Saint Gimignano erge with the profile of its towers, on a hill (m.334) to dominion of the Val d' Elsa. Center of a small Etruscan village of hellenistic period (III-II sec. a.C.) start its history around to X the century taking the name of the Saint Vescovo of Modena: Saint Gimignano, that the village from the barbaric horde.

It had great development during the Middle Ages thanks to the way Francigena that crossed it. Saint Gimignano had an extraordinary closing of art works that adorned churches and convents. In the 1199 become free common, it fought against the Bishops of Volterra and the near common, it suffered fights registers some dividend in two factions to the continuation of the Ardinghelli (guelfi) and the Salvucci (Ghibelline).

Eight May 1300 accommodated Dante Alighieri, ambaciatore of the alloy guelfa in Tuscany. The terrible plague on 1348 threw Saint Gimignano in one serious crisis. The citizen had therefore to submit itself to Florence. From the degradation and abandonment of the centuries succeeded to you he only exited himself when he began himself discovered the beauty of the city, its cultural importance and the original agricultural identity.

The city:
Founded from the Etruschi, Siena was roman colony to the time of Augusto. Episcopal Divenne center in the ' 700 after the occupation longobarda, but in the XI secolo' was asserted like common lay. Sour fights divided Siena from Florence, a lot that this last one, in 1260, came defeat to Montaperti. After to have been governed from several lordships, the city fell under the imperial dominion and entered to make part of the Mediceo state, then of that Lorenese until 1859, given in which it was annexed to the Reign of ltalia.

Monuments: Hospital of S. Maria of the Scale: founded towards the X and XI century, is many affeschi of several ages. Medicea fortress of XVI the century. Tolomei Palace: it is the palace more ancient than existing Siena already in the XlII century. Public palace in gotico-civil style of the XIII and XIV the century with frescoes of the Martini and the Lorenzetti. Tower of going back Mangia to XIV the century.

Museums: Museum Geomineralogico and Zoologico of the Academy of the Fisiocritici (p. S. Augustin). Institute and Botanical Garden (v., P.A. Mattioli). Etruscan Archaeological museum (v. of the Wisdom) with preistorici objects and etruschi. National Pinacoteca (v. S. Peter) collection of works of senese art. Chigi-Sancini collections (v. of City) containing medieval, rinascimentali and baroque works of art.

Info www.siena.turismo.toscana.it

The city of Montalcino is placed on a hill to 564 mt. on the sea level, even if the maximum altitude of 661 mt. comes caught up in the overhanging hill Civitella Hill, archaeological situated important - Etruscan of the cinese territory.

Common of Montalcino, that with one the extension of 243 Kmq. it is between more goes to you of entire Italy centers them, ago part by now from some years, with to Saint Quirico d' Orcia, Pienza, Castiglione d' Orcia and Radicofani of the Natural and Cultural Artistic Park of the Val of Orcia.
The communal comprensorio is place setting, to the West, from Mediterranean spot and from forests in which the lecci prevail, from this tree the name of the citizen very probably derives: Mons-Ilcinus, from the Ilex Latin - leccio. The surrounding campaign instead is interested from the cultivation of the screw from which high wines are gained pregio, which the Red young person of Montalcino D.O.C., rinomato Moscatello D.O.C. and the Saint' Antimo D.O.C.. But between the productions of wines, in the last one ventennio, an honor place is up to the famous Brunello that for its indiscussi pregi has acquired deserved denomination D.O.C.G.. Of great valence also the production of the oil extravergine of olive and above all of the honey. The breeding of the bees in fact has entered, of recent, to make part of the economic activities of the place, a lot that the "Week de Honey" of Montalcino (appointment anniversary to the beginning of organized september from the ASGA) has become a moment of encounter and important exchange for the entire national and international panorama of field.

In the 814 the cinese territory came donated from Ludovico the Devout one to the Abbey of Sant' Antimo. This abbaziale church, that it rises to 9 km. from the center inhabited in Castelnuovo direction of Abbot, is one between the beautifulst Romanesque churches of Italy. According to a legend the church rises on an ancient votiva nail head made to erect from Carl Magno in the 781, the great and majestic Abbey comes instead erected between 1000 and 1118 and is one extraordinary example of Romanesque architecture Lombardic-French.

The inside is introduced to three navate, the lateral ones with times to cruise is surmonted from tribunes and uniforms from elegant and fanciful monolitic columns with capitals to interlace geometric, flowers and figures of animals: typical that one representing Daniel in the fossa of the lions. The apse to outpatient's department with radial nails head constitutes, with to the construction materials (onyx and alabaster), the more characteristic part of the tempio. To the inside they conserve wood crucifix of XII sec and one a sculpture in representing wood policromo of the XIII sec. the Madonna with the Child.