After eight years in Tuscany maybe it’s time to visit San Gimignano, I said to myself, packed uncle and bestia on Thursday and off we went, after a lovely stroll by the Elsa river. As everything in Italy it was full of art and surprisingly full of people.
San Gimignano, two hours NW from me, is a kind of place where street art must be searched for with a magnifying glass. It is overshadowed by other kinds of art, all public and free even though you’d be willing to pay for it.
You can pay for all the rest though, I was thinking as the smell of new leather kept hitting my nostrils, and shops attacked me left and right, and so many people, oh, the people speaking many languages, with their children and their dogs, masked or not, with gelatos or cameras, and the doors, ohhh, the doors, I could click on every one of them, but I’m spoiled and I choose, and through it all you can tell that you’re in “the region’s glamour girl” as a website calls it, so all is just the surface, ready to appease the fleeting masses, but I’m too tired to protest, so I wait in line for a gelato where others do, I click on all the towers, I enter courtyards, I gaze, I ahhh and ohhh, and then I leave. My Maremma is empty and waiting to hide me away from the people once again.
Today I’m not in the mood to search for historic facts. It was Etruscan and then Roman like much of this territory. Chances are that you will visit it when you come to Tuscany anyway (or have already). Here is just a little preview.
First we parked for 15 minutes to get the first impression. A cat! And is that a frog bottom right? And the birds above. This view makes it seem like an ark… A memory to the fallen ones who resisted. Who exactly did they resist? Lots of serene resting people. When you tell uncle to go to Virgin Mary. This guy was standing there, not passing. I got bored waiting for him to move. Hidden away in a narrow alley. I’d need more time to explore. A sort of… cockroach? I liked this view a lot but there was an artist’s dog following us and bestia didn’t approve of him so I couldn’t concentrate. On return we passed this passage. Uncle said he would wait for me. Big mistake. The passage proved rather incredible. Everywhere I looked something was going on. I kept looking around if there was anybody collecting entrance fee. I’d pay for that! But there was nobody and I could admire it all as much as I wished. Above…. … and below, a cultured bestia. Look , there is a bird on someone’s head. All together. Yes, passage, you are might pretty. As we left the city walls, just what I was searching for. We were all thirsty. Press the button. A close-up of this rather special fountain.
For Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC) hosted by Cee at Cee’s Photo Challenges

This day in my blogging history
2015: Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors. —Jonas Salk
Wonderful place. Where its? Amazing photography.
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Thank you, Rajkkhoja! It’s very near Siena in Tuscany.
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Hi
Most welcome!, Manja
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Interesting…I visited San Gim a few years ago, and it rained. Heavily. So didn’t see much of the place!!
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Ahh, that was unlucky, Sue! I remember you told me about another rainy visit. Was it Villa Lante? Rain changes everything! I haven’t heard it called San Gim. 😀 Funny. Thank you!
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Villa d’Este and Villa Lante
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There’s a lot of good stuff in there. Interesting street art with the bullet-proof heart and the brain gun. Not sure what the message is there. The medieval street art is good too. I imagine that the colours were quite intense when they were first painted.
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Thank you, TAB. Oh yes, I wonder how long ago these paintings were new. I tried to figure out that gun too. The heart is bulletproof. Good to know.
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When I saw the image I had the same phrase pop into my head: bullet-proof heart.
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You found some lovely, and fun art on this walk. I didn’t get why it was a mistake for Uncle to wait for you there? Too many people?
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Ahh, Deborah, now I get it, I thought you were asking about that photo where he is posing. It was a mistake because that passage was so gorgeous! And he at first refused to enter it! When I came out, I told him that he must go in there too, and he went. 🙂 Thank you!
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I’ve heard San Gimignano is lovely but also busy – you have shown that it is indeed both of those things. That passage is amazing, with so many frescoes 🙂 And I like the unusual water fountain.
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Thank you, Sarah. This is why I was reluctant to visit it but now I thought it would be less crowded. Probably it was, compared to before, but not by much. Still not sorry.
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That passageway and the fountain rewarded me for taking the time to read your post this Saturday morning! It’s a picturesque town for sure, and I enjoyed rambling there in spite of the crowds. My biggest memory of San Gimignano, though, was losing my son there for about an hour! Happy weekend, Manja!
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Iiiiih! So sorry, Lexi, this doesn’t sound like a good memory. Was he still very small? I’m glad you spent your morning in my company. Thank you!
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This is a lovely place to visit. So many interesting public art! Thanks.
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You’re most welcome, Teresa. It is lovely if a bit… light.
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Oh what a cool statue or structure that is. I really enjoyed looking at all your photo of art work this week 😀
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Thank you, Cee, I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was indeed full of art and made for a nice walk.
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Truly an embarrassment of riches. Wow! (K)
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Hihi, thank you, K. Meanwhile I got an idea for the next blog’s title: Unfair advantage. 😀
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That’s a good one.
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What a great place to see. Thanks for sharing, Manja. What would we do without you.
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Hihih, quite right, Bojana. You would be in dire need of more Tuscany. 😀 Thank you!
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Absolutely.
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Effortlessly gorgeous, like your photos, Manja. I could live without the sculpture but I guess you have to go with the times. Have a wonderful week, hon!
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Ha, not a fan of the ark, Jo? (I mean the first white sculpture. I’m not sure it’s an ark.) There are other sculptures in this post, I’m not sure which you mean. Thank you, effortlessly gorgeous sounds lovely.
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Yes, I should have specified the ark, Manja. Have a good week, hon!
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Beautiful photos – such an interesting place!
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Thank you, Lynette. I needed a while to reach it but now I finally did it.
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Seems like an exciting place, very nice images, interesting works of art and lots to look at ☺️
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This is correct, Anita. So much to look at that you get a little dizzy. Happens a lot in Italy. 🙂 Thank you!
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Samo za kakÅ¡en dan sva se zgreÅ¡ili ….
V sob., 25. sep. 2021 13:27 je oseba An Embarrassment of Riches napisala:
> Manja MaksimoviÄ posted: ” After eight years in Tuscany maybe it’s time to > visit San Gimignano, I said to myself, packed uncle and bestia on Friday > and off we went, after a lovely stroll by the Elsa river. As everything in > Italy it was full of art and surprisingly full of people. ” >
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Joj, Marjana, to je greh! 😉
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I am amazed that you found so much lovely art while walking around in a city. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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Thank you, Dan! I love to share this town with you all. No wonder that people flock there. It managed to be crowded even in this day and age.
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Thank you for this fabulous tour of this special twin!
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You’re most welcome, Amy. It’s a little diamond.
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The adventuress will adventure! I love the sculpture with the creatures and your uncle with the Virgin Mary. I almost wanted him to be holding a little puppy or something to echo her pose even more.
I adore the shot of the doorway looking out onto the view framed perfectly by the tree, it’s one those gift shots, bravo!
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Thank you, Sunra Nina! When I was in front of that doorway, a dog belonging to an artist selling his works in the park kept coming closer and closer. He was old and unleashed, and bestia didn’t appreciate it. They both started to growl so I had to be alert and couldn’t concentrate on taking the shot in peace. Clearly I need to go back.
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You still captured it, Manja! No extra effects required. I absolutely wouldn’t crop the frame in any way, it contains all it needs.
I like your priorities there 😂 “Down, Bestia, let me just get this shot then I’ll break you both up….”
I look forward to catching up on all your other posts at some point. I’m so behind with everyone’s! 😊
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Hihih, my priorities would need a bit of revision sometimes. 😀 But luckily it all ended peacefully. Btw, did you take part in the express 2-hour Visual Verse contest this morning? I only found about it yesterday and did write something.
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Ha ha! Yes I saw it this morning and funnily enough thought of you! I’m glad you submitted, you need to keep up your streak! I’m right behind you 😂. I did submit some garbled attempt at poetry. We shall see…☀️☀️
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Yeah! I’m glad you think of me in random moments. 😀
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I would have been most captivated with the passage, as you were. It was like I was wandering through and sharing your discovery and delight with you. ❤
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Crystal, you are one of the few people who can tell from experience: this is exactly how it goes. 🙂 We strolled together and shared our discoveries and joy. I write my posts as if you are with me. I’m glad it comes across. Thank you!! ❤
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Manja!!! It was so good to see you pop up in my blog this morning. I think I lost you–this is (another) now blog site? 😉 I am back with you again!
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Ahh, Lois, so good to have you back here! I was not active on other blogs this summer but now I’m catching up. Yes, this is my sixth blog and I’ve had it since the start of August. Good morning and happy October to you!
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An amazing place, Manja. You are right, everywhere you look is art! Also love the wall art, in Lucca that was minimal – one or two buildings. Thanks you sharing all this beauty!
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You’re most welcome, Emille. I’m glad you came to have a look at this post.
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