Charming Farmhouses in San Gimignano

• Fortezza de' Cortesi

“City of the Beautiful Towers” rich in history, art and culture, San Gimignano is in Tuscany, 56 km south of Florence surrounded by the splendid Tuscan countryside. It served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena.

The patrician families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as high as 50 m) as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance. Thanks to its medieval architecture, UNESCO has named it a World Heritage Site. Visit the Duomo, the churches of St. Peters, St. Jacopo and St. Augustine, the religious art museums and the art gallery.