Torrita di Siena

However, this defensive role is now consigned to distant history, a time of sieges, attacks and counter-attacks, and the need to defend the people. Even today, Torrita is embraced by its defensive walls. The sheltered old town centre jealously guards a way of life that, along the narrow labyrinthine streets, continues to flow at a rhythm that has seemingly been forgotten outside these walls.

Access to the old town can be gained through four gates: Porta Gavina, Porta a Sole, Porta a Pago and Porta Nova. Once within the walls, visitors are free to roam at leisure, wandering the streets, changing direction on a whim, safe in the knowledge that they will eventually end up in the town's hub: piazza Matteotti, with its 13th century Town Hall, and the Sante Flora e Lucilla church. Visitors to the church can admire a marble bas-relief, "Il sangue del Redentore", attributed to Donatello.

There is an abundance of crafts workshops, where visitors can pick up souvenirs that really encapsulate something of the town, the fruits of the rich local heritage of skill and craftsmanship, exemplifying how insubstantial the fine line between art and artisan can be. Other popular souvenirs include the excellent local cheeses and cured meats, of which the town is justifiably proud.

A few kilometres away lies the medieval hamlet of Montefollonico, where the ancient and vital tradition of producing Vin Santo continues to this day, resulting in a dessert wine that is appreciated by connoisseurs from all over the world.