Herb Riddle's photos with the keyword: Towers

The next town on our Tuscany list is Siena. Here we see a view looking towards the highest part of this charming city, showing its cathedral, ‘Duomo di Siena’. Its construction started in 1196 and it is built with medieval bricks. The Pip shows the main forward view of this magnificent building. Enjoy.

Our walk continues to the centre of this lovely city as we come to this large square. Looming 102 meters over the Piazza del Campo, the elegant, sleek tower to the Palazzo Pubblico is the third tallest in all of Italy. Built from red brick, as a symbol of its affinity to the “commoner” the tower is 87 meters tall of brick and the remaining is a white travertine, most probably to make it visually more prominent. Siena was determined to give the church and the civic authority the same “power” and reverence, so when building the tower which would eventually become the Tower of Mangia and the cathedral bell tower, there were to be of the same height as the cathedral to show that they are equal powers. In reality the bell tower of the Duomo of Siena is only 77 meters, the position of the bell tower is 10 meters higher on the hill - so when gazing upon the skyline of Siena as you are walking the via Francigena, it actually looks the same. Enjoy full screen

Memories of Tuscany: San Gimignano and its towers Our first full day trip out here in Tuscany was to San Gimignano and Volterra. San Gimignano is famed for its high narrow towers, some show here. This is a beautiful hilltop town but unfortunately I never got the chance to capture it from low down nor far away, showing the classic view. Enjoy full screen "San Gimignano, a small walled village about halfway between Florence and Siena, is famous for its fascinating medieval architecture and towers that rise above of all the other buildings offering an impressive view of the city from the surrounding valley. At the height of its glory, San Gimignano's patrician families had built around 72 tower-houses as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano still retains its feudal atmosphere and appearance. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, San Gimignano offers visitors the chance to step back in time" - www.discovertuscany.com/san-gimignano