We come back to you after our only second break in almost 3 years, something of which we sincerely apologise. Unfortunately, this time, we had a pretty good excuse as my little corner of the world was ravaged by some serious floods. While we are all well, we had a lot of cleaning up and helping to do, which made it impossible to publish our weekly window on this incredible land. In order to forget about the sorrow and destruction around us, this time I decided to talk about a little town not too far from where I live that has a particular claim to fame. As it happens quite frequently around here, in the Middle Ages it was an important stronghold and was a mandatory stop on the famous Via Francigena, the road that brought pilgrims to Rome from Northern Europe. What sets it apart from the other hill towns is the fact that, several centuries apart, two famous emperors were instrumental in its fortunes, leaving an indelible mark on the town. The place is both spectacular and full of little oddities, which explains why this week What's Up Tuscany will bring you to San Miniato, the town of the two emperors, to tell you what makes it so special.

If you listen to the full episode you will learn how it was Frederick II to make sure that the pilgrim road passed here and how he commissioned the imposing tower that, to this day, is the symbol of this town. I will then tell you how Napoleon Buonaparte came here at least twice to meet some relatives and how his elderly relative was fundamental in his spectacular rise to power. In the middle chapters we will explore the imposing palace that follows the ancient walls and delve into the many inscriptions on its facade. Then we will take a look at the mysterious cathedral, whose ceramic basins replicate the shape of the two constellations that were supposed to bring good luck to the town and the marble rectangle that was a sign of the presence of the powerful Templar Knights. We will continue our tour of this town by looking at the ancient crucifix that, according to legend, was able to protect people from floods and the clever roads behind the walls, which were built in order to unleash a veritable firestorm on any assailant.

In the final chapter I will walk you through a little museum dedicated to the suffering endured by Tuscans in the Second World War, give you some pointers on the famous festival dedicated to white truffles to top it off with our mandatory travel tips on the best places where you can taste great food without breaking the bank. This time they're rather weird, as we go from a farmer's market to the backroom of a butcher shop to a small shop that hides an amazing wealth of taste. Word to the wise: don't leave San Miniato without trying their truffles crisps, they're absolutely addictive. This might not be a town as famous as Florence or Siena but if you come here you will discover that it has so many incredible things to see and do. Next time you plan a trip to Tuscany, think about coming to San Miniato. You definitely won't regret it.
Email: podcast@larno.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany

LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.discoversanminiato.it/storia/la-torre-di-federico-ii-a-san-miniato/
https://www.discoversanminiato.it/cosa-vedere/
https://limes.cfs.unipi.it/sanminiatopalazzoseminario/
https://bonespirit.provincia.lucca.it/it/divulgativa/563/i-buonaparte-a-san-miniato.html
https://viaggichemangi.com/food-and-wine/dove-mangiare/dove-mangiare-san-miniato/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough (Instrumental)
Romos - Helios
Profound Beats - Lo-fi
Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky
WUFO - Hyde Park
Wayne John Bradley - Waiting
Pipe Choir - Ignite to Light (Instrumental)
Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental
All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/argofox/romos-helios
https://soundcloud.com/profoundbeats/profound-beats-lo-fi-free-download
https://soundcloud.com/argofox/catmosphere-candy-coloured-sky
https://soundcloud.com/argofox/wufo-hyde-park
https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/waiting-original-uplifting-indie-pop-style-instrumentalcreative-commons
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-ignite-to-light-creative-commons-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/