Tuscany is famous for her remarkable landscapes and pretty towns and places where you can view both. Perhaps the best spot of all, however, to take in these views is the medieval beauty that is San Gimignano. This magical gem is a place where high rise buildings in the form of tower houses are not a new addition to the lovely skyline at all – in fact, they have a long history in the town. Come see these incredible structures and views for yourself by finding a luxury villa in San Gimignano.
San Gimignano, known as the Town of Fine Towers, was famously and historically a town of these impressive ancient towers that were built in the Medieval and Renaissance periods by wealthy families and nobility who tacked the structures onto their homes and built them up increasingly higher in order to compete with each other to show off their fortune and power. The towers were very much status symbols of the time, again something that is not unfamiliar as many places around the globe today continue to compete in attempting to build the tallest structures in the world.
These buildings were not unique to the town, however, despite their strong connection to San Gimignano and importance to the history of the place. Similar towers were once also found in Florence, Siena, Lucca, and Pisa but few remain elsewhere today after centuries of all sorts of events and disasters, including floods, wars, bombings and more, which saw to the eventual destruction of the majority of the examples. San Gimignano, although it once boasted a whopping estimated 100 of these towers, still has fourteen to its name to this day.
Part of the charming historic centre of San Gimignano that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, some of the towers are privately owned but many are open to the public and can be visited. A climb up to the top of any of the towers is certainly a trek (and most likely not feasible for those with mobility issues or who might find climbing a large number of steep stairs difficult) but is well worth it if possible as they afford truly unbeatable views over the unbelievable glory and beauty of the Tuscan countryside.
So, if you want to take in some of the best panoramas in the region (in addition to exploring an impossibly scenic historic city, enjoying delicious local wines, and much more besides) then you should browse our villas with pools in San Gimignano.
As noted, there are several of these towers that can be visited today. The 54m tall Torre Grossa is the largest example (ergo the name) and was built in 1310 as a watch tower and a symbol of the town. 218 steps to the top, it boasts views over the city’s streets, piazze, and palaces, the Apuan Alps, the famous vineyards of Chianti, the Poggio del Comune woods, and the rolling green hills of Casentino and Pratomagno. Entrance costs €9.00 at the full rate and €7.00 at the reduced rate but this ticket will also allow you to access all of the museums in town for two days. Located right in the centre of San Gimignano, in the Piazza Duomo, it is one of the best and easiest options to visit if you want to experience one of the city’s famous towers and the views from them yourself.
There are several other examples that can be visited and you could even do a tour of the various towers if you had the desire and the energy but we do highly recommend tackling at least one if you find a vacation rental in San Gimignano as it really is an extraordinary experience and an even more wonderful panorama of Tuscany that will be on offer!
