Siena and San Gimignano Shore Excursion

Private limo service from Livorno port

 

The departure is scheduled at 8 am and our driver will arrive at the port of Livorno right under your cruise ship in a luxurious mercedes with air conditioning. Once out of the port of Livorno we will immerse ourselves in the landscapes of the Tuscan countryside and the first stop of this shore excursion will be the charming town of San Gimignano, famous for its medieval towers.

San Gimignano is truly unique and you will recognize it immediately as soon as you will see its towers from afar. Think of the impact on the medieval travelers at the sight of this myriad of towers competing to overcome each other in height.

It was a display of power and in fact the towers were built by wealthy families of San Gimignano to show their importance in the town. The higher the tower, the greater the importance of the family. Basically things have not changed much since then. There were seventy-two towers but now just sixteen are left; the oldest one is Rognosa tower, 51 meters high, while the highest is Torre del Podestà, 54 meters high.

Walking in the narrow streets you’ll arrive at the main square in San Gimignano, called Piazza della Cisterna, not far from Piazza del Duomo, where you can relax sitting on the pedestal of the cistern and admire the medieval houses and towers that sorround the square. Also worth a visit is Piazza Pecori, a very picturesque square, very small, so as to resemble more a courtyard that a real square.

You can do some shopping in the many shops found in the main streets and squares where you can buy traditional ceramics and tuscan handmade such as jewels. With your small purchases, that for sure you cannot wait to show to your friends once you’re back home, the next stop will be in Siena after about 40 minutes driving in the Tuscan countryside.

Siena’s Piazza del Campo was built in the Middle Ages atop the ancient Roman Forum and this explains its shape. The square was then completed a couple of centuries later with the addition of Palazzo Pubblico characterised by the nice Torre del Mangia, once the tallest tower in Italy.

If you like museums you cannot miss Siena’s Museo Civico, housed in first floor of Palazzo Pubblico, where you will see Europe’s greatest secular fresco, a must-see if you are interested in medieval everyday life, and Simone Martini’s Maestà

You can then go and visit Siena’s Duomo. To get there, take as reference its bell tower, almost 80 meters high. Once you arrive in Piazza del Duomo will be charmed by the façade of the cathedral of Siena, by Giovanni Pisano, and the contrast between the Romanesque black and white stripes and the Gothic form.

If you love Italian food and wine, have a look at Tiber Limousine Service’s shore excursion to Siena and Chianti wine region from the port of Livorno.

 

Details and prices