Cortona is of Umbrian and Etruscan origin. Our lodging, Villa di Piazzano, was originally the hunting lodge of Cardinal Silvio Passerini, a close friend of Giovanni di Medci (Pope Leo X.)
Siena is of Etruscan origin too and was a prosperous banking center before Florence. Most building are over 400 years old so it is essentially a mediaeval town. The Cathedral and Square are architectural gems.
San Gimignano, which is rich in gothic architecture, is considered one of the best preserved mediaeval towns in Italy. Building towers nearly bankrupt the town.
Florence, home of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli, Galileo, and the Medici, is widely considered the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. The Medici ruled Florence for 300 years and can be considered the fathers of the renaissance. The Uffizi Gallery has the world’s largest collection of Renaissance art. The cathedral, sparse compared to Siena, is one of the largest and scene of many an intrigue.
Neither of us had been to Tuscany. We had seen Under the Tuscan Sun, which was filmed in Cortona. Florence, Siena, Pisa were all on our list. We missed Pisa, but we saw much of Tuscany including a nice drive through the Chianti region, which reminded us of Napa.
