Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Tuscan Town Square
The main square or piazza of nearly every
Tuscan town is the focus for much of the town's
activities. Tt is here that the townsfolk gather
around 6-7pm for the daily
passeggiata
, the
traditional evening stroll, or to participate in
local festivals and rallies. In most towns there
are certain religious and civic buildings that are
usually grouped around the piazza. Many of
these buildings, you will notice, have standard
features, such as the campanile, the
cortile
or
the loggia, each of which fulfils a specific
function. And often you will find that
many of these buildings are still in use
today, performing the same function for
which they were originally built during
the 13th-16th centuries.
Wellhead
Water was a valuable
resource that was
protected by strict laws
to prevent pollution.
Town bell
in the
campanile
Marble or hard
sandstone paving
A palazzo
is any
town house of
stature. it is
usually named
after its owner.
Cortile
The arcaded court-
yard, or
cortile
, of a
palazzo served as an
entrance hall shielded
from the outside;
it also provided a
cool retreat.
There are three floors
in most palazzi. public
reception rooms were
on the middle floor,
the
piano nobile
.
The ground floor
was used for
storage and workshops. today many
ground floors are let to businesses,
while the owners live above.
Baptismal font
Stemmae
Stone-carved coats-
of-arms, belonging
to citizens who
served as councillors
and magistrates,
are often seen on
public buildings.
The Baptistry
, usually
octagonal, was a separate
building to the west of the
church. After baptism, the
infant was carried ceremo-
niously into the church for
the first time.
