Exploring Beautiful San Gimignano, Medieval Towers and Vernaccia Wine
On my first day trip to San Gimignano, I walked through the stunning medieval city doors onto Via San Matteo, the bustling main street of San Gimignano, and immediately was entranced by the hundreds of tiny storefronts lining the street. I was with a small group of close friends, and we had hired a fantastic local English-speaking guide to show us the wonders of San Gimignano in the few hours we had to enjoy this quintessential Tuscan town.
How many towers does San Gimignano have today?
As we walked, I got glimpses of the incredible 14 medieval towers that remain today and have become a symbol of this adorable hilltop Tuscan village. Our guide told us that there were once 72 towers, each owned by an important noble family of the town, and that they were used to protect the families and townspeople from invaders. Today, some of the 14 towers are still inhabited and some are owned by the town and open to the public to visit. In fact, it is possible to climb the Torre Grosso (Big Tower) built in 1311, included when you purchase a Civic Museum ticket.
Does San Gimignano have great shopping?
Yes, San Gimignano has incredible shopping! We meandered along the main street, stopping to admire the beautiful leather goods (jackets, purses and shoes), intricate handmade linens, colorful local ceramics and stunning paintings inspired by the beautiful rolling hills covered in vineyards and olive trees. Our guide gave us really helpful advice about pricing and how to successfully ship the beautiful ceramics back to the United States.
One of my favorite finds was a little olive wood shop that our guide took us to where we purchased smooth, age-old olive wood carved into bowls and cutting boards to bring back a little Tuscany to our kitchens at home. Expert traveler hint: small wood items make great souvenirs because they are durable and make it home in one piece, even in checked luggage.
What delicious food and wine products is San Gimignano known for?
Tuscan cuisine is one of the most famous cuisines in the world and San Gimignano is right in the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by farmland that produces some of the most delicious foods you will ever taste. Here is a short list of the top food and wine products of San Gimignano.
Saffron - one of the most expensive foods on earth, it is worth more than its weight in gold! Saffron has been produced in San Gimignano since Roman times. The crimson “threads” from the saffron crocus flower are harvested in November and used to make aromatic yellow dishes, like saffron rice and even saffron gelato, yum! You can purchase little packets from the specialty food shops in the town.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano wine - the beautiful hillsides around San Gimignano are full of verdant vineyards growing the local grape variety, Vernaccia, which is then used to make a crisp, bright white wine, with a slightly bitter finish. This white wine has been made in the area for over a thousand years. Look for the DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) label to get the very best vintages when buying a bottle.
Wild boar & Cinta Senese pork - the local wild boar from the woods and the local Cinta Senese pigs raised in nearby farms both make some truly mouth-watering salt-cured meats and sausages. I highly recommend ordering a charcuterie platter at one of the cute little cafes in town to try some of these delicious meats.
Extra virgin olive oil - the extra virgin olive oil is harvested early in this part of Italy, and cold pressed in the many small frantoio (olive mills) located here. Extra virgin olive oil from San Gimignano is a bright green-yellow color and has a sharp, spicy taste that makes it perfect for drizzling over grilled vegetables, salads or bruschetta. Be sure to only buy olive oil that comes in dark green bottles as contact with light can ruin the oil.
Yummy gelato break in San Gimignano
Our guide could see that we needed a little mid-morning pick me up after all our shopping and so she took us to the tiniest gelateria (Italian ice cream shop) I’ve ever seen, called Dondoli Gelateria. The adorable one-room gelato shop is located in Piazza della Cisterna (the big square with the huge cistern in the middle where everyone takes photos, right off the main square). After lining up outside, we inched our way to the front of the line and picked our flavors off the big board with translations in various languages. I chose a scoop of Vernaccia and a scoop of chocolate, and could not believe how intense and delicious the combination was. I highly recommend trying the “speciality” flavors you can only find here, like saffron, Vernaccia, raspberry & rosemary, to name just a few.
Cathedral of San Gimignano
Our final stop of the day was the majestic main square of San Gimignano, called Piazza del Duomo, or Cathedral Square in English. As the name suggests, this is where the main cathedral, called a duomo in Italian, is located. Our guide took us into the thousand-year-old church with its Roman facade and beautiful frescos and then to the Civic Museum for a guided visit to see more stunning artwork before taking us back to meet our friendly English-speaking driver for a transfer back to our hotel.
How long should I spend in San Gimignano?
During this specific trip, a wonderful week-long girls trip to Tuscany, we only had a few precious hours to spend in the adorable medieval town of San Gimignano, but I highly recommend planning a minimum of 4-5 hours to fully enjoy this special town. If you can, an entire day is of course an even better idea! There are so many great cafes and restaurants to enjoy, consider planning to have a gourmet snack, lunch or dinner while there in order to take advantage of the culinary delights that abound!
