San Gimignano 1300 – Tuscany In Miniture
Tucked into the quiet hills of Tuscany, in the province of Siena, is the small medieval town of San Gimignano. This walled fortress is world renowned for its massive towers and medieval architecture. This tiny village dates back to the 3rd century BC and is also known for Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the white wine that is exclusive to this region of Italy.
Visitors to San Gimignano are able to view the entire town on a scaled model. This town is representative of many others throughout Tuscany’s history, however it is one of the few that managed to retain many of its medieval towers.
A museum in the area has dedicated itself to the village and is referred to as San Gimignano 1300. A skilled team of historians, artists and architects spent almost three years recreating this village from more than 700 years ago.
The scaled model includes 72 towers and 800 meticulously handcrafted buildings and structures as well as a composition of street scenes and figurines. Each model has been crafted in the most precise way possible.
There are several sections to the exhibit that include Via Francigena, which is a graphic presentation. Other museum exhibits include Inside the Tower, which is a reconstruction of a tower house and A Day in the City, which provides visitors with a sense of what medieval life was like. The City of Beautiful Towers is the model reconstruction of the town of San Gimignano as it was thought to exist in 1300. The city has been modelled as accurately as possible using natural pigment and more than one tonne of clay!
A great way to experience more of old Tuscany is to rent a beautiful and historic Tuscany villa. There are a number of rental agencies that offer vacation rentals in the San Gimignano area, so why not take a look and rent your own historic Tuscany villa with pool for your next vacation in Italy.
