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The hills of S. Gimignano and Volterra
Balze, towers, vineyards and olive-groves.
“Sweet Countryside, Ancient Walls”, a paradise for excursionists
Already thousands of years ago, this area among Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Gambassi Terme and San Gimignano was developed along the main roads of the Via Francigena or Romea. Merchant pilgrims and soldiers travelling toward Rome or Santiago de Compostela, would stop at hamlets and lodge in inns, briefly stimulating a lively development of the local economy based on commerce.
The largest village, San Gimignano, since the beginning of the Middle Ages became an important centre for the production of saffron, as well as silk and other fabrics. Thanks to the wealth accumulated from commerce, the noble families of San Gimignano constructed 72 tower houses and transformed the city into a sort of ''medieval Manhattan'' of sorts, a unique and fascinating architectural feat. The city's urban structure is still intact and, if it weren't for few modern signs, it could well be a place where time has stopped. Impressive cycles of frescoes are preserved in the Collegiata, the Cathedral, whereas the Pinacoteca is worth a careful visit for the rich collection of paintings from 1300s-1400s.
Volterra, a beautiful city of Etruscan origin, is another destination worth seeing if, besides walking through the green landscape, you are interested in learning about its 13th century art, the ancient walls and the perfectly intact medieval houses.
The itineraries we suggest in this area intertwine with the nature of the territory and space through olive groves and vineyards, farms, ancient country churches and solitary small castles surrounded by vegetation.
Between Saline di Volterra and Volterra, we propose an interesting and unusual itinerary along the old railroad tracks (inaugurated in 1912 and abandoned by 1958) through canyons, ridges and cliffs, intriguing clay shapes eroded in centuries.
Fascinating and intense are also the trips inside the Berignone natural park, or in the forest of Macchia di Tatti, where, between the high valleys of Cecina, you can find yourself immersed in wild landscapes and limpid water-courses where Leonardo da Vinci led numerous hydraulic and mechanical experiments.
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