For many years in the UK, the very mention of Tuscany conjured up a very specific image. Not of rolling hills with the baking sun feeding rich vineyards below, but of middle class , middle aged families spending the entire summer in a villa, annoying the hell out of the locals.
But public transport, and the abundance of towns and villages to visit, means that anyone can now enjoy the region. Yes, probably still annoying the hell out the locals, but also ploughing in Illinois of Euro to the economy each year.
I’d originally planned to visit Siena, made even more famous in recent times thanks to a James Bond film. But a friend suggested an alternative – somewhere which she said was “spectacularly beautiful”, and which I assumed would have far smaller crowds than the big places.
San Gimignano just sounds beautiful when you say it, even though I had to learn the correct pronunciation from the kitchen manager at my hotel in Pisa. The best way of describing it phonetically is San Jimmy-JAN-oh, and if you say it often enough in a stereotypical Italian accent, you’ll just about get away with it.
Getting to the place looked a little challenging at first. Two trains and a bus from Pisa. Most of the tourists on second the train from Empoli where headed for Siena, so my dream of a tranquil village was bolstered when just a handful got off at the comical-sounding Poggibonsi, which literally translates to “hills and small trees”, of which there were both in view.
Buses around here are all run by the same company, Autolinee Toscane, and there aren’t many routes to choose from. The 130 climbs up the hills from Poggibonsi into immediately beautiful countryside, with characteristic stone built houses (some absolutely massive, which probably belong to film stars) and rolling vineyards so rich, you start to get drunk just by looking at them.
But there’s no time for dreaming, because as son as you reach the, ahem, quiet destination of San Gimignano, the tourist games begin, The town is surrounded by thick walls, which mean you can’t see what’s happening until you go through them. As we pass through the Porto San Giovanni – one of the main gateways – a street of tat surrounds you.
Gelataria, Pizzarias and souvenir shops line the streets. Yes, they may be encased in pretty stone buildings but it doesn’t make it any less tacky. For a moment, I think I’ve seen the light, with the historic remains of St Francis’s Church, only to step inside and realise that only the outside wall remains – the rest is a store selling olive oil.
There is a little respite in the beautiful piazza housing the 13th Century cathedral. Yes, there are crowds, but most are respectfully taking in the stunning views. San Gimignano is now as the “town of beautiful towers”; there are over a hundred, displaying a mix of wealth and fortresses from down the centuries.
Having seen the dreamy vineyards on the bus ride up, it only seems fair to sample the local produce. Vernaccia wine has protected status, and can only be made in a specific part of Tuscany. For a price, you can have a “tasting experience” at the official wine museum. Or you can just order a glass with lunch at just about any restaurant in town. I found one for a reasonable 6 Euro at a bakery-bistro, which also served delicious pizza made with foccacia bread.
For a brief moment, I considered a last minute overnight stay. There were a few rooms available at decent prices, and it would have been nice to experience San Gimignano at night. Instead, a mental note to come back during a quieter time.
If you’re going to travel in the middle of July you can hardly complain about the crowds. And, providing you look upwards at the many towers, San Grimignano provides a kind of peace, even in the ridiculously busy touristy bustle.
Back in the main piazza, a man dressed in a a strange red robe makes various pronouncements, which are apparently immensely funny if you understand Italian. He called himself “the divine comic”. I suppose it was a bit like a scene from Father Ted.
In another nearby piazza, a huge dry well – now the place for people to drop their coins and make a wish. Or just have a selfie.
Given its relatively remote location, I was a little surprised at just how many people had made the effort to come here. The bus up the hill had been almost empty – the one going back was full, as were the visitor care parks surrounding San Gimignano. But I’d hate to think how bad things were in Siena or Florence that day. A good choice, I think.
How to get here
San Gimignano sits roughly halfway between Empoli and Siena in the heart of Tuscany. Trains run in both directions around twice every hour during the day. You’ll then need to connect using the 130 bus, which you can get from either Siena or Poggibonsi, both on the rail connection from Empoli. In 2024 a bus ticket cost 2.90 Euro each way, and you can pay on the bus using a contactless card. Full timetables are available at the Autolinee Toscane website.
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