The first day was an antipasto of picturesque towns I had never heard of before. Rising early the next morning, since I knew I had another packed ride ahead, day two took me north to some more well-known towns to tourists.
Following an itinerary suggested by my friend for each day of my long weekend in Tuscany, I drove the winding roads to see the charming, historic towns scattered around the hillsides. This post is a continuation as I drove to each romantic village and walked its ancient narrow streets in 2007.
the well photographed ruin of the abbey at San Galgano
a short stop in the steep, small village at Monteriggioni
and a longer promenade in the larger, antiquated but living city of San Gimignano
There’s more to come of Day 2 and beyond…
Tuscany: Day1, Day1 part 2, Day2, Day2 Siena, Day3
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
What great old buildings. Love that first abbey ruin shot! Maggie
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Ruins speak to me… the beauty of the simple structures that remain, trying to imagine what they looked like in their heyday.
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You make me want to go there. I love old ruins. Possibly because I’m rapidly becoming (some would say I’ve become) an old ruin myself.
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It’s such a lovely pocket of the world. You are only as old as you feel!
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San Galgano is really fascinating
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Wow, thanks so much for sharing this, Luisa!! I know this song as The House of the Rising Sun. How wonderful to see the sun rising through those windows and to see it lit at night! ❤
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I was sure you would like the video 🌹🌹🌹
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Hey, Ruth! What a wonderful photo-odyssey through Tuscany. I love the shots of the abbey and the life and colour that plants bring to the walls and facades in the village of Monteriggioni.
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So nice to hear from you, Leighton! Thanks for coming along. Yes, that bit of color against the ancient wall brings it to life.
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Tuscany is certainly one of the more attractive regions of Italy, I visited the region around Florence (Firenze)
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I’m still looking for my photos of Florence, from other trips to Italy. I loved that area as well.
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So rustic and charming! The ruins at the abbey at San Galgano are haunting, and wandering the small villages of Tuscany are like a step back in time! Can’t wait to read more on it!
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Thanks, Rebecca! There’s something compelling about ruins, the shapes, the mystery of what they once were.
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It’s just so beautiful 😊
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Thanks for your comment, Hannah!
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The ruins of the abbey at San Galgano look incredible. I can’t help but wonder what it looked like in its full glory. We visited San Gimignano when we were in Italy last summer. It was one of my favourite day trips that we took. We had rented a car for a few days to attend a friend’s wedding and stopped here along the way.
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The abbey is so dramatic, even in it’s skeletal remains. It must have been magnificent. Glad you had a chance to wander in this area, even if just briefly.
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Fabulous photos! I want to go back in time and get married in that abbey!
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Thank you. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
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I love those busts in the small windows in San Gimignano and the abbey ruins are beautiful Thank you for these virtual visits to a part of Italy I don’t know very well 🙂
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You’re so welcome. One could spend weeks or more there and just scratch the surface of those lovely little villages.
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Great post and so many wonderful photos, Ruth. Just look at that atmospheric ruined Cistercian abbey immersed in the Tuscan countryside – its Gothic splendour and scenic location are quite impressive. From its scale alone, it’s not hard to see what economic and cultural importance it must have had in its day, and why it was so important. Thanks for sharing and have a great day 🙂 Aiva xx
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The “ruins” of the San Galgano abbey are in remarkable shape, esp. compared to say, most of the castles in the Irish countryside. San Gimignano rings a bell from my college year when I was based in Rome. It looks to be one of the fortified walled towns (like Gubbio or Urbino) and must contain something significant with respect to art or architecture. I would love to travel back and see these places again.
Looking forward to your photos from Siena.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts and memories, Dave. San Galgano must have been so magnificent in its day.
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Antipasto is a perfect description. It is one delicious building after another. Love the busts in the alcoves.
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I couldn’t resist, once I thought of antipasto. 😊
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I love the opening photo. What a spectacular place.
Your photos make me glad we had more than a long weekend in Tuscany, though it seems you managed to get to more towns than we did!
Alison
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It was a whirlwind. I would have liked to spend a little more time in each place. So much more to see!
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