- farmhouses 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.

TUSCANY FARMHOUSE: STAY IN A RURAL IDYLL

How would you like to spend your holidays in a recently restored traditional farmhouse in Tuscany, with comfortable, fully furnished rooms, modern bathrooms and kitchen? Wouldn’t you like it even better if the farmhouse were to be situated in a panoramic position surrounded by the dazzling Tuscan countryside? Even better, imagine the farmhouse to be situated in a little medieval town in the Tuscan province of Arezzo. In front of the house there is a garden where you can eat and relax in the open air, and actually organise a barbeque!

Imagination? Not really, because we have carefully selected a large number of farmhouses in Tuscany where you can stay during your vacation. The farmhouses of our choice offer you every modern amenity while giving you a taste of rural Tuscan life, and most of them are impeccably restored old buildings that take you back in time to medieval Italy.

Our Tuscany holiday farmhouses are mostly located in charming and historic villages. We offer you the best of agritourism in Tuscany, as well as opportunities to go mountain biking, jogging, and trekking through some truly spectacular landscapes. Besides, you have a wide range of true blue Tuscan delicacies to choose from, and your pick of the best wines that this celebrated wine-producing region can offer.

And for those with a historical bent of mind, we offer Tuscan farmhouse holidays in Il Piastrino, which is situated in Vinci, birthplace of the celebrated Leonardo da Vinci, on one of the hills of the Chianti region in the heart of Tuscany amidst cypresses and olives groves. The old farmhouse, which has been transformed into holiday accommodations, is beautifully furnished and offers all the comforts you could ask for.

These are mere samplers. We have a truly wide rang of farmhouse accommodations waiting for you, and would love you to look over our selection before choosing the one you want to stay in. we provide direct access to the Tuscany holiday farmhouse of your choice, and invite you to visit us without delay. Our farmhouses are located in every region of Tuscany, and wherever you go, you will find farmhouse accommodation near one of Tuscany’s famous cities. So what are you waiting for? Book your Tuscany farmhouse holidays today!

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