Tuscany Things to Do

Planning a honeymoon or any other kind of romantic vacation in Italy can seem overwhelming, not for lack of choice or resources but for the overwhelming number of things you can add to your must-do list. This seems especially true in Tuscany, where every turn in the road reveals yet another postcard vista or fairy-tale hilltop town.

If you like towers, you’ll like San Gimignano, the medieval Manhattan: this is the town where many centuries ago wealthy merchants built yet bigger and higher towers in an effort to outdo their rivals.

San Gimignano is a small, walled town in Tuscany. The medieval architecture remains intact and it’s a wonderfully atmospheric place to wander around. The compact city center is based around four squares: Piazza della Cisterna, the Piazza Duomo, Piazza Pecori and Piazza delle Erbe, and two main roads, heading north and south, Via San Matteo an Via San Giovanni.

If you’re traveling the towns and villages of Tuscany this summer and feel like you’ve just walked into a time warp, you’ve probably lucked out and hit upon a Medieval Fair. Every year a few towns throw themselves wholeheartedly into days-gone-by and dress up in medieval costumes, entertain with storytellers and wandering minstrels, showcase ancient arts like blacksmithing and candlemaking, and generally celebrate the things that made their towns what they are. Here’s a brief list of where and when you can find some of these events: