San Gimignano : where fairy tales come alive

As the bus whizzes past lush green vineyards across the Tuscan countryside, I cannot help but marvel.

vineyards 2
Low hanging clouds as if kissing the lopsided hills and vineyards scattered as far as my eyes can see.
The whole scene looks ripped off an old, classic movie or maybe an Enid Blyton book.
No intrusion. No human being in sight for miles at a stretch.
Just the countryside, me and of course a mellifluous song, that only I can hear.

SG 2

Fifteen minutes later, I reach a tiny Tuscan village, San Gimignano. It was love at first sight, with all certainty.
Flowers mushrooming out of nowhere on both sides of the cobbled streets and idyllic houses with windows adorned with flowerbeds.

doors
Quaint, wooden doors hidden behind ivy creepers and vintage letterboxes hung on brick walls.
I am in a village straight out of a fairy tale. A scene where I can picture Rapunzel letting down her hair out of those dense ivy covered windows.

windows sg
An elusive fragrance envelopes me as I walk down the streets, not being able to keep my eyes on the road. The villas are inviting and the windows are wide open as if ready to hug.

 

As I begin exploring this medieval town, I choose to start with the San Gimignano Street, flanked with huge stone towers akin to castles, on both sides.

sg 6
According to my Lonely Planet Guide, this ancient town was once an Etruscan village, home to affluent and powerful families, who flaunted their opulence by building tower houses, taller than their neighbour’s.

Piazza del Cisterna
There were once 72 such towers, nestled in the Tuscan hills. Today there are 14 of these, standing tall overlooking the vineyards and the hills.
San Gimignano showcases both the Roman as well as Gothic architecture in full glory.
The brown tower houses with magnificent doors and arched windows bear testimony to this.

It starts raining as I walk through the city towards the Main square of the city, the Piazza Della Cisterna.

back streets
The rain washed alleys

Taking shelter in a souvenir shop, I befriend Sara who is happy to accompany me while I explore this fascinating town.
While my mind is abuzz with several questions, but I am particularly intrigued about an Italian’s fascination for windows adorned with flowers.
She says its a welcoming gesture. No wonder clusters of flowers are found outside Pizzerias, cafes and stores!

Windows sg 1
The streets are now washed with rain and we venture out in the back alleys and lanes.

 

San Gimignano makes for an ideal one day excursion from Florence and is best explored on foot.
How else can you explore the cobbled streets and narrow alleys. One such alley led me to a clearing and the view was beyond picturesque.

Back alleys SG
The Tuscan countryside is spread before my eyes like a picture postcard.

So what can one do in San Gimignano apart from losing their way in the alluring alleys?

1.Shop on the Main street:
From chic footwear to fragrant hand made Toscana soaps, the street has a variety of souvenirs to carry back home.

shop
For wine lovers, there is the dry white Vernaccia wine, local to this region.
The tower town is also known for its gorgeous ceramics. While it wasn’t really possible to bring them back home, the crockery looked simply stellar!

ceramics
Sara tells me the town was also known for its saffron farming.

2. Dine under the Tuscan sun:
The freshness of a Tuscan meal, with all its aromas and flavors is something you would not forget in a jiffy.
My vegetarian meal at the Ristorante Pizzeria included Pappa Pomodoro (A thick tomato soup), Fagioli Uccelleto (beans) and Verdure caponata (Roasted vegetables).

Tuscan meal
This was served with lots of fresh salad, topped with eggless cake and downed with a breathtaking view of the vineyards.
Could it be any better?

3. Museum San Gimignano 1300:
This museum showcases a brilliant ceramic representation of how the town looked in the medieval ages.
It gives a bird’s eye view of all the towers and an insight to the town planning in the Etruscan period.

s
San Gimignano : A ceramic representation

The lady at the desk is all excited about meeting an Indian and astonished when I tell her, how popular Italian cuisine is back home.
She coaxes me to sample some local Biscotti, Canestrelli, and Amaretti. These are cookies and biscuits cooked with almonds.

biscotti
The Yummy Biscotti

Delectable and a definite must try!

4. Wine tasting and exploring vineyards:
The San Gimginano Vernaccia Wine Museum, perched at the highest point of the town, shows the journey of wine making in this region.
You can see vineyards from the museum and sample local Vernaccian wine in the museum.

Vineyards
Additionally the museum also conducts wine tastings and day visits to farms.

5. Indulge in an innovative Gelato.
Visit the famous Gelateria Dondoli in the Piazza Del Cisterna to indulge in some innovative, homemade delights.
Whipped by Sergio Dondoli, former gelato world champion, some of his exotic creations include Crema di Santa Fina (saffron and pine nuts), Dolceamaro ( aromatic herbs) , Vernaccia Sorbet and Champelmo (Pink grapefruit).

There are several other cafes with great views in the main Piazza.

Ristorantes SG
Delightfully adorable ristorantes!

6. The Cathedral and its frescos:
With beautiful frescos, intricate paintings and arty ceilings, the Collegiata Di Santa Maria Assunta or the Duomo di San Gimignano is more than just a religious place.
Truly an art lover’s delight, the Cathedral has biblical stories painted on its walls, which sadly cannot be captured as photography is prohibited.

DSC_0153

7. Explore the Historic centre:

This is where no cars are allowed and hence the sanctity of the town is maintained.
Walk through the Piazzas, amidst cafes and shops, throw a coin in the wishing well to make a wish, climb up the Bell tower for glorious views and let the magic of this medieval town wash itself upon you.

Cobbled alleys SG

San Gimignano is soaked in intriguing history, gorgeous gothic architecture, served with a dash of Tuscan sun and sprinkled with enchanting landscapes.

SG 3
I toy with the idea of spending at least three months, in one of these gorgeous villas, living the local Tuscan life. But as all fairy tales have happy endings, this one was no exception.
The sights of the countryside are now imprinted in my mind and the aromas of the Tuscan food are etched in my memory.

Villas
Satiated, I close my eyes till my journey back to Florence, occasionally sniffing the handmade soaps, perfect souvenirs from the fairy tale town.

While you are in Tuscany and wish to visit Venice, You might also like to read some stellar Photography tips for Venice! 

Fact file:

  1.  San Gimignano is 52 Kms from Florence and is ideal for a one day excursion.
  2. No vehicles are allowed (good riddance!)
  3. If you are short on time, make sure you sign up for a half day walking tour.

This article appeared in the June issue of The Complete Wellbeing Magazine.

38 thoughts on “San Gimignano : where fairy tales come alive

  1. No wonder Tuscany is so famous all over the world. It sure has a charm that transports you to some fairy tale! Loved the Post Divsi 🙂

  2. Super post once again . You have made us addicted to look for doors and windows and didnt disappoint either in this post . Keep up the good job. When did you go?

  3. Italy especially the Tuscan region never fails to disappoint me – that’s how I felt throughout my 2-week journey around Italy in 2008. Would love to go back to Italy again to explore these small hamlets and experience lovely wines, admire vineyard landscapes and eat delectable food!

  4. tuscany entire region is awesome…plus Italy…food is wow and so are Italians (read handsome). Love the post and such awesome account of your trip 🙂

  5. Sighh! Boo-hooo! I missed this place! But you virtually took me there Divsi with the brilliant pictures and soulful narration! You have covered the place wonderfully, touching on the architectural and touristic aspects. I was drooling over the ceramic collection! Lucky you found such lovely veggie food! The cobbled, rain drenched streets do have a certain magic! And the last image has found a permanent residence in my heart…so quaint, just out of a fairy-tale!

  6. As usual, i can see your longing for the doors and the fact behind why they are adorned on either side…thanks to Sara for that answer 🙂
    The craze of building taller towers than the neighbors was weird though!

    I intend to walk and walk and cover many such small places in Europe. The real charm is in being in these offbeat sites.

  7. And all i can do now is adore the pictures and wish to go there soon.
    I like places as such where vehicles are prohibited. That’s when you can see the place more closely than ever! It’s sad they did not allow photography in the cathedral. You can let me know more about how it looks when we meet next… 😉

  8. Oh my, this is so beautiful. This place indeed looks like a page out of a fairy tale. Beautiful pictures. 😊

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This function has been disabled for Quirky Wanderer.

%d bloggers like this: