Luxury Villas in San Gimignano
San Gimignano is one of Tuscany’s most famous towns. It is situated in central Tuscany, approximately an hour south of Florence. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990, its 14 remaining towers are instantly recognisable on Tuscany’s rural skyline. Many of these towers are to be found in the heart of San Gimignano’s Medieval centro storico in the Piazza della Cisterna and the Piazza del Duomo. This is also where you will find the only tower visitors are able to climb today. This is the 54-metre-high Torre Grossa in the Palazzo del Popolo. If you do have a head for heights, it’s certainly well worth making the climb to the top to enjoy the incredible views over the Val d’Elsa.
Once an important stopping point for pilgrims who travelled to and from Rome on the Via Francigena, it remains incredibly popular amongst holidaymakers visiting Tuscany today.
All these Tuscany villas and apartments are within a 30 km radius of San Gimignano. Find your perfect San Gimignano villa with Bookings For You.
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Towns & Cities in Tuscany
About San Gimignano
San Gimignano has been A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990. Without doubt, it is one of Tuscany’s most famous towns with an instantly recognisable skyline thanks to its dramatic towers. Situated in the Val d’Elsa in Siena in Tuscany, any of our Siena villas are within easy reach of San Gimignano.
What to see and do in San Gimignano
Of the 72 towers originally built in San Gimignano, only 14 actually remain today. And, of these fourteen, visitors are only able to climb one of them – the Torre Grossa in the Palazzo del Popolo. This is the town’s tallest tower standing at 54 metres. It’s certainly worth making the effort to climb it. The incredible vista it enjoys over the Val d’ Elsa stretch as far as the Apuan mountains.
Two more towers – the Torre Salvucci – are situated in the Piazza del Duomo. And a number of others are in the triangular-shaped Piazza della Cisterna. These include the Torre del Diavolo and the Torri Ardinghelli. The Casa Razzi and Palazzo Tortoli here also have the remains of towers. The most recent tower in San Gimignano – the Casa Campatelli – was constructed in the 18th century. All were originally fortified homes for rich families, each tower built to rival the one that came before it.
San Gimignano is also home to some excellent museums. These include the Museo Civico, which exhibits a superb collection of artworks dating from the 13th to the 17th centuries including works by Filippino Lippi and Pinturicchio. Also of note are the rather gruesome Museo Storico della Tortura (Torture museum) and the Museo della Pena di Morte (Museum of the death penalty). There are plenty of other museums – the Santa Chiara museum is an archeological museum and herbarium, whilst the Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery holds a number of temporary art exhibitions.
And there are a number of churches in San Gimignano which are well worth a visit. As with so many Italian churches, a number contain incredible frescoes and other works of art.
If you’re in need of a bit of a rest after all this sightseeing, then sit back and sample some of the local wine? San Gimignano is at the heart of the production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tuscany’s only dry white DOCG wine.
Discover more ideas in our San Gimignano travel guide.
Events in San Gimignano
San Gimignano holds a number of events each year, starting off with the annual carnival in either January or February. Then in March there is the Festival of Santa Fina, the patron saint of San Gimignano.
However, the biggest celebrations take place in the Summer. In June there is La Giostra dei Bastioni, a Medieval tournament which is part of the Ferie delle Messi. The event includes a parade and jousting tournament between the four districts of the town along with a Medieval market.
Santa Fina is celebrated again on the first Sunday in August with a festival of thanks and a fair in the Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza delle Erbe.
Also in August, San Gimignano marks Saint Lawrence’s night with Calici Sotto le Stelle. This is your chance to taste San Gimignano’s local wines under the stars.
When to visit San Gimignano
The flip side of San Gimignano’s fame does mean that it can get extremely busy during the peak Summer months. As a result, at this time of year, we recommend you visit either first thing in the morning or last thing in the day, both before and after the crowds. But if this isn’t possible, don’t let the crowds put you off visiting.
