Maximus Goes Home

If you've scene the movie Gladiator, the scenes where Maximum goes home to his family are the hills of Tuscany and specifically Val D'Orcia. Everywhere you look you see beautiful rolling hills of grapevines and olive orchards all the way to our first stop Abbazia di Sant'Antimo. 


The church dates back to 1118 and was built with travertine stone and alabaster found in a nearby mine. Inside the soothing sounds of chanting drew me towards the pulpit where I sat and listened for a minute. The music reminded me of one of my favorite university classes when I spent hours in the lab listening to Gregorian chants. I loved it and found it so calming. It was fitting in the simply unadorned church.


What you can't see in this picture is how intricately and beautifully the alabaster is carved. Each of the capitols of every pillar depicts a different story. Amazing! We later found out that the last time the monks were there was 2015. We made a note to come back if they ever came to sing again. How cool would that be!


I tried to record the chanting myself, but was sadly unsuccessful, so I added this video in case you're curious.  

Next stop was Bagno Vignoni which is famous for the "water square", a large pool where hot waters flow into. In the Middle Ages Santa Caterina stayed here. Remember my homework? I'm fairly sure it's the same Caterina, but I haven't completed my assignment yet. 😉 Though you can no longer take a dip in the square, they do have a spa and wellness resort.

We didn't spa that day but instead had a delicious lunch at their restaurant La Terrazza Melissa made us reservations and asked Laura, who spoke English to assist us but we decided to try it on our own and we managed just fine. That is until I misunderstood the directions to the bathroom and the lady had to chase me down. 😂

Ribolitta

Pici with shaved truffle

I took pictures of my lunch because it was stellar and I want to remember for when we come back. The Ribollita is a stew with kale and chickpeas, so good! And I L, O, V, E, LOVE tartufo or truffle. The pici is so yummy with just a little olive oil and the shaved truffle. Yum yum yum. 

The approach to Pienza

By far the approach to this little town is the most impressive we've seen so far. The picture doesn't do it justice, but all you see is the medieval town on the plateau as it has been for centuries. I guess the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so there's that.

Front Facade of the Duomo di Pienza

In the main square is the Duoma di Pienza. Inside we could see major cracks in the floor and walls and could feel the floor of the nave slanting downwards quite dramatically. Unfortunately it was built on a fault line and the church is sinking. Reconstruction has been almost continuous. 

Though we thought the town was quite charming and well maintained, it felt a little claustrophobic, perhaps due to the narrower streets and the lack of elevation change on the plateau. Even the square seemed tight and we couldn't imagine maneuvering during tourist season. The population is just over 2000, so a quarter of the size of Massa. Melissa told us also there is no grocery store there. So, lovely to visit, but not to live.

Today we are going to the seaside town of Castiglione della Pescaia for lunch. It's only 30 minutes away. I'll post pics when we get back.

A dopo!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Few New Updates (#250)

Image
This morning we went over to the apartment. We made sure to go early since there's no electricity or lighting at the moment. Many of the rooms look the same, aside from the pile of old doors and materials that have now been cleared. The biggest change by far was the terrace. From the guest bedroom, you can see the progression: what it looked like last spring, what it looks like now...and the rendering of what it will someday become. Notice that the old bathroom is completely gone--you can now see straight through to the terrace. Guest bedroom Spring 2025 Guest Bedroom Winter 2025 (minus the terrace bathroom) Guest bedroom rendering Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've been able to save many tiles. Our original plan was to repurpose whatever survived into a medallion or faux rug in the foyer. So...we may be moving on to plan B. Tile demolition Below is the view looking out through the former bathroom door--soon to be a window--looking out on the terrace. The thickness...
Read more

A New Lunch Spot, A Little Bonsai and a Lot of Contractors

Image
Just when we started feeling a little smug about knowing our way around town--having our favorite cafes and go-to spots--something happened to remind us how much we still have to discover. Today we had lunch plans with Tim and Izabella. We told them to choose the restaurant, and they picked one we had never even heard of: Villa La Boccia.  There are no signs pointing you there, no flashy advertising, nothing to catch your eye as you drive past--which we apparently do regularly without ever noticing it. So naturally we were curious about this "secret" local spot.  When we arrived, the parking lot was completely full. Completely. The restaurant itself was large, with indoor dining and a courtyard, and every seat seemed taken. We were stunned. How had we missed this place? Luckily Tim had made a reservation--he told us he had tried before without one and failed to get a table. Good thing he planned ahead.  Inside, the place was buzzing and the menu was extensive. It was hard...
Read more

A Busy Last Week in San Diego

Image
Our last week in San Diego arrived faster than expected, and David is feeling the pressure to get as much bonsai work done as possible. If he'd had his way, Ira probably would have been working every daylight hour and only released at night. Unfortunately for David's plan, we already had a few things scheduled. One of those plans was a long-anticipated trip to the zoo with RC. With everyone's busy schedules, this was the first day that worked for all of us. And really, we had to take advantage of our annual pass, right? Kai arrived proudly wearing the gorilla shirt we'd bought him the last time we visited the San Diego Zoo . He was eager to show us how fast he could move and had a great time climbing and weaving his way through the polar bear exhibit.  This time the polar bear was just as active. It definitely pays to visit early in the day. Sadly I stopped recording too soon because right after he jumped into the water, swam toward us, climbed out, and shook himself dr...
Read more