Fade up on Rudy in beautiful rural Tuscan setting - rolling hills, a patchwork of cultivated fields, a hill town rises dramatically behind him. 
In the valleys - vineyards and olive trees; on the hills - castles and medieval towns.  And everywhere a sense of timelessness. 

Next up, the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria on Smart Travels.

A montage of Tuscany and Umbria - including:  narrow medieval streets - examples from several towns, ramparts, flowers in a window box - for each show the similarity, the slight differences.
Like a variation on a phrase of music, each Italian hill town follows a similar pattern, yet all are beautifully unique. 

Details of ceramics, shots of the people, the ramparts and the walls of a town, the animal motif of a contrada in Siena.
It is the individuality of expression, the fierce loyalty of the people and the history of competition between towns that defines Tuscany and Umbria.

Rudy on camera at a cafe in Montalcino - with a glass of Tuscan wine - the streets of a hill town in the background.
Sampling these towns is as delightful as sampling the fine wines they produce.  We'll stay overnight in three of the larger hill towns and take day trips in search of smaller towns, wine country and the famous Umbrian ceramics.

A map showing Siena, San Gimignano, Orvieto, and Assisi, and Gubbio. 
Starting in Northern Tuscany, our base will be the town of Siena.  We'll move south to Umbria and the town Orvieto, and then north to Assisi, visiting smaller hilltop villages along the way.

Rudy driving in the car - Tuscan countryside whizzing by - he is headed for San Gimignano.
Before settling into Siena, we're stopping at a little town that for me defines the hill town experience:  San Gimignano.

San Gimignano as seen from below - a wide shot of the town and its towers.
Seen from afar, this well-preserved hill town  is an imposing sight.  Once, almost every hill town in tumultuous Central Italy looked like this – with a skyline full of towers.

Rudy on camera walking up hill to the walls of San Gimignano.
Medieval life was nasty and short.  Chaos ruled.  What little food and possessions you owned could be stolen at any time.  If you were a peasant, and the most people were, you worked all day in the fields below and as the sun went down, you trudged up the hill, grateful for the security inside the town walls. 

The towers in town - quick cuts of several - looking up.
Life inside the walls was not without its problems.  The townspeople fought constantly for power and prestige.  Rival families vied to outdo each other with the number and height of their towers.  In its hey day, San Gimignano sported some seventy towers, today fourteen remain. 

Rudy on camera, walking between the towers.
There were two main rival families in San Gimignano:  the Ardinghelli and the Salvucci.  If you were allied with the Ardinghelli, you didn't walk under a Salvucci tower or you might end up covered in boiling oil.

More shots of towers, the view of the countryside.
When the cry came out from the watchman that a neighboring town was invading your town, the feuding and rivalry between families was temporarily suspended and the city quickly banded together to fight. 

Rudy on camera at castle.
Loyalty and rivalry, the family honor and civic pride, street fights and wars.  Add to that the occasional attack from bandits and barbarians and you have the blueprint for a hill town.  Build it high, surround it by walls, and get yourself a tower and some rocks. 

Scenes of the shopping streets in San Gimignano, the tourists, tour buses.
Today it's the tourists who are invading the streets of San Gimignano - in unbelievable numbers!  To truly enjoy this prototypical hill town, it's best to come early, stay late or spend the night.  Visiting San Gimignano in the off-season is the only way to avoid crowds altogether.

Driving shot, then Siena as seen from the countryside - sitting on its hill.
Rising dramatically from the Tuscan countryside, the city of Siena follows the hill town blueprint on a grander scale.

Scenes of the different neighborhoods or contrade.  The city streets.
Siena's sheer size gives it another level of loyalties and rivalries.  The city is divided into seventeen districts or contrade.

Rudy on camera in one of the contrade.
I'm at a fountain in one of the contrade of Siena.  This is more than a neighborhood - it's an extended family. 

Scenes from a contrado - the neighborhood bar, cafe, locals.
When you are born you are baptized in your church as well as in the fountain of your contrada.  When you marry the contrada presents you with a bouquet of flowers in the contrada colors.  When you die you are buried with the contrada flag.

Siena - streets with the contrade symbols - the dragon, the porcupine, the tortoise.  These are ceramic tiles on walls or little statues.
The contrade are known by their animal symbols and each represents a different quality - like ardour . . .  sharpness  .  . . or obstinacy - and all add up to the 17 virtues of Siena.  You’ll see the contrada plaques and flags all over town.

The Campo - wide dramatic shot.  Reversal of Campo. 
The rivalry of the contrade comes to a head here in Siena's dramatic central plaza simply called il Campo.  The occasion is the Palio, a wild bareback horse race that loops three times around the campo to the mad cheers of the crowd. 

The flag twirling practice.
The Palio takes place twice a year on July 2nd and August 16th, but you needn't visit during the festival to get a feel for the event.  The Palio engages the contrade in year round preparation – like this flag twirling practice session.

Pop Up:  To avoid huge crowds, catch the trial horse racing three days before the Palio. 

The contrada museum.
Each contrada has its own museum dedicated to the Palio.  They are often open to the public around the time of the race, or by appointment through the tourist office.

Goose guy on camera.

Goose Guy:
The Palio is a middle ages competition.  The rules are the same as the middle ages.

Paintings and photos of the Palio.
The rules are unusual – bribery, cheating and doping are all perfectly legal.  The whips aren’t used on the horses but on other jockeys.  Second best to winning is ganging up on the rival contrada to make sure they lose. 

The Goose contrada spokeperson on camera.

Goose Guy:
My contrada is the goose.  We won 63 palios – many victories.  Our enemy is the tower.  The last Palio they one was in 1961.

The banks and bankers of Siena. 
Like Florence, Siena made its fortune through trade and banking – you can see the grand palaces along the city’s main streets.  Florence and Siena regularly vied for prominence and power, with Siena most always on the losing side.

The walls of Siena - Rudy on camera standing inside the walls.
The rivalry with Florence led to bloody wars and odd assaults.  In 1230 the Florentines attacked Siena by catapulting donkeys and donkey dung over the walls of the city.  Nasty.

The Duomo - dramatic shot looking up.
The competition between towns extended to the town cathedral, or Duomo.   In the 14^th century, Siena planned a massive cathedral that would dwarf Florence’s duomo.  But the plague struck and today’s church is only a fraction of what it might have been – none the less, it’s quite impressive.

The interior - tilt from ceiling to floor. 
Under the starry ceiling vaults, at the base of the forest of striped columns lies the Duomo's artistic treasure. 

Details of the floor paneling.
The floor of the cathedral is inlaid with marble designs telling Biblical and  mythological stories.  Many of Sienna's best artists worked on the panels over a span of three hundred years.

Rudy on camera on back street.  He seems slightly nervous; he is about to confide a secret.
The rivalry between towns hasn't died.  Today instead of catapulting donkeys, the towns engage in fierce rivalry over their wine, olive oil or cheese.  It's taken very seriously.  I have my favorite wine - but it's not from Siena, it comes from an area south of here . . . (someone walks by - he speaks sotto voce)  Maybe it's better if I tell you on the way.

A map of the area - show Siena, then Montalcino, Abbey of Sant'Antimo, and Pienza.
Less than an hour’s drive south of Siena is the area known as the Val d'Orcia.

The countryside - a montage of little countryside, castles and towns.
In addition to producing some of the finest wines in Italy, the countryside of the Val d’Orcia enchants with its undulating hills … rows of cypress trees … and of course, its vineyards.

A driving shot – then the town of Montalcino – the streets and castles.
I’m crazy about a deep rich red wine called Brunello and it comes from the countryside around the town of Montalcino.

The streets of the town.  Cafes and trattoris in Montalcino.
Like so many hill towns, Montalcino seems suspended in time.  But its tradition of fine wine is very much alive.   

People of the town, the castle.
Tuscany is famous for two wines – I asked some locals which is best.

On the street interviews 

Shot of miles of vineyards - then a wide shot of the Castello Banfi.
The biggest source for Brunello as well as other superb Tuscan wines is Castello Banfi.  The winery sits atop a hill in an 11th century castle just south of Montalcino. 

The grounds of the vineyard - people harvesting grapes.
While the grapes go back centuries, the Banfi estate is somewhat new and run by American importers.   

More shots of the harvest.
You can tour wineries all over Tuscany.  Many like Banfi require reservations.  Smaller wineries often require only a day or two’s notice.

Pop up:  Great guide to wineries:  Touring in Wine Country - Tuscany, by Maureen Ashley.

The casks, the interior of the winery.
Brunello, like its rival, Chianti, is based on the Sangiovese grape.  While Chianti is a blend of grapes, Brunello is pure Sangiovese and it is aged for at least four years.  Brunello is considered one of the best wines produced in Italy today.

Winery guy on camera.

Winery guy:
Short interview about the wine – the velvety aroma and complex taste of Brunello.

The restaurant at Banfi.
Banfi offers a splendid way to taste its variety of wines.  The restaurant specializes in traditional Tuscan fare – and with each delicious dish, a chance to sample another Banfi wine.  The restaurant requires reservations.

Pop up:  For more information on Banfi, visit their website at www.banfi.com

Countryside shots.
There’s plenty of exploring to be done in the countryside around Montalcino.

The Abbey of Sant'Antimo.
In a timeless setting of hills and olive groves you’ll find the lovely 12^th century Abbey of Sant’ Antimo.  Legend claims that Charlemagne founded the first abbey here in the 8^th century after God answered his prayers to heal his sick army.  If you come on Sunday you are likely to hear the haunting Gregorian chants for which these musical monks are known.

Pienza.  The cheese stalls lining the streets.
I'm on the road again, headed for a small town called Pienza to pick up some cheese to go with my Brunello.  Pienza’s annual cheese fair is underway.  Pecorino cheese is to Pienza what Brunello is to Montalcino – its pride and joy.  Pecorino is made from sheep’s milk.  The cheese varies in taste from the soft, mild flavor of fresh pecorino to the sharper flavor of aged pecorino.

The parade.  Then, a couple buys some pecorino cheese.
I make it a point to plan my itinerary around at least one town festival.  Everyone is out and some kind of race, contest or celebration enlivens the streets.  

The cheese festival contest.
When you’re not in the mood to eat the cheese in Pienza, you can roll it and hope to win fame and glory for your contrada.    The goal is to roll the cheese closest to the stake.   The competing contrade each wear a different  color.  This is the Cheese Palio – a smaller, but no less competitive neighborhood contest than Siena’s horse racing Palio.

POP-UP: www.siena.turismo.toscana.it - excellent website for Greater Siena including festivals.

Rudy on camera in the countryside near Pienza.
Having sampled the delights of Northern and Central Tuscany, we're traveling south to marvel at medieval Orvieto and uncover the town beneath the town.

Driving shots.
To visit Orvieto, we cross into the province of Umbria.

A shot of Orvieto from a distance on its tufa perch.
Orvieto is one hill town that didn't need to build a wall, set as it is high on a volcanic outcropping.

The hotel in Orvieto.
Orvieto makes a convenient place to stay while exploring southern Tuscany and Umbria.

The Duomo.
The 14^th century Duomo is the city’s pride.  The stunning façade glows like the pages of an illuminated manuscript.

The carvings on outside and interior Signorelli.
The cathedral is rich in images of the afterlife:  from Lorenzo Maitani’s sculptural reliefs on the outside to Luca Signorelli’s hellish scenes inside.  Signorelli’s paintings greatly influenced Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel.

The streets of Orvieto, the market.
Away from the Duomo, Orvieto’s back streets and piazzas seem lost in time.

The underground city – Rudy walks through.
But if the streets of Orvieto feel timeless, what lies below is truly ancient.  For centuries the inhabitants of Orvieto carved caves, wells and tunnels in the soft tufa rock beneath the city.  The underground world dates back to the time when an ancient city, Volsinii, stood on the site of Orvieto. 

Pop up:  Tours of the underground leave daily from the tourist office.

Shots of the underground tour.
In the 7th century B.C., Volsinii was a wealthy city peopled by the Etruscans, an ancient race. 

The Museo"Claudio Faina" – Rudy walks through.
To get a sense of the Etruscans I'm visiting arguably the best museum in Orvieto, the Museo"Claudio Faina", a private collection of Etruscan treasures, including many Greek vases that the Etruscans imported and valued highly.

The vase collection, the sarcophagus.
The Etruscans are clouded in mystery.  Their origin is unclear.  Most all we know about the Etruscans comes from their tombs.  Etruscans preferred peace to war; they loved the good life.  Etruscan women enjoyed an equality and freedom that shocked and scandalized both the Greeks and Romans of the time.  From the 7th to the 3rd^d century B.C., these spiritual, life-loving people thrived.  Tuscany bears their name.

Rudy on camera on the streets of Orvieto, the misty walls behind him.
To really get a feel for the Etruscans, you have to visit their tombs.  There are a few just outside of town, but a longer drive takes you to a lonely necropolis and a string of haunting hill towns.

A map of Pitigliano, Sorano and the tombs.
The towns and the tombs make an easy day trip from Orvieto.

The astonishing town of Pitigliano sitting on a tufa outcropping.
Pitigliano grows straight out of the volcanic tufa hill on which it sits.  The town is ancient, quiet, as of yet undiscovered by the hoards.

The streets of Pitigliano - the locals, old women, teenagers.  A deli with a wild boar head.
Pitigliano’s tangle of covered streets and narrow stairways invites wandering and if hunger strikes, the local delicacy is wild boar.

Shots of Sorano.
Just northwest of Pitigliano, clinging desperately to its volcanic hill is the town of Sorano.  In this haunting landscape begins a series of Etruscan roads and tombs. 

Rudy in a tomb.
This may look like a sauna, but it’s actually a tomb from the 6^th century B.C and the hillsides in this area are riddled with them.

Rudy on a sunken road with tombs.
Though not the most dramatic Etruscan tombs in Italy, they are some of the loneliest and most evocative.  Sunken roads - some thirty feet deep – wind through the area and are thought to have been for funeral processions. 

Rudy on camera in the countryside outside Orvieto.
The last leg of our journey takes us north to the heart of Umbria where once again, history is very much alive.  

Cut to the town of Assisi.
Assisi.  Each year five million visitors flock to this dreamy pink and grey hill town in remote northern Umbria.

Pilgrims in the town.
They come to celebrate the life of a man - Francesco Bernardone, St. Francis.

The streets of Assisi - young Italians walking, chatting and laughing.
Born in 1182, the son of a wealthy merchant, Francis was an outgoing and cheerful youth.  His friends named him the King of Revelers, for he loved parties, feasts and fun.  Raised on notions of chivalry and honor, he longed to be a knight. 

Rudy on camera on the streets of Assisi. 
In his first battle as a knight with neighboring town, Perugia, Francis was captured.  He spent a miserable year in a cold, damp prison.  It was after this experience that Francis - much to his father's dismay - began to give away his clothes and money to the poor.

The Basilica of St. Francis - Exterior.
The life of Saint Francis is immortalized here, in the Basilica of San Francesco.  Although damaged in the earthquake of 1997, the basilica has been completely restored.

The church, then frescoes of Saint Francis' life - wide shot.  Then details of the frescoes.
The marvel of the church is the cycle of frescoes depicting the life of the Saint.  They are attributed to the artist called Giotto and to his pupils around the year 1290.

The fresco showing St. Francis giving his clothes to his father.
Having heard the word of God, St. Francis renounced all earthly possessions in front of his angry father and the Bishop of Assisi.

St. Francis preaching to the birds fresco.
He never took holy orders and knew little of church doctrine, instead he wandered the countryside preaching a simple message of love, poverty, and compassion. 

The saint and the fountain fresco.
After the doom and gloom sermons the people were accustomed to, St. Francis' simplicity and charismatic joy came as a surprise and a relief. 

Crowds, pilgrims and the tacky St. Francis souvenirs.
Assisi is a popular tourist and pilgrim destination and during the summer it can be crowded and overly commercial.

The streets of Assisi - lonely - in the evening.
Once again, the essential tip for enjoying the hill towns is to spend the night – the crowds vanish and time rolls back several centuries. 

A car driving, the hotel.
Driving in the center of hill towns like Assisi is severely restricted, but you can drive to your hotel to drop off bags and check in.  The hotel staff will then direct you to overnight parking.  Navigating the streets can be frustrating.  As you enter town, look for signs directing you to the hotels.  It helps to recognize the Do Not Enter signs -  many streets are one way.

Rudy driving through Umbria toward Gubbio.
I'm following in the footsteps of Saint Francis, headed across the Umbrian countryside to the  town of Gubbio.  ( he feels ashamed) Alright, Saint Francis walked and I'm driving, he went there to save the town from a wolf, and I'm going there to shop.  Let's just say we're headed north.

Gubbio - the town seen from below.  The streets of Gubbio; the pottery showing the wolf and St. Francis.
Legend has it that Saint Francis saved Gubbio from a vicious wolf that was attacking the town.  He made a deal with the beast - behave yourself and the townspeople will feed you. 

The street with the ceramic shops.
Gubbio’s pride and claim to fame is its colorful ceramic pottery.  And it is of course the object of rivalry with neighboring towns.

The ceramic studio of Leo Grilli Via dei Consoli, 78.
The art of Italian majolica flourished in the Renaissance.  The discovery of blue and yellow glazes in the 15^th century and the influence of designs by Spanish moors combined in the ceramic art called majolica.

More of Grilli and his work.
A visit to master ceramicist, Leo Grilli’s workshop brings the majolica tradition alive.  Signor Grilli learned from his grandfather, and has passed on the art to his daughter, Claudia. 

Grilli throws a pot.
In Gubbio, you’re welcome to walk into pottery workshops and watch the artists at work.  Most shops take credit cards and will gladly ship your purchases.

More scenes from Gubbio:  the streets, the people, the views out over the countryside.
For me, Gubbio sums up the hill town experience - bewitching back streets and people who seem as timeless as the town itself. 

The fountain in the courtyard of the Palazzo del Bargello.  Rudy circles it.
Another Gubbio legend has it that if you walk three times around this fountain, the Fountain of the Mad, you will become mad, a citizen of Gubbio, or both.

Rudy in front of the Gubbio town hall.
Now that I'm an official citizen, I pledge my allegiance to Gubbio.  I'll stock up on donkeys and defend my town with pride.  (he starts to walk away)  Next time you come here ask for Rudy of Gubbio.  Ciao.