Discover San Gimignano, Italy

San Gimignano is a breathtaking medieval walled city nestled in the heart of Italy, conveniently located between Florence and Siena. As you stroll through its charming cobblestone streets, it’s easy to envision the bustling carts that once rolled through the grand high gates, delivering exquisite wine to the monks residing in the nearby cathedral. 

The city is renowned for its well-preserved architecture and striking towers, which create a picturesque skyline that captures the essence of Tuscany’s rich history. Each corner of San Gimignano tells a story, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in its enchanting atmosphere.

It is one of those places that is easy to miss when you're exploring Italy.  It is a world heritage site so tours might include it on their menu but as often as we have traveled we were unaware of this jewel of a city in the Tuscan countryside.  It's about an hour by car from Florence.

We just got lucky to find this wonderful piece of history.  It was one of those happy accidents.  We wanted a HomeExchange near Florence and lovely people from San Gimignano responded to our request for an exchange.  The unit pictures looked good and we could drive to Florence so we accepted.

Driving through Tuscany’s twisty roads with it’s hillside vineyards and graceful Cyprus trees watching over us was a delight in itself and then we finally spotted a series of towers.   The GPS informed us San Gimignano was just ahead.  Et voila the towers of this city built in the Middle Ages stood regally before us welcoming us home.  And after a wonderful week it really did feel like home.

The flat we had booked had been passed down from generation to generation now belonging to two lovely young sisters.  It was on the top floor of a centuries old stone building with aged stairs, which at first seemed a tiny bit daunting.  After the first two steps it was fine. I was just being silly.

As we entered the building we felt enveloped by the amazing history surrounding us.  The town and perhaps this building had been built as early as the twelfth century.  Neither of us have Italian heritage and yet this history spoke to us.  I don’t know why and I felt like this place was part of my DNA. 

We set ourselves up in their darling modern unit which had been upgraded with all the modern features you could want. Then we walked the streets of the city going to the local bread and cheese shop to buy lunch so we could sit in the piazza and and marvel at the beauty and grace that surrounded us. 

We spent a lot of time exploring San Gimignano.  Walking along all it's charming streets, meandering into shops and stopping for yummy treats at the restaurants.  And we drove around the beautiful area surrounding it. 

San Gimignano is still one of our favourite towns.

Whether you’re exploring quaint shops or enjoying a glass of local Vernaccia wine, this historic gem offers a unique glimpse into Italy’s past, making it a must-visit destination for anyone travelling through this beautiful region or anyone interested in history.

TIps:

If you stay there book restaurants early.  They fill up quickly.

If possible stay a few days so you begin to feel a little bit like a local being greeted by name at the local panetteria.