"Truffle Treasures and Time Travel: Exploring San Giovanni d'Asso in Tuscany"

Hello dear friends,

With great pleasure, today I share my exploration from yesterday, even though I had to change my plans due to the fact that, as you well know, parts of Tuscany were affected by a flood. I had originally intended to go to Lucca for a fairly famous national Cosplay event, but at the last minute, I had to change my plans and head to Siena. I took the opportunity to meet up with a dear friend and former colleague whom I hadn't seen in a while.

Knowing my passion for villages and hidden places in Tuscany, she decided to take me to a place I had never heard of before. It's called San Giovanni d'Asso, and it's located in the province of Siena, very close to the famous Crete Senesi, which I may have mentioned in a previous post.

This small village is situated approximately 120 km southeast of Florence and 40 km from Siena. Like many places nearby, it has medieval origins and was even its own municipality until a few years ago, but it has now become a simple hamlet due to the continuous depopulation of the area.

Naturally, I immersed myself in the beautiful alleys within this village, and it's always a strong emotion to travel back in time a bit. I learned that this town is famous for white truffles, and in mid-November, they hold a truffle festival, a grand celebration where many truffle hunters and sellers gather. In fact, a truffle museum has been dedicated in the town center, though it was unfortunately closed when I visited and seems to only open on specific occasions.

The most striking feature of this village, in my opinion, is the medieval castle located at the highest point of the town. It was originally built in the 13th century, but as you can see, it has been modified over the years and now houses the civic museum and the municipal library. Again, the museum was closed, which is quite frustrating as it doesn't help in promoting these places. I was told it's due to a lack of staff to keep them open.

Exploring the streets of this village is truly interesting, not only because I encountered many cats, a common sight when I visit such villages, and I managed to take some photos of them. What's most intriguing is that at any moment, you can come across an ancient well or an old church. As a very curious person, everything fascinates me.
In fact, I must say that I could spend hours and hours wandering through these alleys, mainly because in these parts, I always find very kind people who are proud to introduce their own country.

I hope you found my story interesting, and at times, I try to convey things through my photos. Wishing you all a great weekend, and thank you for the affection you show me. See you soon.