San Miniato

After our tour of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we drove 50Km eastwards to a hilltop old town - San Miniato. By the time we arrived, it was early afternoon of 17 May. The weather was cool and sunny, perfect for a walk-around of this at least 10th century old city.

Typical roadway built to the edge of the
buildings without pedestrian walkway.

A short cut to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta & San Genesio situated at an higher platform is through this flight of stairs through an old building.

At this platform, we got a glimpse of another section of the hilltop town extending outwards like tentacles or arms of  an octopus along ridges of a series of hills.

At the distant background is San Miniato Basso founded on the plain below.

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The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta & San Genesio looked rather plain from the outside. The interior however is unexpectedly exquisite.

The church campanile or clock tower.

We walked along a long flight of stairs to reach the summit at +192m elevation to see the Federick Tower originally built by Roman King Federick II during the 13th century. The sad part is that this building was used to imprison King Federick II's Chancellor, Pier delle Vigne falsely accused of committing lese majeste. He was blinded and he soon committed suicide, a sad story.