Tom`s travels: Cinque Terre, Tuscany & Bologna (04-08/11/2019)

Ania and I decided to take a few days and explore the Cinque Terre and Tuscany before heading back to Vicenza through Bologna. So early morning we headed to Alessandria's train station from where we took a regional in the direction of Genova. From here we switched and arrived in Monterosso al Mare, the first town of the Cinque Terre one encounters when arriving from the west. As we exited the train station we were immediately greeted by nice sunny weather and incredibly huge waves. The Cinque Terre are usually known for their colorful villages and crystal clear waters, however, on that day as it was November the sea was obviously much more agitated and the waters a deep dark blue. It was exciting to see though the power of nature in this beautiful part of Italy. The peculiarity of the area lies in the fact that these five towns were once only accessible by sea or by mule paths. Nowadays roads and as in our case, a railroad, connect them to the rest of the world. These mule paths though have been maintained and used over the centuries and now provide those who wish to hike the opportunity to see the pure beauty of the landscape. The whole area and the five towns were recently designated as part of the national park system and are considered a protected area, to the effect of limited development and resource usage. Unfortunately, due to the uncertain weather and the previous rainy days, the park had barred access to the trails from one town to the other so our plan to walk the entire way had to be changed into just taking trains from one stop to the next. We headed then to see the old town of Monterosso al Mare first, which was just around the corner of a promontory east of the train station. This rocky outcrop divided in fact the modern from the old part of the city. We first visited the church of San Giovanni Battista, the town's main one, located close to the seashore. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries it features a Gothic style with Baroque additions in the interior. From there we then walked around the small city center streets and then up a hill, following the path which we had originally intended to take, up to the point where it was closed off. We had a great view of the town from above and of the rough-sea coastline. At that point, it was time to head back to the train station and take a ride to our next stop, Vernazza. As we reached the following town, the weather had eventually turned into being fully cloudy. That though did not stop us as we walked through the pretty streets of the old town, passing by the typical colored houses. As we reached the small harbor we noticed that many boats were pulled to the shore, a thing which is done every winter in order to shelter them from the stormy seas, such as the one we were experiencing that day. Despite having a breakwater, the sea was so rough, the waves were coming up the streets of the old town. We managed to slip between one wave and the other in order to cross the harbor and climb up to the Doria Castle. The castle consists mainly of a cylindrical tower overlooking the town and built during the 13th century in order to protect the area from pirates. The view from the top was very nice with the old town on one side and the coast on the other. After descending back down we then visited the main church, that dedicated to Santa Margherita d'Antiochia. Built in the Romanesque style during the 13th century it features a bell tower reconstructed during the 18th century. It was then time to head back to the station and continue onwards towards the next town, Corniglia. Unlike the other four towns of the Cinque Terre, it is not built directly on the sea. Instead, it stands on the top of a promontory about 100 meters high, surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces, the fourth side descending steeply towards the sea. After getting off the train station we had to walk up the Lardarina staircase which takes the visitors up to the old town. Here we first visited the church of San Pietro, built during the 14th century it features a Gothic exterior and a full Baroque interior. We then headed through the small pretty city center until we reached the western end from where we had a great view of the sea cliffs down below. After admiring the view we walked back through the town and reached the train station once more from where we took the next train in the direction of Riomaggiore. We decided to head to the most eastern of the towns of the Cinque Terre first as we wanted to keep the fourth town last being it where we would spend the night. So after reaching the station of Riomaggiore, we got off the train and headed to visit its city center. We first passed by and visited the main church dedicated to San Giovanni Battista and built during the 14th century in a Gothic style. We then continued on through the town to reach the tiny harbor and the sea. Here we had a nice view of the coast and enjoyed it for a while before then heading back to the train station to reach the last destination of the day, Manarola. Once there we headed down the old town and in the direction of the harbor. We then headed up the side of a hill covered in vineyards until we reached a vantage point from where we had a view of the whole old town. As sunset was nearing and the sun was starting to show itself through the clouds for the last few minutes of daylight during the day we were amazed by the beautiful view we now were having. The sun was glistening on the facade of the town's buildings and giving its golden touch to an already impeccable sight. We enjoyed the view for several minutes until the sun finally set far in the distance across the sea. It was then time to head to our accommodation, where we were finally able to freshen up, rest, and later head to dinner. We chose a place called La Cantina Dello Zio Bramante where I had a tasty entry platter with cheeses and jams and a first course of trofie with pesto. After a nice filling dinner, it was time to head to bed. The following morning after an early rise, the weather still not very promising, we headed to the train station where we took a ride to the nearby city of La Spezia. Here we intended to switch trains and head southeast in the direction of Pisa. On the way, we decided to stop in the small town of Sarzana, close to the border with Tuscany. Once there we headed towards the city center reaching the Sarzana Fortress first, originally built in the 13th century and which took its current form during the 15th-century reconstruction. We then walked through the city center stopping by and visiting the Cathedral, a mix of Romanesque and Gothic from the 13th to 15th centuries. The interior was remade in a mostly Baroque fashion but still holds some objects from its ancient past such as the Croce of Mastro Guglielmo, a painted cross depicting Jesus. It is considered to be Italy's oldest painted cross and dates to 1138. After visiting the Cathedral, we continued onwards along the city's main street sided by nice palaces and houses, until we reached the Romanesque Pieve di Sant'Andrea, a 10th-century church with a nice bell tower. Unfortunately, it was closed so we continued onwards, reaching then the main square, Piazza Giacomo Matteotti. Oddly shaped like a trapezoid, it is bordered by nice colorful buildings and the town hall. To the north of it stands the imposing Torrione San Francesco, one of the many renaissance towers which encircle the town ensuring its protection in the past. From there we walked back through the old town and reached the train station once more. After taking our next train we then reached the station of Pisa San Rossore shortly after. Here we descended intending to head and see Pisa's main monuments. In just a few minutes' walk, we came in fact in sight of the Piazza Dei Miracoli, with Pisa's most known landmarks, recognized as an important center of European medieval art and one of the finest architectural complexes in the world. The buildings which make up this small walled area, which include the Cathedral, the Baptistry, the Bell Tower, and the Monumental Cemetery have all been declared a Unesco world heritage site. We were immediately aware of their beauty and importance as soon as we entered the square through one of the openings in the medieval walls. The first site in view was the Baptistry, and right behind it the Cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower. In order to see the whole complex well, we decided to buy the combined ticket which included the entrance for all sites on the square. We started with the building to the south, the Ospedale Nuovo di Santo Spirito, built in 1257 as a hospital, part of which still holds its original use as the modern Hospital of Santa Chiara. One part of the building now hosts the Museo Delle Sinopie which we proceeded to visit. This museum holds the so-called sinopie, the preparatory sketches before the painting is laid, of the paintings that once adorned the nearby Camposanto Monumentale. Most of the frescoes had in fact been damaged or destroyed during the World War II bombings, and what was left of them underneath were the preparatory sketches now hosted in the museum. After visiting the museum we then headed out and to the next monument, the Baptistry. The largest baptistry in the world, this imposing monument was built between 1152 and 1363 in marble. It is a clear example of the transition between Romanesque and Gothic, with the former style characterizing its lower part and the latter the upper one. Its interior, like most baptistries, features a central domed room lacking in decoration with the octagonal font at the center built in 1246. Next to the font is the beautiful pulpit designed by Nicola Pisano in 1260, known also for other monuments around the country. We walked then up some stairs to reach the top of the dome from where we could observe the interior of the baptistry from a different perspective. After descending back down we then exited the monument and continued onwards, now entering the Cathedral which stands right in front. Built in 1092 it is a perfect example of Romanesque architecture, specifically of the Pisan Romanesque which can be found as far as in Sardinia. In fact, it was built during the time the republic of Pisa was at the height of its power controlling territories as far as the Balearic islands and holding commercial emporiums in the Middle East and the Black Sea. Once inside the church, we marveled at the size and opulence of the interior, with a succession of corinthian capitals topped by Romanesque arches and a 17th century wooden painted ceiling. On the central left side of the main nave is the beautiful pulpit, sculpted by Giovanni Pisano (son of Nicola) in 1310 and a gothic masterpiece. The floor is covered by a beautiful Cosmatesque mosaic which is rare outside the region around Rome. The apse has a large mosaic representing Christ enthroned between the Virgin and Saint John dating to 1320; the face of St John is known for having been painted by the famous artist Cimabue in 1302 and for having survived the fire of 1595. In fact, the Cathedral had suffered a terrible fire during the 16th century which had destroyed much of the rooftop and melted the main bronze doors. Luckily the main art pieces such as the pulpit and mosaic had survived it. It was now time for lunch so we decided to look for a place nearby to eat something. Luckily, despite it being a touristy area, we found a great place just a few minutes eastwards called We Love Pasta which served some traditional local dishes in a fast-food way. After lunch, we then continued our walk, and right in front of the restaurant we passed by the ruins of the Baths of Nero, the complex of ancient Roman baths from the time the city was known as Colonia Pisana. This is the only remaining trace of ancient roman presence in the city which is visible in the open air. After walking along one of the roads that cut through the city center, we passed by the church of San Michele in Borgo built in the 11th century in a Romanesque style. It was unfortunately closed so we continued on and reached the Lungarno shortly after, the embankment along the river Arno sided by the most prestigious and beautiful palaces of the city. We walked along the river for a bit and then turned back into the city, coming across and entering the church of San Frediano. Built between the 11th and 12th centuries it features a typical Romanesque structure with Baroque additions inside and a nice Cruxifiction from the 12th century and is nowadays used as the University's church. Not far from there we then reached the central, Piazza Dei Cavalieri, Knights' Square, once the political center of medieval Pisa. Nowadays it is a center of education as the main house of the Scuola Normale di Pisa, a higher learning institution part of the University is located here. The school is located inside the Palazzo della Carovana, a 16th-century building built by Giorgio Vasari for the Order of Knights of St Stephan. Right in front of the palace is the statue of Cosimo I, built in 1596 to commemorate Cosimo I de' Medici, duke of Florence and later Grand Duke of Tuscany. Next to the palace is the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, a 16th-century Mannerist styled church that served the aforementioned order. It was closed so we decided to turn around and walk through the Palazzo dell'Orologio, an early 17th-century palace where the Capitano del Popolo, the administrative official in charge of the city, resided. We were now back at the Piazza dei Miracoli where we still had two monuments to visit, included in our ticket. We started out with the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, which as the name suggests is a museum dedicated to the Cathedral. Inside are in fact some extraordinary pieces such as the Porta di San Ranieri, a bronze door from the 12th century which survived the cathedral fire, a Burgundian Crucifix from the 12th century, and the Pisa Griffin, a bronze sculpture representing a griffin dating to the 11th century which was probably taken as loot of war during Pisa's expeditions in the Middle East. It is the largest medieval Islamic metal sculpture known, standing at over 1m tall, and has been described as the "most famous as well as the most beautiful and monumental example" of a tradition of zoomorphic bronzes in Islamic art. After seeing all the reliefs, sculptures, and objects inside the museum we exited by passing through the cloister which had a beautiful view of the Leaning Tower. We then crossed the Piazza and reached the last site, the Camposanto Monumentale, as the name suggests, a monumental cemetery. It is said to have been built around a shipload of sacred soil from Golgotha, brought back to Pisa from the Third Crusade by Ubaldo Lanfranchi, archbishop of Pisa in the 12th century. The burials which took place, as it was common then, around the Cathedral started to be in too high numbers and that prompted the construction of this majestic building in 1278 in the Gothic style, only to be completed in 1464. It was inevitable that throughout the centuries the most important and known figures of the city would end up being buried here and would pompously show that by having their tombs sculpted in a lavish fashion or by reutilizing roman sarcophagi, many of which now still inside the courtyard. As mentioned earlier, the whole complex was fully frescoed, and due to the World War II bombings, now many of those frescoes are lost and just a few survive in their place while the others were moved to the museum dedicated to them. After visiting the monument we then headed out and were pleased to see the sun had come out again from among the clouds, we walked back through the Piazza and went to admire the final and most known monument in the city: the Leaning Tower. This free-standing bell tower is considered the most known and unique one in the world and is famous for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. It was begun in 1173 and completed only in 1372 in a remarkable Romanesque style, and due to the soil beneath it, the evident tilt was already apparent during its construction. The entry to the tower was separate from the ticket we bought and cost a whopping 20 euros so we decided to skip and admire it from the outside, as most other people did. After that we then went back through the city center and reached the Lungarno once more, here we crossed the river and reached the small church of Santa Maria Della Spina. Located right on the bank of the river it was built during the 14h century in a flamboyant gothic style, however, in 1871 the church was dismantled and rebuilt on a higher level due to dangerous infiltration of water from the Arno river. After visiting the church we continued on along the riverwalk and experienced a beautiful sunset which made the palaces facing the Arno all turn into a golden hue. After that, we reached our accommodation where we were finally able to take a nice hot shower and relax a while.Then as our friend Aljosa, whom we had met during our Bootcamp in Budapest, was spending a semester in Pisa, we decided to meet up and have dinner together. We picked out a place called la Taverna di Pulcinella where we had a good pizza and beer. Then after dinner, we decided to stroll around the city by night while talking and enjoying the time together. It was then time to go, so we waved goodbye to our friend and headed back to our accommodation. The following day, we got up rather later as it was pouring outside and we did not wish to start the day fully wet. After it had stopped a little when headed out and decided to visit the National Museum of the Royal Palace. The palace, where the museum is hosted, was built in 1583 for Francesco I de' Medici and would become the residence of the Signora, the rulers from Florence. Inside were paintings, objects, and furnishings from the palace's and city's history particularly between the 16th and 18th centuries. After visiting the museum we then headed out and through the city, until we reached the church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, another classic Pisan Gothic example from the 13th century. Its single nave interior had some nice and interesting gothic funerary monuments. Following the visit to the church, we had one last walk through the city until we reached the Pisa San Rossore train station once more in order to catch the train to our next destination: Lucca. Once in Lucca, we left the train station and walked towards the city center, by passing through the Renaissance city walls, which are known to be perfectly preserved, encircling the entire old town, and nowadays a park where bicycles can cycle freely. We then looked for a place to eat as we were starting to get hungry, and chose the restaurant called In Pasta - Cibo e Convivio. It was a vegetarian place which served traditional foods of the season. We started out with a selection of cheeses and jams and then I had ravioli with tomato sauce and Ania took a farro soup Lucca style. After the delicious lunch, we decided to head to our accommodation first and leave our luggage before exploring the city further. We had booked a B&B a little outside of town but found out it was very nice and clean. After unpacking we headed back to the city center and walked back through the walls, to reach the basilica of Santi Paolino e Donato, built in a Renaissance style with a nice painted apse. Further on we then reached the central Piazza San Michele with the church of San Michele in Foro occupying its northern end. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries over the ancient roman forum, it features a beautiful mix of Romanesque and Gothic. The 13th-century facade is probably its most notable and noteworthy feature with columns, sculptures, and inlays reaching the tip which is topped by St Michael the Arcangel. Inside are some interesting pieces, such as a terracotta of the Madonna with Child by Andrea Della Robbia, the Pala Magrini painting by Filippo Lippi, and a 12th-century Crucifix. After seeing the church we continued on along the city center and passed by the church of San Giusto with a 12th-century Romanesque facade and the church of Santi Giovanni e Reparata, with a Baroque facade, both of which were closed. Not far we then reached the Piazza San Martino, where the beautiful Romanesque Cathedral is located. Built between the 11th and 12th centuries it features the typical Lucchese facade in white stone with arches, columns, and inlays, and an interesting bell tower built with the lower part in brick and the upper part in stone. The entry required payment of a ticket, which I deemed ridiculous so decided to skip the visit and continue onwards. Not far from the Cathedral, we reached the church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Servi which was open. Inside there were some workers who were removing the stalls that had been set up for the famous Lucca Comics & Games, an annual comic book and gaming convention which is usually held at the end of October and the largest comics festival in Europe, and the second-largest in the world. We were able to admire the beautiful Renaissance and Baroque altars and paintings, together with the wooden painted ceiling which decorate the interior of this Gothic church. Further on we then passed by the church of Santa Maria Forisportam which was unfortunately closed but presented a beautiful Romanesque marble facade. Then we walked through the Porta San Gervasio, one of two only surviving city gates from the medieval walls dating to the 13th century, the other gates and walls were demolished after the Renaissance walls had replaced them. From there we followed the nice canal siding via del Fosso and reached the church of San Francesco which we found open. This large Gothic church is nowadays part of the IMT School for Advanced Studies and despite being deconsecrated it still has its original furnishings and paintings. We also visited its three nice cloisters where the school resides, and then headed back out to continue our stroll. We now reached the peculiar elliptical-shaped Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, so named and shaped because it was built over the ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheater. We admired its shape and the nice yellow pastel-colored houses around it and then walked through one of the four openings to reach the nearby Basilica of San Frediano. Built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, it shows the romanesque style typical of Lucca before it had received the influences of that of Pisa, present in most other churches of the city. Unfortunately, the doors just closed on us, so we decided to continue onwards through the city. The sun had started to set but we still had time to visit the National Museum of Palazzo Mansi, a collection of paintings housed in a 17th-century baroque palace. The interior rooms were lavishly decorated, particularly that of the alcove with golden tapestries and curtains. The paintings were also very nice, with works from famous artists such as Tintoretto, Titian, Bronzino, and Del Sarto. After the visit to the museum, it was then time for dinner, and we decided to head back through the city to a place close to the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro we had seen previously called La Bottega dell'Oste where we had some really tasty local dishes. After a nice dinner, it was time to head back to our accommodation for the night. The following morning, we woke up to a burst of nice sunshine, and that prompted us to head back into town after breakfast to visit the city in a different and colorful light. Here we took the chance to climb the Guinigi Tower, Lucca's most famous one. Built in the 14th century it is one of the few surviving in the city center, which used to be full of them as a symbol of power among the ruling families. Its peculiarity comes from the fact that there are holm oaks growing on the top, a quite unique thing for a medieval tower. After paying the entry ticket we climbed to the top and admired the beautiful panorama which was presented to us: the whole city center was visible below us, the Pisan Mountains to the south, and the Apuan Alps and Apennines to the north. After visiting the tower and heading back down at street level we decided to visit the National Museum of Villa Guinigi, a museum featuring collections from the ancient era to the modern period and hosted in the late gothic villa from the 15th century. The visit to the museum was really great, and I particularly liked the rooms dedicated to the ancient Roman era and those of the romanesque and gothic periods. Once the visit to the museum was over, it was time to go, so we headed to the train station where we were able to take the next train in the direction of Prato. Once there, as we had to wait about 1 hour and a half before our next train to Bologna, we decided to stop and have lunch and if some time was left, visit the city. Not far from the train station we found a small place which made some quick first courses for a relatively cheap price, so we decided to have lunch there. Then after eating we headed out and through the city center passing by the main monuments. I had been here a few years prior so decided it was enough to see everything from the outside. We passed through the pretty central square, Piazza del Duomo, with the Fontana del Pescatorello at its center and the romanesque Cathedral at its eastern end. Then we reached the Castello dell'Imperatore, a 13th-century castle built for Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, where we were able to climb the walls for free and have a great view of the city. It was then time to go back to the train station where we took the next train to Bologna, our final stop on this trip. After reaching the city we headed to our Airbnb which we had booked close to the train station, and left our luggage after meeting the friendly owner and her super cute dog Leone. We were getting a little hungry so we decided to go out and look for a place to eat. We ended up at a place called Neaera Lounge Bar where we had an excellent apericena for just 8 euros with good drinks and an excellent selection of food. After dinner we then decided to have a little stroll through the city by passing the main monuments, Piazza Maggiore with the Basilica of San Petronio and the Palazzo del Podestà, before heading back home to sleep. The following day, after waking up later than usual we decided to head back into town to visit a few of the major landmarks. We reached once more the central square, Piazza Maggiore, with the historical buildings surrounding it. We then decided to enter the Cathedral, built during the 14th century but with an unfinished facade. The interior featured a nice three naved structure with some wonderful altars, but unfortunately, there was no photography allowed which was a shame. We then walked to the Archiginnasio, the university's main building all decorated with the coat of arms of the students who attended in its 932 years of existence. Nearby we then stopped at the popular Mercato di Mezzo, a covered market with different food stalls, where we had some amazing tortelli for lunch. Then we headed out through the city center and visited the Civic Medieval Museum hosted inside Palazzo Ghisilardi Fava, one of the most beautiful renaissance palaces in town. The collection of the museum features some really interesting pieces of art from the middles ages including some Langobard religious objects and 14th-century sepulchral monuments. Finally, after seeing the museum it was time for us to head to the bus station from where we were able to take the bus taking us back to my hometown Vicenza, after spending an exciting five days touring this central part of Italy.