- Ex Ferrovia Spoleto - Norcia
A super interesting cycling path along the old railway. Plenty of bridges and tunnels. - Ex Ferrovia Spoleto - Norcia
The longest tunnel is 1936 m long. Almost 2 km in total total darkness. Galleria di Valico Caprareccia. - Ex Ferrovia Spoleto - Norcia
One of the last photos with our bikes before they were stolen... - Valley of Nera
View towards east, including Borgo di Castel San Felice and (possibly) Monte Coscerno (1684 m). - Spring in Umbria
- Spring in Umbria
- Spring in Umbria
- Spring in Umbria
- Monte Pradafitta
View from Monte Pradafitta (1261 m) towards Pettino. - Monte Pradafitta
Again, my guess would be wild orchid. - Monte Pradafitta
I may be wrong, but my guess would be wild orchids. A lot of them. - A house
What a lovely remote cottage in the hills of Umbria. - Spring in Umbria
And a lovely blossoming tree. - Il Castello di Perchia
And another view from our castle kitchen. - Convent of San Domenico
A gothic window by Bartolomeo di Pietro and Mariotto di Nardo (1411). With 21 m one of the tallest gothic windows. - Convent of San Domenico
Baroque 17th century interior - Convent of San Domenico
Some old 14th and 15th century frescoes in the side chapels. - Street sign
- Cathedral
Perugia Cathedral and La Fontana Maggiore in the front. - Palazzo dei Priori
Palazza dei Priori (1293-1443) - Cathedral
The cathedral (1345-1490) was never really finished. - Etruscan Arch
One of the two remaining Etruscan gates: constructed in the 3rd century BC and restored by Augustus in 40. - Etruscan Arch
The loggia was added in the 16th century. - View of Perugia
- La Fontana Maggiore
The Original Sin and the expulsion from Eden. - La Fontana Maggiore
The fountain was built in 1275-1278. And it's still standing in the main square. Here we see: The she-wolf that fed Romulus, Remus and their mother Rea Silvia; Two of Aesop's fables (the fox and the crane and the wolf and the lamb); January (a gentleman and his wife at the hearth - Aquarius) - La Fontana Maggiore
Here we see: May (two Knights on Falconry - Gemini); June (the harvest and flailing - Cancer); July (the threshing and the division of wheat - Lion). - La Fontana Maggiore
Here we see: The Lion Guelph and the Griffin of Perugia; with a bit of December on the left and a bit of Grammar and Dialectic on the right. - Via San Giovanni
A street lamp just behind the 13th century Porta San Giovanni. - Torre del Diavolo
San Gimignano is known for its medieval towers. This one is called Devil's because ... apparently ... the owner got home one day finding the tower taller than it was before. Riiiight. All the balconies and terraces are now missing. - Palazzo Comunale
The palace was built in between 1289 and 1298. The tower (Torre Grossa) from 1300 is the tallest in town (54 m). - Palazzo Vecchio del Podestà
Interesting coat of arms on the town hall walls. - Torre Rognosa and Torre Chigi
The tall one (52 m) is Rognosa (1200) and the small one is Chigi (1280). - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
The Dome dates from the 12th century. Its 14th century interior is simply divine. - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
Old Testament by Bartolo di Fredi (~1360). - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
The ceiling was painted with lapis lazuli. - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
New Testament by Barna da Siena and/or Lippo Memmi (~1345). - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
- Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
The last judgement by Taddeo di Bartolo (1393). The lower part is Saint Sebastian by Benozzo Gozzoli (1465). - Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
The last judgement by Taddeo di Bartolo (1393). The hellish part. - San Gimignano
View from the park of Rocca di Montestaffoli, a 14th century fortress. - San Gimignano
View over the towers of San Gimignano. There are 14 of them in total. - Piazza del Duomo
Piazza del Duomo with the dome and one of the two twin towers (Torri dei Salvucci). - Piazza della Cisterna
This 13th century square was at a crossroad: Via Francigena and the road connecting Pisa-Siena. The cistern is from 1287. - Piazza della Cisterna
- Palazzo Comunale
The courtyard of Palazzo Comunale was built in 1323. The cistern was arranged in 1361. - Assembled Italy
Assembled Italy. Actually two of them. - San Gimignano
- Siena Cathedral
View of the Cathedral from Via Bruno Bonci. - Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
The church dates from 1226-1265, but was enlarged in the 14th century. - Love will save the world
L'Amore salva il Mondo by Andrea Roggi (2017). - Siena Cathedral
- Love will save the world
Detail of the statue by Andrea Roggi. - Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
There were several flags in the church, including this one with an angry-looking fish. Actually, the flags represent different districts (contrada) of Siena. This one represents Onda, a district of carpenters. And that is a dolphin. - Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
Now this is a wonderful window! - Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico
It does look strangely empty. - Piazza Salimbeni
The statue of Sallustio Bandini (1677-1760) by Tito Sarrocchi (1880). Bandini was an archdeacon, economist, and politician. - Via Banchi di Sopra
These are very strange bouquets of light bulbs. - Palazzo Tolomei
Palazzo was built in 1270-1275. It used to be a bank... and it still is. - Loggia della mercanzia
This loggia for merchants was constructed in 1417-1444. - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Pastorino dei Pastorini (1549-1552). - Siena souvenirs
Unfortunately they didn't have the right size ;-) - Palazzo Pubblico
Palazzo Publico (town hall) in the Piazza del Campo. The palace is from 1297 and the tower (Torre del Mangia) from 1338-1348. - Piazza del Campo
- Piazza del Campo
This is the central water drain in the square, called gavinone. - Torre del Mangia
The tower was built in 1338-1348. Its height is exactly the same ad the height of the cathedral, indicating equal powers of the church and the state. - Palazzo Pubblico
A statue in the courtyard of Palazzo Publico. - Siena Cathedral
Built in 1196-1215. - Siena Cathedral
The oldest bell in the tower is from 1149. - Siena Cathedral
She-wolf of Siena, surrounded with emblems of confederate cities, dating from 1373. - Siena Cathedral
Detail of Pinturicchio's Mount of Wisdom (1505): Fortuna, holding a horn of plenty and a wind-swollen sail. She, standing on a sphere and a boat with a broken mast, brought the wise men to the island. - Siena Cathedral
The dome is topped with Bernini's gilded lantern. - Siena Cathedral
- Siena Cathedral
Pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1268). The panels narrate the Life of Christ and the central column shows Seven Liberal Arts: Grammar, Dialectica, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Arithmetic, Music, and Astronomy. - Siena Cathedral
- Siena Cathedral
Detail of Liberation of Bethulia, made in 1473 possibly by Urbano da Cortona. This is the story about Judith and Holofernes. - Siena Cathedral
One of the scenes on pulpit: Massacre of the Innocents - Siena Cathedral
A wonderful ceiling, but these heads are a bit creepy. - Siena Cathedral
The Hellespontine Sibyl (detail) by Neroccio di Bartolomeo. She was known for her prediction of Crucifixion. The wolf and the lion represent Siena and Florence. - Siena Cathedral
A detail of something. I cannot possibly remember where I took this picture. - Siena Cathedral
Detail of Pinturicchio's Mount of Wisdom (1505): Crates of Thebes who is throwing jewels into the sea. - Siena Cathedral
The divine interior of the Cathedral. - Siena Cathedral
The frescoes tell the story of cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pope Pius II). These two are: Pius II canonizes Saint Catherine of Siena in 1461 and Pius II arrives in Ancona to launch the crusade. - Siena Cathedral
Floors in the Piccolomini Library. - Siena Cathedral
More interesting details on the ceiling of the Piccolomini Library. - Siena Cathedral
Piccolomini coat of arms: a blue cross with five crescent. - Siena Cathedral
Ceiling of the Piccolomini Library, painted by Pinturicchio (1503). - Siena Cathedral
Some details on the ceiling of Piccolomini Library. - Siena Cathedral
A lion on the exterior of the cathedral. I am a bit intrigued by his eyes... - Loggia della mercanzia
Frescoes by Lorenzo Rustici (1553-1563). - Loggia della mercanzia
- Palazzo Pubblico
- Fonte Gaia
The first fountain was built in 1342, this one was made in 1419 by Jacopo della Quercia. - Fonte Gaia
The original statues are kept in a museum, these are some (old) copies. - Piazza del Campo
How?!? Mine look nothing like this. - Tuscan countryside
- Tuscan countryside
- Tuscan countryside
- Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
The monastery was founded by Charlemagne in 781, but I think this church was built between 1118 and 1260. - Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
The exterior is full of funny creatures.