San Gimignano and Volterra

San Gimignano and Volterra - Image 1
San Gimignano and Volterra - Image 2

San Gimignano and Volterra

The town of San Gimignano , with its 14 towers erected as a symbol of the wealth and power of the merchant families who lived there, is famous for its extraordinary medieval urban layout

This famous town’s gems include its picturesque narrow streets lined with elegant buildings, its Collegiate Church, Piazza del Duomo, the Church of Sant’Agostino and Piazza della Cisterna adjoining the cathedral square. 

Be sure to taste its famous Vernaccia .

Another town of historical interest located nearby is Volterra .

History continuously left its make on this city from the Etruscan period to the 19th century with very important artistic and monumental works that can be admired simply by walking through the streets of the historic center, as well as by visiting the city’s museums: the Etruscan Museum, the Civic Art Gallery, the Museum of Sacred Art and the Alabaster Ecomuseum. 



Alongside these monuments you can find an unspoilt landscape, quality of life that is still on a human scale and a unique artistic handicraft: alabaster.

Monteriggioni

This small fortified medieval town is one of the most famous in Italy due to the still intact city walls that completely surround it. 

The elliptical walls, inside which the castle is located, are interspersed with 15 towers and 2 gates: one facing Siena and the other facing Florence. Above the walls some parts of the original walkway have been reconstructed, from which you can enjoy a unique, picturesque view.

Be sure to take a stroll through the town's streets and small squares, where wells and cisterns remind us of how vital it was, in the event of a siege, to have access to enormous water reserves.

It also has a remarkable craft tradition, with companies that produce ceramics and work wood, granite and marble.