Oct 24 Day 20 Finish Weekend Excursion and Go Through Central Tuscany

 Our first stop was Buonconvento, a town  which is the center of a farming community.  We spent time in the museum learning about the difficult lives of the farmers and sharecroppers (of whom the landowners took advantage).  The town is enclosed in a 14^th century fortification with imposing gates and we were even able to spend a little time at a Catholic mass in a small church.

Sienna is a spectacular town and I only wish that we could have spent more time there – perhaps I will be able to go back and not rush through the Cathedral, Piazza del Campo, museums, towers and churches.  It would be especially wonderful to come back to see the famous Palio di Siena horse race at the Campo.  The Black Death wiped out 70% of the population in the mid 14^th century, and the town was never able to fully recover.  I have never before seen a cathedral as magnificent as the Duomo di Siena, and it took my breath away.  The cathedral museum was also lovely, as were the views from the top of the tower (but climbing back down those tiny spiral stairs made me dizzy).  We had lunch in the Campo and watched people, heard some pilgrims singing, and enjoyed the variety and life in Siena.  Returning to Sansepolcro was nice, however, for a bit of rest, and we watched Il Postino back at the Palazzo – thoroughly enjoyable.