The perfectly preserved hilltop town of San Gimignano is a special jewel and looks like a scene pulled right from the pages of a medieval text (though a lot cleaner), boasting astounding views over the rolling green landscape for which Tuscany is now famous. Located 50km south-west of Florence, it is small but packs a serious punch. If you want to experience the great picturesque beauty and well-maintained historic charm of Tuscany but want to get away from the bigger cities in the region, then a villa in San Gimignano is just the thing. Boasting all of the cultural gravitas of any other Tuscan destination and far more to see and do than one might expect, it is a truly picturesque and wonderful gem that makes for an idyllic vacation spot to escape to on your next getaway in Tuscany. Here are just five of the many, many reasons why you should get browsing our vacation rentals in San Gimignanoand start planning your trip today...
1. The Historic Core of the City Is One of Italy's Most Beautiful
Much is made of the medieval centre of San Gimignano and we have already mentioned it so far. However, as a specific attraction in its own right, rather than just a scenic backdrop, exploring the UNESCO-awarded centre of San Gimignano is quite the magical experience. Not only does it lend a rather special atmosphere of generally feeling as though you have travelled back through time, a day spent aimlessly or purposefully wandering this part of San Gimignano will ensure that you will stumble across some truly incredible architectural gems, some fascinating historical sites, and much more besides. The town's distinct, triangular main square of Piazza della Cisterna, for example, displays some of the remains of the towers that once poked up all over San Gimignano. Making the town a precursor to modern cities full of skyscrapers, it was once home to some 72 towers that nobles built higher and higher to compete in showing off their wealth and power. Only 16 of these towers exist today and some are open to the public and others privately owned. In the Piazza della Cisterna, you can find four different towers, the stump of Casa Razzi, the remains of another on Palazzo Tortoli, the towering Torre del Diávolo (Devil's tower) on the Palazzo dei Cortesi, and the two Torri Ardinghelli on the west side of the square. In addition to the town's famous towers, there are also countless charming little lanes, pretty churches, and more to be discovered. So, set aside some time to just wander around and see what you find.
Much is made of the medieval centre of San Gimignano and we have already mentioned it so far. However, as a specific attraction in its own right, rather than just a scenic backdrop, exploring the UNESCO-awarded centre of San Gimignano is quite the magical experience. Not only does it lend a rather special atmosphere of generally feeling as though you have travelled back through time, a day spent aimlessly or purposefully wandering this part of San Gimignano will ensure that you will stumble across some truly incredible architectural gems, some fascinating historical sites, and much more besides. The town's distinct, triangular main square of Piazza della Cisterna, for example, displays some of the remains of the towers that once poked up all over San Gimignano. Making the town a precursor to modern cities full of skyscrapers, it was once home to some 72 towers that nobles built higher and higher to compete in showing off their wealth and power. Only 16 of these towers exist today and some are open to the public and others privately owned. In the Piazza della Cisterna, you can find four different towers, the stump of Casa Razzi, the remains of another on Palazzo Tortoli, the towering Torre del Diávolo (Devil's tower) on the Palazzo dei Cortesi, and the two Torri Ardinghelli on the west side of the square. In addition to the town's famous towers, there are also countless charming little lanes, pretty churches, and more to be discovered. So, set aside some time to just wander around and see what you find.
2. There is Some Excellent Gelato
Located conveniently in the aforementioned central Piazza della Cisterna, Gelateria Dondoli is San Gimignano's famous gelateria and the best spot to grab an ice-cream to keep your sugar-levels up while exploring the town. Run by Sergio, an award-winning artisan who won the Master of Art and Craft award in 2016 (making him one of just 75 gelato-makers who have been given the award) and the Ice Cream World Championship twice, it is a well-respected and highly-celebrated establishment. In addition to incredible expertise and skill in making the gelato, the products are made daily with the freshest and highest-quality organic ingredients that have been carefully hand-picked and harvested from the surrounding countryside including the raw milk from nearby organic farms, the famous saffron from the area, armignano figs, hazelnuts, and more. Additionally, (and surprisingly) it also happens to be one of the cheapest gelaterie in all of Tuscany. Consistently mentioned in the most important travel and food guides, it is a must for foodies who have found a luxury villa in San Gimignano.
Located conveniently in the aforementioned central Piazza della Cisterna, Gelateria Dondoli is San Gimignano's famous gelateria and the best spot to grab an ice-cream to keep your sugar-levels up while exploring the town. Run by Sergio, an award-winning artisan who won the Master of Art and Craft award in 2016 (making him one of just 75 gelato-makers who have been given the award) and the Ice Cream World Championship twice, it is a well-respected and highly-celebrated establishment. In addition to incredible expertise and skill in making the gelato, the products are made daily with the freshest and highest-quality organic ingredients that have been carefully hand-picked and harvested from the surrounding countryside including the raw milk from nearby organic farms, the famous saffron from the area, armignano figs, hazelnuts, and more. Additionally, (and surprisingly) it also happens to be one of the cheapest gelaterie in all of Tuscany. Consistently mentioned in the most important travel and food guides, it is a must for foodies who have found a luxury villa in San Gimignano.
3. There is also Some Excellent Wine
While the gelato from Gelateria Dondoli is all well and good and exciting for foodies, kids, and kids at heart who are on vacation in San Gimignano, foodies of legal drinking age might also enjoy the signature wine that is produced in the area around the town. This is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a lauded white wine that even garnered a mention in Dante's Inferno. Considered one of the best white wines produced in all of Italy, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, with its crisp finish and citrus fruit flavours, makes the town even more appealing to white wine lovers who are planning a vacation in Tuscany. You can easily try a glass when eating in any of the local restaurants in town, buy it in the supermarkets to enjoy back at your luxury villa in San Gimignano, take a glass to go to savour at any of the panoramic viewing spots dotted around town while taking in the gorgeous landscape that unfolds below, head to the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Experience multi-media experience centre at La Rocca and book seminars with sommeliers (if you're very serious about your wine), or head to one of the nearby wineries. La Rocca di Montestaffoli, the ruins of a 14th century fortress perched above the town, is also just worth visiting in general as it is set amongst pretty olive groves and is often populated by musicians playing and artists painting at their easels, making it an idyllic and popular picnic spot, and it even plays host to an outdoor cinema in the summer! If you're looking for great wineries to visit in the area, San Quirico Winery is located just 3 kilometers from the centre of town and offers tours and tastings, as does the winery of Tenuta Torciano, to name but two great nearby examples.
While the gelato from Gelateria Dondoli is all well and good and exciting for foodies, kids, and kids at heart who are on vacation in San Gimignano, foodies of legal drinking age might also enjoy the signature wine that is produced in the area around the town. This is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a lauded white wine that even garnered a mention in Dante's Inferno. Considered one of the best white wines produced in all of Italy, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, with its crisp finish and citrus fruit flavours, makes the town even more appealing to white wine lovers who are planning a vacation in Tuscany. You can easily try a glass when eating in any of the local restaurants in town, buy it in the supermarkets to enjoy back at your luxury villa in San Gimignano, take a glass to go to savour at any of the panoramic viewing spots dotted around town while taking in the gorgeous landscape that unfolds below, head to the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Experience multi-media experience centre at La Rocca and book seminars with sommeliers (if you're very serious about your wine), or head to one of the nearby wineries. La Rocca di Montestaffoli, the ruins of a 14th century fortress perched above the town, is also just worth visiting in general as it is set amongst pretty olive groves and is often populated by musicians playing and artists painting at their easels, making it an idyllic and popular picnic spot, and it even plays host to an outdoor cinema in the summer! If you're looking for great wineries to visit in the area, San Quirico Winery is located just 3 kilometers from the centre of town and offers tours and tastings, as does the winery of Tenuta Torciano, to name but two great nearby examples.
4. Fashion Lovers Will Be Able to Buy Unique Leather Goods
Along the pretty streets of the medieval core of San Gimignano, you will find artisanal food, wine, and ceramic stores as well as little eateries, boutiques, and more. However, if you are interested in Italy's famous fine leather then San Gimignano is an excellent shout. In the several stores selling Tuscan leather products located in the town you'll be able to find incredible leather handbags, accessories, goods, jackets, and more made by regional artisan leather makers. While less expensive than Tuscan leather goods that can be found for sale in bigger cities like Florence or Pisa, these items are still high-quality, handcrafted investment pieces and can have a price tag that matches. However, if you find a piece that you really like, you'll have it for the rest of your life, making it well worth the extra cost. So, if you're a serious fashion lover and a clever shopper, then be sure to check out the leather goods shops while on holiday in San Gimignano such as Mela House and Le Torri Leather Goods.
Along the pretty streets of the medieval core of San Gimignano, you will find artisanal food, wine, and ceramic stores as well as little eateries, boutiques, and more. However, if you are interested in Italy's famous fine leather then San Gimignano is an excellent shout. In the several stores selling Tuscan leather products located in the town you'll be able to find incredible leather handbags, accessories, goods, jackets, and more made by regional artisan leather makers. While less expensive than Tuscan leather goods that can be found for sale in bigger cities like Florence or Pisa, these items are still high-quality, handcrafted investment pieces and can have a price tag that matches. However, if you find a piece that you really like, you'll have it for the rest of your life, making it well worth the extra cost. So, if you're a serious fashion lover and a clever shopper, then be sure to check out the leather goods shops while on holiday in San Gimignano such as Mela House and Le Torri Leather Goods.
5. There is Some World-class Art to be Viewed
While San Gimignano does not have the name value of some of the other cities of Tuscany as an art destination, it is home more than its fair share of incredible works of art. The Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta, for example, boasts several outstanding fresco cycles including a 15th-century fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli, a monumental 14th-century cycle by Barna da Siena, a series of Old Testament scenes by Bártolo di Fredi, and frescoes on either side of the altar from 1475 by the famous Doménico Ghirlandaio depicting the life and death of St. Fina. The Palazzo del Pópolo, meanwhile, not only offers one of the best views in the city from the top of its tower, the Torre Grossa, but also houses the Museo Civico (Municipal Art Gallery), with its collection of artworks dating from the 13th to 17th centuries, including medieval court frescos, Lippo Memmi's Madonna Enthroned, two depictions of the Annunciation by Filippino Lippi, and a 16th-century altar-piece by Pinturicchio. In addition to these collections of some of the city and region's most important older works and artists, there is also an Archaeological Museum in the area (with information on the various Etruscan and Roman sites and finds discovered nearby) that additionally hosts the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art “Raffaele De Grada” on the second floor. Here you can catch a calendar of ever-changing temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and artists as well as a permanent collection of works by 20th-century painters such as Niccolò Cannicci, Renato Guttuso, Sergio Vacchi, Ugo Nespolo, Marco Gastini, and Carmelo Zotti.
So, if you have been considering a vacation in Tuscany and hadn't yet decided on a location, then check out our villas in San Gimignano. The aforementioned reasons are just some of the many to spend a holiday getting to know this charming Tuscan gem!
While San Gimignano does not have the name value of some of the other cities of Tuscany as an art destination, it is home more than its fair share of incredible works of art. The Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta, for example, boasts several outstanding fresco cycles including a 15th-century fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli, a monumental 14th-century cycle by Barna da Siena, a series of Old Testament scenes by Bártolo di Fredi, and frescoes on either side of the altar from 1475 by the famous Doménico Ghirlandaio depicting the life and death of St. Fina. The Palazzo del Pópolo, meanwhile, not only offers one of the best views in the city from the top of its tower, the Torre Grossa, but also houses the Museo Civico (Municipal Art Gallery), with its collection of artworks dating from the 13th to 17th centuries, including medieval court frescos, Lippo Memmi's Madonna Enthroned, two depictions of the Annunciation by Filippino Lippi, and a 16th-century altar-piece by Pinturicchio. In addition to these collections of some of the city and region's most important older works and artists, there is also an Archaeological Museum in the area (with information on the various Etruscan and Roman sites and finds discovered nearby) that additionally hosts the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art “Raffaele De Grada” on the second floor. Here you can catch a calendar of ever-changing temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and artists as well as a permanent collection of works by 20th-century painters such as Niccolò Cannicci, Renato Guttuso, Sergio Vacchi, Ugo Nespolo, Marco Gastini, and Carmelo Zotti.
So, if you have been considering a vacation in Tuscany and hadn't yet decided on a location, then check out our villas in San Gimignano. The aforementioned reasons are just some of the many to spend a holiday getting to know this charming Tuscan gem!
