San Gimignano

San Gimignano

The town of San Gimignano, located on a hill in the Elsa Valley, is an enchanting village still surrounded today by its medieval atmosphere, almost unchanged through the ages. The characteristic city conserves its imposing defensive walls and thirteen of the numerous medieval towers which were built by the town's wealthier families as a symbol of their power.
Every corner within San Gimignano deserves to be visited, but the main points of interest are the Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza del Duomo, with the Palazzo Comunale (Civic Hall) and Chiesa della Collegiata forming one angle of the square.
In the hills surrounding the town of San Gimignano, vineyards produce the grapes of one of the most prestigious Italian white wines, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Sites

	Comune di San Gimignano - www.comune.sangimignano.si.it - Official site for the city offers information for tourists, with listings of where to eat and sleep, museums and cultural events. A section is dedicated to local products, while another section is for residents of San Gimignano with news and useful numbers.
	Villa Piaggia - www.villapiaggia.it - The elegant villa near San Gimignano is available as a holiday rental for up to 12 people. The villa includes a fully-equipped kitchen, billiards room, hunting room with fireplace and swimming pool. The site has a lot of photographs to entice anyone to visit the Tuscan countryside, easy to reach from both Siena and Florence.
	Vernaccia di San Gimignano - www.vernaccia.it - Official site for the San Gimignano area wines presents a detailed history of the yellow colored D.O.C.G. wine and of the consortium. The site also contains information on the members, including the labels and wines produced, plus events and news related to the consortium.