Visible from the narrow winding country roads the walled cities of Italy sit on hills ready to defend themselves from an attack. From the outside you can see the reddish tiled roofs of buildings clustered tightly together and the hulking wall standing the test of time. Despite their formidable outward appearance once you abandon your car and walk inside the fortress there's a vibrancy that envelopes you.

It's unlike the energy you can feel from metropolitan areas such as New York City or Paris where there's constant motion from taxis and people hustling by and lights that never dim. It's also not comparable to quaint small towns where people live in a bubble. The outside world doesn't encroach on the town and any forward momentum has seemingly halted.

The streets seemed to thrum with energy as I dashed around corners and ran up stairs trying to find the bell tower at the center of the maze. There were no straight streets and the signs were little plaques on the wall so it was mostly a guess as to where each turn was taking me.

Within the walls I felt like I was walking with history. The city hasn't changed since it was built and this community has thrived with every generation. One thing that didn't change is the fact that vehicles of any kind are left outside of the walls; you must use your own self to walk the city. However, I didn't feel stuck in the past. The look and feel of the city was old and inviting but the people and businesses within the city embraced modernity.

Anghiari (and any other very old walled city) is special because it is living history where you can put a foot into the past while seeing the effects of the present around you. Understanding the history of places expands your perception of the community you travel to. Once you know the "why" of the city you can appreciate and be more receptive to the differences in culture you may experience. Doing just a little bit of prior research gives you a little bit of a clearer lens to observe the world around you.

Okay adventurers... open those atlases, place your dot, do a little research, and go for it.