San Gimignano has been often been referred to as the Manhattan of Tuscany. No, not because the taxi drivers don't know their way around and can hardly speak a word of English, but because of the resemblance of their respective skylines due to the many soaring towers. Personally, on approaching ... Read review
Situated just 2 km from the towers of the historical town of San Gimignano, ths hotel is ... more
surrounded by pine trees and coasted by vineyards and olive trees.Guests can escape the noise and chaos of everyday life and spend long afternoons relaxing in one of the 2 swimming pools or exploring the beautiful surroundings by bike or on foot.The hospitality proposed is the refined and characteristic hospitality of local tradition.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Housed in an elegant, 14th century building and set in a picturesque square of the same ... more
name in the heart of the town, this hotel combines ancient charm with modern comforts. La Cisterna captures a splendid view of San Gimignano and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Its 49 rooms are furnished in a Florentine style and equipped with all facilities. After a busy day, linger over a meal of fine Tuscan cuisine in the Le Terrazze restaurant.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Hotel Leon Bianco lets you imagine that this beautiful medieval town is your home. Set ... more
right on one of San Gimignano’s main squares, rooms offer unforgettable views.Beautifully restored, Leon Bianco dates back to the 11th century and still boasts historic features, despite its modern facilities.Relax in the 5-person Jacuzzi on the terrace, work out in the fitness centre or play billiards in the games room. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available in the lobby, as in an internet point.Leon Bianco offers rooms with satellite television and minibars. Some have stunning views of Piazza della Cisterna, the medieval old town or the beautiful Val d’Elsa countryside which surrounds San Gimignano.Enjoy your buffet breakfast or drinks from the bar on Leon Bianco’s charming terrace from April to October.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Villa Ducci is situated in a panoramic position with magnificent views over the towers of ... more
San Gimignano, just 1.5 km from city centre.The origins of the villa are lost in time. Documents dating back to the 13th century mention a watch-tower at San Biagio. During the following centuries a residential complex was formed around the watch-tower. At the beginning of the 19th century the Ducci family enlarged and transformed the tower into a villa.Since 2003, Villa Ducci is an elegant holiday resort, where you are sure to enjoy a memorable stay. Relax on a deck chair while enjoying beautiful views of San Gimignano. When it gets too hot, take a dip in the pool.The restaurant offers typical Tuscan and Italian menus. During summer dinner is served on the panoramic terrace overlooking the city and the Tuscan countryside.Plain, simple furnishings create a feeling of intimacy and cosiness in the room.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
A great base to discover Tuscany, this new, 4-star hotel offers an excellent location, ... more
with stunning views of the medieval city of San Gimignano and of its countryside.Situated among rolling hills, Relais Cuppuccina is a relaxing haven with a large outdoor pool and a quality wellness centre. Here you will find an indoor, heated pool with hydromassage features, a Turkish bath, massages, chrometherapy, aromatherapy and a relax zone.An Art-Nouveau villa, Relais Cappuccina provides a welcoming atmosphere. Awake each morning to panoramic views and savour a healthy, rich buffet breakfast in a bright dining hall.All comfortable rooms at Relais Cappuccina include modern facilities such as free Wi-Fi. Most rooms feature spacious, private terraces, overlooking the surrounding valleys and the villa's secular park.Near Florence and Siena, Relais Cappuccina is set just outside the historic city centre of San Gimignano and provides a shuttle-bus service to reach this city’s historic centre.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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Advantages: What a skyline! Disadvantages: Can be very crowded
San Gimignano has been often been referred to as the Manhattan of Tuscany. No, not because the taxi drivers don't know their way around and can hardly speak a word of English, but because of the resemblance of their respective skylines due to the many soaring towers. Personally, on approaching the town, I was reminded more of Cumbernauld (without the grey concrete and the grey weather).
Actually, thinking about it, San Jimmy has more of a ... ...
Visiting San Gimignano can be done quite comfortably in a long morning with a spot of lunch, or a short day with an evening meal. I think you'd be hard pushed to spend more than a day or two there although I would imagine it's a pleasant place to stay over and stroll the atmospheric streets, under the moonlight and free from the hordes.
It's a weird and wonderful little town and no visit to Tuscany would be complete ... more
San Gimignano has been often been referred to as the Manhattan of Tuscany. No, not because the taxi drivers don't know their way around and can hardly speak a word of English, but because of the resemblance of their respective skylines due to the many soaring towers. Personally, on approaching the town, I was reminded more of Cumbernauld (without the grey concrete and the grey weather). Actually, thinking about it, San Jimmy has more of a fairy-tale-like appearance with its tower-bedecked hilltop setting. Whatever, it's an impressive vista and is visible for a good few miles distant.
Parking isn't much of a problem (not when we visited at least). There are several, inexpensive car parks on the edge of town and a free shuttle bus will whisk you all the way to the centre of town. It's not all that far, but it is pretty steep so a bus enables someone with limited mobility to get right into the heart of things.
Once at the top of the hill and entering one of the town gates, there's no way you'd confuse it with the aforementioned Scottish new town. Apart from the fact that very few gangs of Buckie-fuelled neds block your entrance, SG practically screams 'medieval' from the (very high) rooftops. Although the town in its present form is unmistakenly 13-14th century, its roots date back well over 2000 years when it was an Etruscan settlement. It started to take its present form in the 10th century when it was named after the Bishop of Modena who saved the village from the barbarian hordes...
...speaking of tourists, SG is probably one of Tuscany's, if not Italy's, most famous small towns and as such massive numbers of visitors descend upon it. We were there in early June - in fact it was an Italian holiday, but although it was most definitely crowded, it wasn't overwhelming and there was enough space to move around fairly freely.
Most of the town consists of a long street connecting the north and south gates (or east and west - I was compass-less that day) sprinkled with a few piazzas. As you can imagine, this narrow street is lined with all manner of shops selling all manner of goods. This is the Chianti region, so finding a bottle of plonk to buy isn't the most taxing experience. Local foodstuffs were in plentiful supply too, as were art galleries. Apart from that, there's a large number and variety of 'stuff', most of it good quality and not too tatty at all.
It's a strange place. Being a native of Edinburgh, I'm no stranger to soaring medieval structures structures and narrow alleys, but the impression the remaining towers of SG give is of scaled-down skyscrapers rather than ricketty old buildings. It's quite disconcerting. I say remaining. There are, I think, some 14 towers still standing from a previous total of over 70. It must have been a sight to behold then.
The towers were constructed because of the fierce rivalry between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions in the town during its prosperous years lying on a pilgrimage route. 1348 and the Black Death soon a downturn in the economy and SG was in terminal decline until tourism came to the rescue. Ironic really, because mass tourism, with the emphasis on 'mass', probably does more harm than good these days. Unless, of course, you're the proprietor of a tourist-related business.
There's not an awful lot to do in the town. Being an authentic medieval town, there's the ubiquitous Torture Museum. There's also The Duomo and The People's Palace which is home to the town council and the Civic Museum. You can also visit the Great Tower from here. There are a couple of other museums, but the real attraction here are the towers. Don't worry though, you don't have to climb them - they're impressive from ground level too!
Eating and drinking here couldn't be easier. There are numerous bars, cafes and restaurants catering for all tastes and wallets liberally sprinkled around. Fast food and snacks are widely available too.
Visiting San Gimignano can be done quite comfortably in a long morning with a spot of lunch, or a short day with an evening meal. I think you'd be hard pushed to spend more than a day or two there although I would imagine it's a pleasant place to stay over and stroll the atmospheric streets, under the moonlight and free from the hordes.
It's a weird and wonderful little town and no visit to Tuscany would be complete without stopping by this little gem.
Would I visit again?
Funny you should ask. We stopped there on our way to Sienna. We liked it so much that we stopped for a couple of hours on our way back. However, I don't think I'll go back. After two visits in three days, to tell you the truth, I'm sick and towered of San Gimagnano.
Advantages: The leather goods and ice cream parlours Disadvantages: Thousands of tourists
...I’m going to review here, San Gimignano.
~ ~ San Gimignano is a small medieval hill town surrounded by high stone walls not too far from the major Tuscan city of Siena.
In Italy, they call it ‘San Gimignano della Belle Torre’. (the beautiful towers).
~ ~ It was immortalised in the old Zefferelli film ‘Tea With Mussolini’, and in olden times there were 70 towers standing inside its ancient walls, of which only 14 remain ... ...of ‘gelateries’ here in San Gimignano with a selection of ice cream that would tempt a saint.
~ ~ If you ever make it out to the Tuscany region of Italy, then be certain to include this wonderful town on your itinerary. It’s a place of true romance, and one you will remember forever. ...
the_mad_cabbie 23.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of San Gimignano (Italy)
Advantages: Lots to do, relaxing, beautiful. Disadvantages: Pay toilets, might see Tony Blair
I visited San Gimignano last summer. I cant recommed it enough. For such an amazing place it is very unspoilt and largely unfound by many visitors to the area.
It is known as the "Ancient Metropolis" as there are lots of towers remaining. Also Tony Blair takes his holiday there every year.
San Gimignano is a small town with approximately 15000 inhabitiants. 15,000 lucky people in my experiance.
There are many great shops, interesting cafe's and ... ...of a day trip which involved visiting Volterra. In heinsight I wish that we had spend a larger percentage of the day at SG. I feel that there was a whole lot more to find.
After coming back to England I have seen SG featured in a Holiday program. The presenter was sat under a conopy from a small bar in the large piazza. We too had sat there and despite ordering more than expected it is a great place to sit.
There is often a live band playing who ...
rjs26 05.03.2001
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...least one day to visit San Gimignano. There is so much to be seen and you should take part of the ambiente of a tiny city on the hills of the Toscana. The city shows a shilouette with a lot of towers built during the middle age. There are a lot of churches, theatres and palaces. Do not hurry - take place in one of the bars and for dinner you must try the Toscanian specialities like bruschetto, sphaghetti, vitello arrosto. Some mineralwater and some ...
cmb 12.07.2000
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...Tuscany don't forget to visit San Giminiano. It is really wonderful!
• I went there with my boyfriend 3 years ago and we spent 3 days in a special place. Tuscany reagion is beautiful but San Giminiano has got something special. • San Giminiano is a small town. There are a lot of museums and galleries, but the most important attraction is the architecture as well as the atmosphere.
• We spent some days here staying at "Le Bifore". ... ...http://www.accommodation-sangimignano.it/camere/bifore/inizio .htm
• San Giminiano is well known all over the world for its towers. There are only 15 towers letf but in the past thy were 72.
• From car park outside the town walls, you enter in busy streets and shops that creates an unforgettable atmosphere.
• If you love Italian food you will find plenty of restaurants and bars in San Gimignano where you can eat anything!
• ...
Virna 22.11.2007
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...angle of the town of San Gimignano the appearance is medieval: road, public square, civil, religious or military constructions. A visitor that for the first time walks into an alley of stone or bricks would believe that they have been cast back in time to a village crystallized in the 14th century. In this page I will only illustrate the history of this place through its fortifications. Situated on a hill of 324 meters, at the watershed between the ... ...by Sigerico of Canterbury 990-994), San Gimignano always served a major role in the history of this area. Since its ancient history San Gimignano was under the jurisdiction of the nearby and powerful city of Volterra and was first under the control of the Bishops of that same city. In the Middle Ages, taking advantage of the wealth that arrived in the city from the Francigena and because of its position at the borders between Siena and Florence, ...
giannit 10.10.2000
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Advantages: Lots to do. Disadvantages: Too much to do.
I visited Florence for a day last year. It was the last of five excursions on my holiday. Unfortunately I would also have to rate it as the weakest of the five destinations.
Thats not to say I didn't like Florence, it is just that Italy has so much more to offer. Other excirsions took us to SanGimignano (incredibe), Piza (More impessive), Isle of Elba (Just go there!) and Volterra near SG.
Florence offers many impressive churches and towers to visit. As a christian I would have to agree about how impressive they are. However none of them are anymore impressive than St Pauls on a sunny day.
I won't speak against Florence as I did enjoy myself. I would just like to tell people of places which interested me more. If you are into your history and paintings etc then you would love Florence.
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