We didn’t have any musical obligations today, but we did get to explore more of Tuscany! Montecatini Terme is still our base camp, but we departed on a day trip for a nearby medieval village called San Gimignano. San Gimignano dates back to about 300 BC, and over the centuries to come it grew into the medieval village that still stands today. It is nicknamed the “Town of Fine Towers” due to several “tower houses” in the village, which were a means of defense against any enemy invaders (the idea being that a family could climb up the tower and then raise their ladder to keep intruders from reaching them). Due to the towers and other well-preserved architecture, San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! In addition to its architectural significance, San Gimignano is also a stopping place on the Via Francigena Catholic pilgrimage route which stretches from Canterbury, England to Rome and dates back to nearly 600 AD.
In San Gimignano, the views are nearly as stunning as the buildings. San Gimignano is surrounded by gently sloping Italian hills checkered with winery orchards and complimented by mountains on the horizon’s edge. When we arrived, we were treated to a guided one-hour walking tour of the town, and we were able to learn more about the history and local culture. Wild boars dominate the Tuscan wilderness, so boar meat is a common option in San Gimignano and surrounding areas (I didn’t try any though, as I couldn’t resist pasta for lunch). In addition to its boar butchers, San Gimignano is also home to what is known in Italy as the “World’s Best Gelato.” Usually, I would dismiss this as foolhardy hyperbole, but the gelato stand in question has the awards to back it up! Gelateria Dondoli has won countless international gelato competitions, and an ice cream world championship, and is recognized as Italy’s best gelato year after year. I tried a blackberry lavender flavor, and it did not disappoint! This was my third gelato stop on the trip, and it was undoubtedly my favorite.
After the tour and a few hours of free time in San Gimignano, we headed back to the hotel. Some of you may know that I’m a Formula One racing fan, and I love being in Europe because the race weekend events are televised at a decent hour! I got back to the hotel just in time to watch the tail end of Qualifying for tomorrow’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and it was a great one because three British drivers including my favorite Lewis Hamilton secured positions 1, 2, and 3 for their home nation’s race (Lewis has P2 and his Mercedes teammate George Russell has P1). Due to Lewis, I consider myself a Mercedes fan, but Lewis is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari next season. The Italian-based manufacturer and Formula One competitor is of massive importance in Italy, and I saw multiple people on the streets of San Gimignano sporting their Ferrari red today. In fact, in a Formula One documentary I watched recently, a sports journalist said “There are two religions in Italy: Catholicism and Ferrari!” I’ve been on the lookout for some Ferrari merchandise the entire trip, and there was a store in San Gimignano where I was able to get a Ferrari hat today! I’ll be rooting for Mercedes tomorrow, but when Lewis makes the switch to Ferrari next season I’ll have the gear ready to go!
Tomorrow, we travel to Vicenza. It’s a 4-and-a-half-hour bus ride so I’m not sure how much I’ll have to update you on, but we do have a guided tour in the afternoon so I should be able to tell you a bit about Vicenza this time tomorrow. Thank you so much for reading! Italy has been a wonderful adventure so far, and I can’t wait to see what these last few days have in store.
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