San Gimignano area

In the sun-drenched Sienese hills of the Val d’Elsa stands the gorgeous hilltown of San Gimignano, a splendorous Medieval atmosphere enwrapped by its 13th-Century wall. It is the Tuscany that tourists love most, set amidst fields of golden grain, vineyards and ancient borgoes; it is the Tuscany of Chianti and the Val D'Orcia, of beloved culinary traditions and singular tastes.

“A masterpiece of creative human genius, it is unique testimony to a past civilization, and as an exceptional exemplar of both architectonic complex and landscape, demonstrates signifcant passages in human history.” It is for such qualities that San Gimignano earned its place on the UNESCO Word Heritage List in 1990.

A visit to San Gimignano is a complete immersion into the 1300s borgo ambience; in fact, the city, still mostly intact today, is one of the best representatives – in terms of planning and organization – of the European commune (essentially, the urban version of the feudal system) from the Middle Ages. The overriding characteristic of San Gimignano – that just about every visitor will notice from a distance – are its spectacular and unmistakable towers that watch over the scene. And each one has its own history.