In the Land of the Etruscans...Tuscany!

Welcome to Tuscany!

Although the Tuscan sun hid from us at times and was replaced by small rain showers, Tuscany did indeed prove to be just as beautiful as movies and novels portray it. Unlike Rome, Tuscany's most exciting past took place during medieval times. For me, this was a refreshing difference from the antiquity of Rome. Instead of Greek inspired statues and architecture, the notable churches, museums, homes, and other public places that we visited echoed Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

The Gothic era architecture desired to remind people of heaven and accomplished this by constantly drawing the eye upwards with either horizontal or vertical lines.

A little later down history's road, Renaissance era art and architecture focused more on the light of God within individuals, individuals who, working alongside of God's will, could control their fate.

Most of what I saw seemed to possess a certain charm that I have yet to find in America. Whether that is because Tuscany and Rome are new to me, or whether there is so much more history contained within the very essence of the land and buildings, I do not know. Most likely, it is a combination of the two. However, what is interesting is that I am finding the people who live in such places are completely different as well. Not only do they vary from Americans, but the people vary from one place (within Italy) from another. Enter residence and workers at the Castel del Trebbio. These down to earth Tuscans raise grapes and olives on their land to produce Italian specialties of extra virgin olive oil and Chianti wine. Their personalities echoed their livelihood and they treated the group of noisy Americans with kindness, humor, and respect. We reflected this attitude and behavior and in turn bought out most of the wine and olive oil in their shop.

Yet at the same time, perhaps I better understand why Romans focus on their personal beauty and the beauty of their city so much; As a city, they are lacking the beauty of nature. Meanwhile, as my mind reflected and sought to make connections, my mind's eye struggled to absorb all of the sights and information that I had seen in the other small Tuscan towns...

Sienna, home of St. Catherine of Sienna, Il Duomo of Siena, the oldest bank building, and the Civico Museo, is a wonderful place to begin a weekend exploration of Tuscany. The most interesting sight by far here was the view from the top of the Civico Museo, as well as the view within the Museum as well. Following closely behind this was the preserved head of St. Catherine of Siena that is housed in the Church of San Dominico.

San Donato, or Il Duomo di Arezzo, was just a starting point for the town of Arezzo. This church houses a terracotta image of Mary that has supposedly protected the area ever since the image survived a fire and transformed into vibrant colors. In fact, Arezzo was full of small surprises such as the house of Petrach and The Well of Tofano. The town itself also served as the setting for classic film "La Vita e' Bella".

Pienza and Orvieto were the smallest of the towns that we visited in Tuscany. Situated on hilltops, they were windy but had gorgeous views of Tuscan farmlands and distant towns. Il Duomo di Orvieto was even more breath taking with its shining mosaics and high ceilinged exterior. The towns each also possessed specialty stores selling cheese, marmalades, wine, and pottery. It was difficult to walk away without having experienced the local specialties and sites!