo, the city's cathedral, which is literally split down the middle horizontally, deserves special mention. Yes, because on the lower floor is the baptistery and on the upper floor is the cathedral. There are numerous works in the cathedral, from sculptures by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini, to paintings such as Duccio di Buoninsegna's famous Maestà.