Stranded in Monteriggioni

The main square in Monteriggioni

View from Rocca at SanGimignano

View from the top of the tower in San Gimignano

On Friday we headed off by bus for a day trip to Monteriggioni and San Gimignano. We walked up the half kilometre to the most fascinating medieval town that dates from 1203. It is totally walled with 14 towers, all intact. Until the 1960s, it operated as a shared farm but is now back to its former glory.
It is very small - you can walk round it in 5 minutes - but so fascinating, we would love to return to stay.
We were down in plenty of time to catch our bus on to San Gimignano but it did not arrive. We sat by the side of the road settled in for the 2 hour wait for the next bus but were eventually rescued by a Greek couple and driven on to San Gimignano.
This is another walled town but much larger that Monteriggioni. We walked through the gate and up the cobble stoned streets. This is another absolute gem and one of our favourite places we have visited.
We visited several museums and churches and climbed the Torre Grossa, the tallest of the towers still standing. This was a much easier climb of only about 250 steps! We also enjoyed a visit to Rocca with the walls now enclosing a delightful park. Best of all was simply the atmosphere and walking around through the narrow streets.