Castello del Trebbio
The tour itinerary described this stop as an "Olive Oil Tasting" experience. It was far more than that....
This is the former Tuscan castle retreat for the Pazzi family built in 1184 A.D. This was the family who plotted to assassinate the powerful Meddici brothers (Lorenzo and Giuliano) in Florence on Easter Sunday during the last Mass prayer. Lorence de Meddici survived the attack and the Pazzi family were killed in retribution and all their properties confiscated. The Pazzi family's seals were destroyed except for the one that was later discovered in the family chapel on the castle grounds.
A family from Milan bought the property in 1968 and turned it into a Winery, Olive Oil farm and offers villas and rooms for rent. It's also a wedding destination. They also offer cooking classes.
We were able to tour the castle, explore their winery, see the room where the conspirators planned the assassination, taste different olive oils they produce and enjoy a scrumptious Tuscany-stlyed lunch. They also provided bottles of Chianti (they produced) on the lunch tables.
The castle's courtyard has a cute well within the walls and you can see the only remaining Pazzi seal mounted on the wall. This seal was actually made by the artist Donatello!
Florence American Cementery
This is a U.S. Cementery with over 4,000 Americans from WWII. Their names are etched in Marble in a beautiful memorial.
The cementery is located in the Tuscan hills and is surrounded by woods and bordered by a river. The grounds are immaculately kept and offer a place of reflection and honor for our fallen soldiers.
Each name shows the rank and service branch. The cementery covers 70 acres and each cross, or the Star of David has their names etched into it.
High Speed Train
After the tour ended in Florence, we travelled back to Rome on a High Speed Train. Our Group Leader, Alfio, gave us a tutorial on how to navigate the trains at the train station and this made it very easy.
The train sped over 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) through gorgeous countrysides.
A four-hour car ride just took us over ninety minutes. The train was smooth and pleasant as we were able to see the beautiful countryside.
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