Shot of the Day – 28 - Tuscan Dawn

Tuscan Dawn, San Gimignano, Italy (24 May 1999)

The same trip that produced the shot of the Siena Cathedral had us spend two nights in the charming, medieval, walled town of San Gimignano. This hilltop community has been a settlement since the 3rd century B.C. and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Few inhabited, developed landscapes are as beautiful as the Tuscan countryside. Rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards, grain fields and perfectly-placed trees are stunning any time of day.

Our hotel was on a square with an ancient well…Piazza della Cisterna. The room overlooked the town wall to the vista beyond. We woke up early enough to witness this moody, misty landscape through the open shutters as the distinctive sound of distant cuckoo’s stimulated yet another of our senses. It was all quite spectacular and memorable.

San Gimignano, Italy (23 May 1999)

I used to think that all the towers that distinguish the town were a product of the wealth that medieval merchants had accumulated. San Gimignano did alright since they had as many as 72 of them.

Turns out that the number and height of the towers was primarily the result of a rivalry between two political factions. The Guelphs supported the Pope and the Ghibellines backed the Holy Roman Emperor. For a couple of centuries, rich families on both sides engaged in a protracted pissing contest to see who could make the biggest phallic display. What can I say? Must be a ‘guy’ thing.