tuscany luxury holiday villas - Holiday Villa 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 VILLAS: YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Tuscany is justly famous for its wine, food, warm and hospitable people, and dazzling natural beauty. However, in our opinion, Tuscany should also be celebrated for its beautiful villas, because the Tuscan countryside is dotted with some of the most superb villas dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and almost all of them are perfectly preserved, so that they can still be inhabited with ease. And guess what? We would like to invite you to stay in one of Tuscany's independent villas, which we have carefully selected for the discerning tourist. We can guarantee you every home comfort that you can ask for, in the luxurious and elegant atmosphere of these beautiful villas.

Without exception, the independent villas of Tuscany that we have chosen for you are located amidst some wonderful natural scenery. Take the Villa Ginestra, situated near the top of a hill in the Tuscan countryside, delighting guests with a magnificent view of the city of Florence. Also within view is the tiny village of Cercina. On a nearby hilltop, you can see the ruins of a great house that once belonged to a medieval bishop. The scenery is, in a word, magnificent. At Villa Ginestra, you will enjoy the best Italy has to offer – the timeless beauty of Tuscany’s rural countryside, and quick and easy access to Florence.

An orchard of half-century-old olive trees surrounds Villa Ginestra, providing visitors with a crown of green and silver. To the west is the still deeper green of a forested mountain, webbed with well-marked trails for the adventurous hiker. To the east is a superb view of the medieval town of Fiesole.

And that is just one example of what we can offer you. There are numerous independent villas in Tuscany that find place on our list, spread all across this beautiful region of Italy. Can you actually imagine staying in a place called the Villa Buonaparte? Well, we have it on our list too, and it is situated on San Miniato’s hills, about five km from San Miniato. It is a 16th-century building, carefully renovated and maintained to remind you of the charms of medieval Italy.

As we keep saying, these are mere samples. For a detailed list of independent villas in Tuscany, come to us and we’ll take you on a free and infinitely rewarding tour!

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