Medieval Manhattan

San Gimignano – The Manhattan of the Middle Ages as viewed from afar

If the post title sounds unusual, it's because that's exactly the words most often used to describe the town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. The town has become one of the most popular tourist spots in Italy due to its amazing architecture, namely towers..Its unique architecture gives the town an unmatched skyline in the Tuscan countryside as seen in the above photo. We visited this hilltop locale on a day trip during our tour of the Tuscan region last fall. 

San Gimignano was named after St. Geminianus, the bishop of Modena, who according to local legend, saved the city from attack by Attila the Hun. This small walled medieval hill town is in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy, some 25 miles from Florence and Siena. Its hilltop location overlooks the Tuscan countryside. The well-preserved buildings within its walls include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

The town's fame and appeal derives from its well-preserved medieval architecture and iconic skyline of medieval towers, impressive in height and construction. Built using traditional Tuscan stone and brick, the towers were designed to withstand the test of time. While unique today, in the Middle ages, towered skylines were more commonplace. Some were built as a refuge against attackers, others were vacant, chimney-like structures built bolster the owner's egos. Feuding noblemen ran the hill towns, each had a private army that would often battle things out from the protection of its respective family towers.

San Gimignano (1923) by M.C. Escher: Internet source

The 1923 artwork, San Gimignano, created by Dutch graphic artists M.C. (Maurits Cornelis) Escher is a detailed representation of the medieval town characterized by its distinctive towers and architectural structures. The artwork is a black and white, woodcut is considered to be in the art movement known as Realism in the cityscape genre. Escher was a printmaker known for his use of scientific and mathematical concepts to create intricate optical illusions.

Some of the towers in San Gimignano

In 1990, San Gimignano was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This designates a location designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as possessing outstanding universal value to humanity. The sites can be cultural, natural or mixed and are inscribed on the World Heritage List to ensure protection for future generations.

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era, San Gimignano was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, due to its location on the Via Francigena.

Via Francigena: Internet source

The Via Francigena, known also as the road that comes from France or Via Romea Francigena the road to Rome that comes from France, is an ancient road that goes from the English cathedral city of Canterbury through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. In medieval times, this was an important pilgrimage route for those who wanted to visit the Holy See. 

This unique architecture and its tower skyline dates to 12th and 13th centuries. That's when a conflict between two rival families, the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, erupted in San Gimignano. The building of towers became a competition of whoever built the tallest tower. 

The richest and most powerful families competed to outdo each other. Toward the end of the Medieval period, there were 72 tower house, the tallest up to 230 feet tall. The rivalry was curtailed in 1255 when the local council interceded and ruled that no tower was to be taller than that next to the Palazzo Comunale (Municipal Palace).

Many towers were torn down or destroyed during World War II. Currently, only 14 of the original towers remain standing. These are still enough to make San Gimignano the Italian town with the most towers. The tallest remaining tower (177 feet) is Torre Grossa (Thick Tower). It was built in 1310 to enrich the town and became its symbol while functioning as a military watchtower and a civil bell tower. Visitors (which did not include ourselves) can climb 218 steps to the top to enjoy panoramic views of the town and the Tuscan countryside.

Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, exterior

After the towers, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta is recognized as the most significant monument in San Gimignano. It's located in the Piazza del Duomo, which translates to cathedral square. But, while the name of the square implies that the Roman Catholic church was once a cathedral, it was not. The church is more commonly known as the Collegiata, a reference to the college of priests that originally managed it. The church was consecrated in November 1148 and was dedicated to St. Geminianus, the town's patron saint. Damaged in World War II, it underwent restoration in 1951 

Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, interior

Situated in cathedral square since the 12th century, the interior of the church follows a traditional basilica plan, marked by 14 classic Tuscan stone columns. Its main attraction are frescoes lining the cathedral walls, which depict stories of the New and Old Testament and colorful decorations typical of the medieval period. 

Palazzo Comunale (Municipal Palace) 

Other important buildings on the square include the Palazzo Comunale (shown above) and the Palazzo Podesta, the house of the mayor. 

Piazza della Cisterna (town square)

No Italian town would be complete without a central town square and here it's the Piazza della Cisterna built in the 13th century. Originally located at the crossroads between Via Francigena and the road connecting Pisa to Siena, the square also hosted markets, festivals and city tournaments.

Cistern at the center of Piazza della Cisterna

The Piazza della Cisterna named after the cistern built in 1287 was the main source of water for town residents who would get water from the well. The well is no longer in use, but has become a popular gathering spot for visitors who sit on its steps and children who explore the top (which is sealed off). The square is ringed with various restaurants, bars and shops for dining and shopping for traditional crafts, such as pottery, glassware, leather goods and handmade textiles.

Food products made from wild boar (cinghiale) are very popular in this region, especially when made into salumi, which is deeply rooted in Italian culinary traditions and techniques. It refers to any Italian cured meat, including sausages, hams, and other meats. We didn't sample any the day of our visit here. But, on a different day trip, Patrick enjoyed boar-stuffed ravioli, so much that he considered buying boar meat in the U.S. until he learned its cost.

The alleys are narrow and became quite very crowded during our visit. Shops lined the walkways and being in a hurry was not the best way to explore this town.

Although our visit to San Gimignano was a wonderful day trip, it was also somewhat hectic, especially at midday when many tourist buses leave off day visitors, as the center of San Gimignano is car-free. Despite the often walkways, we spent a great time navigating the town's narrow streets and exploring.

There was time to enjoy what became one of our favorite treats during our time here. One of the most interesting features about San Gimignano is the competition between two gelaterias located close to the town square and directly across from one another..

There were non-stop customer lines at both of these establishments, of course we joined in and enjoyed delicious gelatos. Now, I can't recall which place we tried.

Before leaving, we made sure to appreciate this wonderful view which was just before entering the town of San Gimignano.

We hope to return not only for the gelato — also for the history and the views.

Friday Funnies

It's been a while for a Friday Funnies with photos of recently seen vanity vehicle plates. Here's a random sampling of some spotted locally the past couple of months.

So a King, although the color on this ME plate (actual) seems more suited for the queen.

These two plates could belong to grandparents, happy to be at this stage of life.

And, these plates show the sports interest of their vehicle owners.

Here's a couple of fun plates, and wondered — Did the top one belong to an artist who doodles, and second to an owner of cats or lover of Kit Kat® candy?

Last (for this time) this vehicle plate was definitely selected for the business. 

And, an update on my ongoing knee issue, which, thankfully, is not a case of needing a knee replacement. This week an X-ray showed a moderate degree of lateral patella tilting and mild patellar lateral sublaxation which translated means a displaced/dislocated knee cap. An appointment has been made for an orthopedic evaluation next week and possible physical therapy. Meanwhile, activities are being curtailed until an assessment is done. (To answer a query about how this injury occurred, its suspected to be over-use of the elliptical at the gym.) 

I appreciate all your good wishes, but this setback will pass in time. My situation is very minor when compared to what some fellow bloggers have shared about difficult issues with their own health or that of loved ones. I encourage good thoughts and prayers for them. No links here out of respect for their privacy. You may recognize them from the sidebar list.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

My weekend will be R-I-C-E  (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) & reading

Easter at the Arts Center

During the Christmas season, which was celebrated at home in Nashua, NH, we attended several musical performances at the Nashua Center for the Arts. 

Since we were also home for Easter, we decided to do a repeat and, in the past couple of weeks, attended three performances. All of these were quite different featuring a vocal group, a humorist and a symphony orchestra. An added bonus is that the performing arts center is walkable from the mill apartments.

Nashua Center for the Arts in downtown Nashua, NH

Opened in April 2023, the Nashua Center for the Arts is located on Main St in downtown Nashua on the site of an old apartment building and the former location of a well known shoe store, which relocated to a larger Nashua location. The remake-and-repurpose of 201 Main Street came with a price tag of $25 million. Bank of America, which has a downtown location donated half a million dollars; unsurprisingly, the theater has its name.

The center seats 750 and providing an intimate audience experience. The audience chamber orchestra level has a 430-seat telescopic seating system that can be retracted to create a flat floor venue for general admissions for up to 1000 people or a banquet set up for 270 people.

Voctave is an 11-member a cappella group from Central FL

Our first show was a performance by the a cappella group. Voctave with 11 members. This is twice the number of vocalists as in another well known a cappella group, Pentatonix, which has 5 members. Our orchestra tickets were complimentary thanks to the Nashua Public Library which offers residents discounted or free passes to many popular cultural institutions, including museums, symphony concerts, nature experiences and historical monuments. Free tickets to some venues, like the arts center, are available on a first-come basis. Funding is provided by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library of which we are members.

A cappella performances rely on vocalists' ability to create musical textures, rhythms, and harmonies entirely with their voices without instrumental accompaniment. This sets it apart from music where vocal parts are supported by instruments. The Italian term translates to "in the chapel" or "in the choir" highlighting its historical association with religious music.

Admittedly, we knew little about FL-based, Voctave, before this concert, but we're now fans of these multi-talented vocalists. The members of Voctave have diverse backgrounds in musical theater, contemporary Christian music, pop, barbershop and choral music. All have been part of the Voices of Liberty, a popular a cappella group that traditionally performs at Disney's Epcot Center, Orlando. The group also has performed globally.

Voctave was formed in 2015 by producer and arranger Jamey Ray and has become renowned for intricate and captivating vocal arrangements. The group brings together a rich tapestry of musical backgrounds and members have performed globally and contributed to numerous recordings, showcasing their versatility. 

American humorist Garrison Keillor at Nashua Center for the Arts

Yes, he's still performing! Our next show was a one-man performance by American humorist Garrison Keillor, who wore his signature red sneakers and sported very tousled (like just rolled out of bed) hair. Keillor is perhaps best known for his public radio programs. His style has been described as witty, observational, even satirical finding humor in everyday situations and human experience. At 83 years of age, Keillor is still performing and touring with scheduled appearances of his one-man show throughout 2025. 

From 1974 to 2016, Keillor created and hosted the radio show A Prairie Home Companion on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). It featured the fictional Midwestern town of Lake Woebegon with its quirky inhabitants and fictional product ads for Powdermilk Biscuits, The American Duct Tape Council, Catsup Advisory Board, Beebop-a-reebop Rhubarb Pie. The show provided the backdrop for much of Keillor's humor through The Lives of the Cowboys (Lefty and Dusty and Guy Noir, Private Eye. He's also authored numerous books, including novels and short story collections.

We were long-time fans of A Prairie Home Companion, listening to the show every Saturday night when we lived in VA. Fellow listeners may also recall the tagline that ended the show: Lake Woebegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking and all the children are above-average. 

Keillor and audience sing-along during intermission

The 90-minute performance we attended featured storytelling, poetry, and several audience sing-alongs even during intermission. Unlike most performers who leave the stage at this time, Keillor remained and encouraged the audience to stand and sing, which of course many did, including ourselves. 

Symphony NH at Nashua Center for the Arts

Our final show consisted entirely of music performed by Symphony NH, titled It's All Overtures which featured nine popular and well-known overtures including: The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart) Overture to William Tell ( Gioachino Rossini), Overture to Treemonishato (Scott Joplin), Academic Festival Overture (Johannes Brahms) Overture to Nabuccoto (Guiseppe Verdi) and  West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein).

Symphony NH was established in 1923, and holds the distinction of being the longest-running professional orchestra in NH with a particular tie to the City of Nashua. It began as a group of musicians from Nashua that performed two concerts each season here. At one time also called the Nashua Symphony Orchestra, the organization changed its name in June 2012 to Symphony NH to reflect its expanded mission to inspire and enlighten through exceptional live music serving the state, not just in the City of Nashua.

Today, the symphony consists of top musicians from all over New England with concerts performed not only in Nashua, but throughout Southern New Hampshire. The symphony has been acclaimed for memorable performances, including premieres and its wide-ranging repertoire from Bach to Bernstein to the Beatles and more.

Symphony NH musical director Roger Kalia

Conducting Symphony NH was American conductor Roger Kalia who has been acclaimed for bringing a fresh view to classical music for the unique energy he brings to the podium. It had been previously stated that this performance would be one of his final concerts here. 

That's because, in 2023, Kalia announced his decision to step down as Symphony NH Music Director after six seasons at the end of the 2024-25 season. Kalia will assume the role of Artistic Director of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra during the 2025-26 season. We are glad to have attended this wonderful performance that showcased not only his conducting skills but the talents of the Symphony NH musicians.

We hope that your Easter holiday was enjoyable. Aside from attending the performances, we shared dinner with two residents, who like ourselves, remained home for the holiday.

All photos in this post were taken during the attended performances and were not prohibited. In a pre-show announcement, photos were encouraged to share on social media. The sole stipulation being that no audio recordings, videos or flash photography was permitted.

Celebrating Easter

The most important Christian celebration will be celebrated this weekend. (In the U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas remain among the most popular holidays.)

Easter Sunday, the day which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the most widely celebrated Christian holiday worldwide per most online sources. 

Its date is much later this year because, unlike Christmas always celebrated on December 25, Easter is one of the religious holidays without a fixed calendar date and called a “movable feast.” Simply stated that means it doesn't fall on the same calendar date year to year. Thanksgiving, while not a religious event, is the same type of holiday

Why? In the Gregorian calendar, Easter is always observed on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. In the Northern Hemisphere, it's celebrated on the Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon following the spring equinox. The Catholic Church uses March 21 to mark the spring equinox to calculate this date, but the equinox can fall between March 19-21.

The Bible doesn't make mention of a bunny decorated eggs, or chocolate candy, yet all of these have become prominently associated with Christianity’s most important holiday.

There are various stories, including that the Easter bunny came to in America in the 1700s when German immigrants, who settled in Pennsylvania, transported the tradition of an egg-laying hare, “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” According to the story, good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter.

The custom spread across the U.S. and the storied rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and toys and decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry.

There are other stories in which the association of a bunny with Easter originates from pagan and Christian traditions, with rabbits symbolizing fertility and renewal, and eggs representing new life and the resurrection of Jesus.  

The Easter egg is believed to have its roots in pagan practices celebrating spring and rebirth.The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. Christian tradition later adopted the practice, associating eggs with the resurrection of Christ.

Egg decorating is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century. One explanation for this custom is that in some regions eating eggs was not allowed by church leaders during the weeks leading up to Easter. Eggs laid that week were saved and later decorated to mark the end of penance and fasting. These were then eaten in celebration on Easter and also given to children as gifts. 

We looked as colorful as the eggs did afterwards

For years, we decorated hardboiled eggs with the grandchildren, who are older now with other interests. But, that family tradition hasn't gone away. Today, we continued it and colored a dozen eggs, none of which will be gifts, some will result in egg salad if not eaten Easter a.m.

Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America after Halloween. Chocolate bunnies and eggs remain the most popular choices. The most popular non-chocolate Easter candies are jelly beans and the sugary, pastel marshmallow confection, Peeps. In the past few years, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs have risen in popularity even beating Peeps sales in some cities.

My childhood favorite was chocolate marshmallow eggs, which even came in their own carton; Patrick favored peanut butter ones. We both agree on our enjoyment of seasonal Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Do you have any favorites — then or now?

Easter Sunday won't be celebrated this late in April again until 5 years from now, but it will be celebrated in late March within 2 years. Here's when Easter Sunday will be celebrated for the next five years 2026 (April 5), 2027 (March 28), 2028 (April 16), 2029 (April 1), 2030 (April 21). 

Enjoy Your Holiday Celebration

We're dining at home and have invited two residents to join us.

Catching Up

Spring was definitely not in the air this past weekend, when we work up to this scene.

Outside our living room window early Saturday, April 12

As lovely as this scene might have been a couple of months ago, it was neither expected nor welcomed in mid-April. The parking lot in the top photo is from the Lofts 34 apartments across the river from Clocktower Place, where we live and park underground, lucky us.

But, it was over within a couple of hours and then the melting began as a light rain followed. 

Now, a followup to a fellow blogger's question. Last week's Friday Funnies post about a chair sculpture brought a question from Nick who queried: Is the sculpture meant to relate to the chairs in some way?

The answer is that I didn't know the how and why about the sculpture and the high and low seating relationship. On a recent river walk, along which this sculpture is placed, I checked if the piece had an identifying name. Nashua hosts an annual sculpture symposium. This most likely was a prior year's sculpture.

Success, sort of, about the sculpture, which is titled Between. It was created by sculptor Vasilis Vasili in 2016, a Greek contemporary sculptor whose work has been characterized by concepts like entrapment, restriction, escape, gateway, separation and partition. 

Vasilis Vasili

Vasili's sculptures are displayed in various cities in Europe, USA, Canada, China, India, Taiwan and Turkey. However, despite several online searches nothing was located about the sculpture, other than the artist information.

This year's 18th annual Symposium will take place May 8 to May 31 with the theme of In the Making and the four participating sculptors are all women: Casey Schachner (U.S.), Valerie Funk (Germany), Danaë LeBlond-Joris (France), Yunmi Lee (South Korea/Italy).

Top Row: Casey Schachner, Valerie Funk,
Bottom Row: Danaë LeBlond-Joris, Yunmi Lee

The artists work outdoors at the Picker Artist Studios which are within walking distance of the mill apartments where they will be working for three weeks from May 12 to May 28. The public is invited to observe and interact with the visiting sculptors. We will be walking there a few times to watch the works being created. And, future blog posts will highlight the progress of the sculptures.

Nashua is unique in being the only U.S. city to host an annual sculpture symposium. Since 2008, guest artists from around the world have created 52 sculptures which have been gifted to the city of Nashua as part of its permanent collection. These large, stone or metal outdoor sculptures have been permanently installed in various public spaces in downtown Nashua, schools, parks, neighborhoods, walking trails and riverfront paths. 

Top: Getty Images; Bottom: Atlantic Productions/Magellan

Today, marks as a sad anniversary. I was 113 years ago when the RMS Titanic sank with the loss of an estimated 1,500 lives in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. The 46,328 ton pride of the White Star Line sank on its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic about 400 miles off the coast of Canada. 

A new National Graphic documentary, Titanic: The Digital Resurrection, presents the most detailed digital reconstruction of the wreckage ever created allowing researchers to challenge long-held theories about the disaster and that the ship didn’t split in half, but was torn into two pieces. The project took some two years to finish using cutting-edge underwater scanning technology capturing 715,000 digital images of the wreckage which were then transformed into a full-scale digital image of the Titanic.

Bloggers who have the National Geographic channel, Hulu or Disney+ will be able to stream the documentary. Since we do not subscribe to any of these, I'm hoping it will be released to other channels later. I've watched online previews, it's a fascinating documentary.

And, for those of us in the U.S., this is the day the tax man cometh. There will be longer than usual lines at the local post office. And, the USPS has filed notice with the PRC (Postal Regulatory Commission) for a postage increase, effective July 13, 2025, new rates include  increase for a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 73¢ to 78¢ — stock up now 😲.

Finally, the knee pain is lessening with abstinence from the elliptical, steps and vigorous walking plus the use of prescribed anti-inflammatory meds (ibuprofen). In speaking with others who have had similar muscle strain, it can take up to a few weeks for complete healing. Thanks to all asked how I was healing.

Just wondering 🤔 — Does the city you live in host any unique events?

Friday Funnies

Take a seat, please, just not in these chairs.

Most everyone has sat in an uncomfortable chair at one time or another. But, here's a few that would be really comfortable for different reasons.

Seat cushions definitely would be helpful for these chairs as would a bottom piece at the $20 price seen at a flea market.

How about a choice of seating, high or low? Just be sure to bring a bottom piece, cushion and a ladder to reach the higher one.

The pair of chairs above are part of this sculpture along the Nashua River directly across from Clocktower Place, the former mill building where we live.

Thanks to all fellow bloggers who commented on my recent post about a left knee injury. After a meeting and evaluation by a nurse practitioner, she suspects muscle strain. Recommended treatment was continued icing several times daily, ibuprofen (prescription strength), wearing a compression wrap and no elliptical or treadmill workouts for a while. I appreciated all your comments and concern as bloggers are really the best and the healing has begun.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

It's forecasted to be another soggy one in Nashua, NH, again