San Gimignano and Volterra , two pearls of the Tuscany region, cannot be missed in a journey of good food and culture.
San Gimignano, with the profile of its 14 towers (which helped to have the village declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990) will captivate you immediately, catapulting you directly into the Middle Ages. Its main attractions include:
- The Cathedral of San Gimignano , also known as the Collegiate Church of San Gimignano . Among the treasures that it hides inside, there is the fresco that entirely covers the walls of the Cathedral and that has never been subjected to restoration over the centuries. The colors are the original ones, painted in the 14th century, and their vibrancy and brilliance is simply stunning. Although some sections show signs of wear due to the inexorable passage of time, with some missing pieces (San Gimignano was bombed during the Second World War), for others, however, it seems that time has never passed or that they have just been painted.
- The Town Hall of San Gimignano, built in 1288, houses the “historic” seat of the Civic Museums. The museum itinerary allows you to admire famous cycles of frescoes that are able to convey to the visitor that civic sense that had his chosen seat in the Podestà's Palace. On the first floor is the ancient Sala del Consiglio, also known as the Sala di Dante (in memory of the visit that the Florentine poet made in 1299 as ambassador of the Guelph league), with hunting and tournament scenes dedicated to Carlo d'Angiò, made by Azzo di Masetto. On the second floor of the Palazzo Comunale di San Gimignano there is the room of the Podestà, with the hilarious scenes of profane love painted by Memmo di Filippuccio between 1303 and 1310, and the rooms of the Pinacoteca . Here you can admire the fundamental moments of the San Gimignano artistic commission.
- From the Pinacoteca it is also possible to access the Torre Grossa , built between 1300 and 1311, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view that sweeps from the city to the surrounding Valdelsa countryside, up to the Pistoia mountains and the Apuan Alps.
For those who stop in San Gimignano it is a must to drink at least a glass of Vernaccia, one of the best Italian DOCG white wines, known all over the world!
Volterra is a jewel that dominates the entire Val di Cecina. Its horizon extends to the sea and with its double walls, the Etruscan and the thirteenth-century, it is a city with a medieval appearance, where it is still possible to enjoy the atmosphere of an ancient village. It was one of the main city-states of ancient Etruria and during the Middle Ages it was the seat of an important episcopal lordship. The village has been known for centuries for the processing of alabaster whose artifacts are today one of the most important products of Italian craftsmanship.
Volterra is very rich in artistic testimonies, to be admired walking through the streets of the historic center such as the ancient residences of the municipal era, Casa Buon Parenti and Casa Buonaguidi . The Palazzo dei Priori rises in the square that bears its same name. The building, begun in 1208, is the oldest town hall in Tuscany.
The city is known all over the world thanks to the Twilight saga. Stephenie Meyer, in her famous novel New Moon, talks about the small medieval village, as the city where the members of the powerful Volturi clan reside, that is the royal family of vampires in charge of ensuring compliance with the laws of the species. So garlic in hand and keep your eyes open, maybe you can meet one … (at night).
If you want to embark on a journey characterized by food, good wine and suggestive views, we have what you need! Take a look at our program: San Gimignano and Volterra .
