THE SWORD IN THE STONE AND OTHER LEGENDS

Meet your private driver outside your accommodation and steep yourself in local legends on this full-day Tuscan excursion. Your guide will be waiting at the meeting point in Siena ready to lead you on a tour of a beguiling medieval town and the ruins of a roofless abbey.

No doubt you will notice the symbol of Siena, the she-wolf and twins, which links the town with its Roman origins, though it was not until rather later that this centre bloomed into the glorious gem you see today. Legend has it that Remus’ sons escaped to safety here after the murder of their father by the children’s uncle Romulus, the founder of Rome. Siena is indeed immersed in legends, steeped in ancient traditions and replete with true stories of battles and bravery. The town is also richly peppered with wondrously preserved monuments, churches and architectural marvels, attesting to its extraordinarily rich and riveting past. Between the 13th and 16th centuries the town revelled in a golden age becoming one of the most powerful banking centres on the continent. A number of great artists were called upon to embellish its piazze and buildings securing its lasting fame.

Your guide will certainly show you around the 13th century Church of San Domenico, one of Siena’s best-loved landmarks, and explain why this site is closely associated with the life and miracles of beloved Saint Catherine. A collection of priceless works of art, including what is believed to be the only existing portrait of the saint, embellish the walls of the church but what draws thousands of visitors and pilgrims here is the much venerated relic of Saint Catherine’s holy head, carefully safeguarded in a chapel surrounded by master Sodoma’s remarkable frescoes.

Countless treasures await you inside the black-and-white striped Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta: the wonderfully inlaid marble flooring, the rose window by Duccio di Buoninsegna, the marble pulpit by Nicola Pisano, Donatello’s statue of St. John the Baptist and the gorgeous Piccolomini Library. Well-known for its illustrated hymn books and beautifully preserved Renaissance paintings by Perugian painter Pinturicchio, the library was built at the request of Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini, Archbishop of Siena, to honour the memory and manuscript collection of his uncle Pope Pius II. A radiant fresco cycle depicts a glorified version of the life of the pope as well as mythological scenes and ornate decorative motifs, all rendered with the greatest skill and painstaking attention to detail.

No tour of Siena would be complete without exploring the shell-shaped Piazza Del Campo, for centuries the pulsing heart of the town’s social and political life and known the world over as the atmospheric setting of the Palio. Your guide will elucidate the origins of this famous horse race that still takes place regularly twice a year in July and August and help you understand why the event continues to play a significant role in fostering a Siennese sense of belonging, re-evoking the rivalry that flourished among its seventeen contrade and its legacy of ward-centric culture.

The looming Torre del Mangia, the elegant red-brick buildings and the medieval aura of the city’s narrow winding streets are among the unforgettable impressions to be savoured in this delightful wellspring of wonders.

After some free time for lunch, rejoin your driver and set off for the next stop on your tour. The isolated ruins of the Gothic Cathedral of San Galgano, surrounded by green meadows, cypress trees and sunflowers, are a delight for the eyes and soul. Built in the 13th century by a community of Cistercian monks and permanently abandoned in 1789, its facade, three naves, pillars, columns and carved capitals still stand proudly in place but its roof has fallen and the ceiling is now the glorious blue sky and the heavens above. The abbey is named after Galgano Guidotti, a 12th century dissolute knight who became a devote Christian and hermit after Archangel Michael appeared before him and convinced him to repent. According to legend, although Galgano sincerely longed to abandon his sinful life one day he declared that changing would be as hard as splitting rocks. In saying this he drew his sword and miraculously plunged it into a stone creating a cross. The mysterious sword in the stone attracts tourists and pilgrims to the nearby hermitage of Montesiepi, where it can still be admired alongside precious frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

Return to your hotel in Florence after a delightful day packed with memorable impressions and sagas of bygone days.