apartment in tuscany - Apartment in San Gimignano, Italy

SAN GIMIGNANO: MEMORIES OF MEDIEVAL ITALY
What do the historic centres of Florence and San Gimignano have in common? Answer: both have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other than that, of course, the two cities – well, city and town, really – also have in common some wonderful architecture, and a rich cultural tradition. As it stands today, San Gimignano is a small, walled, medieval town on a hilltop in Tuscany, about 35 minutes northwest of Siena and southwest of Florence. Famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers, San Gimignano is also known for its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

San Gimignano started life as a small Etruscan village in the third century BC. It took its present name in the 10th century AD, after the bishop Saint Geminianus, who defended it from Attila’s rampaging Huns. In medieval and Renaissance times, it was a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican. The town also began trading in agricultural products from the neighbouring hills.

In 1300, San Gimignano welcomed Dante Alighieri as ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. All went well until 1348, when the Black Death (Europe’s notorious plague epidemic) forced the town to surrender to Florence. Of secondary importance until the 19th century, San Gimignano’s popularity began growing from this time, as its status as a tourist attraction began to be recognised.

Today, San Gimignano is famed for its 13 towers, of varying heights, which the nobility had built in medieval times. In medieval Italy, these towers would serve as lodgings, fortresses, and prestige symbols. While in other Italian cities such as Bologna or Florence, most of the towers have been ruined by wars, catastrophes, and urban development, San Gimignano’s 13 towers have become its international symbol.

San Gimignano is also home to many churches, the two main ones being the Collegiata, formerly a cathedral, and Sant’Agostino, which houses works by famous Italian Renaissance artists. The Communal Palace, currently home of the Town Gallery, has works by Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Filippino Lippi, Domenico di Michelino, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, and others. At the heart of the town are four squares, Piazza della Cisterna, Piazza Duomo, Piazza Pecori, and Piazza delle Erbe. The main streets of the old town centre are Via San Matteo and Via San Giovanni, which cross the city from north to south.

Accommodation in San Gimignano ranges from carefully renovated farmhouses to high-quality hotels, taking in bed & breakfasts, apartments, and town house suites on the way. All of these facilities are on offer for you, as you will realise once you go through our comprehensive selection. We have taken every care to ensure that your stay in San Gimignano is comfortable, safe, and memorable.

HOW TO FIND THE BEST TUSCANY APARTMENT RENTALS

Tuscany is one of the finest regions of Italy, famed for its beautiful cities, gorgeous countryside, magnificent old palaces and churches, hospitable locals, excellent cuisine, and outstanding wines. The region receives hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists every year, and tourism is one of its largest industries. And while you, as a tourist, will find plenty to admire as you travel around the Tuscan countryside, what can you do to ensure that you stay at the best accommodations your money can buy? We have the answer, so come to us and we’ll show you the best Tuscany apartments to rent.

Imagine staying at the Casa Matilde – three wonderful rural apartments close to the village of Mercatale in the famous Chianti area (yes, the one with the world’s best wines). Casa Matilde is actually a rural house that dates back to 1200 AD, divided into three apartments, and furnished with impeccable taste. So on the one hand, while you can enjoy the charm of a medieval cottage, you will also have the benefit of a garden with barbecue, a furnished terrace, and a swimming pool.

Or take the Via di Mezzo Apartments near a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic centre of Florence. Located on the second floor of an 18th century building, the 120 sq. m apartment stands on a pleasant street in the heart of town, 150 yards from the Duomo, and 30 yards from the church of Sant’Ambrogio.

These are merely two of the many Tuscany rental apartments that you can access through us, at rates that are extremely reasonable. Besides, we offer you ultimate value for money because the apartments that we recommend are uniformly high quality, and tailor-made to suit all your requirements. We enable you to make direct contact with the owners of these apartments, and you will be able to check out each and every one of them before you decide on the Tuscany apartment that you wish to rent.

The apartments that we have selected are spread across a wide section of Tuscany, from Florence to Chianti near Florence to Siena to Pisa. So wherever you go, you can be sure that you will find the very best Tuscany rental apartments, yours for the duration of your visit. Not only will you have a pleasant stay in the choicest apartments in Tuscany, but we can also guarantee that once you have stayed in these apartments, you will want to stay nowhere else once you return to this beautiful land! For details, check out our comprehensive list of Tuscany apartments.

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