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Renting an apartment in Italy: A stylishly decorated holiday apartment sleeping 2+2 guests in the little village of Castello San Gimignano. It offers lovely views of the famous towers of San Gimignano, and easy access to Volterra and Siena.
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Casa Girasole comprises a double bedroom, divan bed, and a beautiful stone-built kitchen. The apartment has colour television, a washing machine and private parking. It lies within a beautiful little hamlet in the heart of Tuscany, south of Florence and Pisa, and just north-west of Siena. This is marvellous countryside, with the turreted fortress hill village of Monteriggioni nearby, and Colle di Val d'Elsa, where the dramatic mediaeval town stretches along a narrow escarpment of rock.
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And there is the marvel of San Gimignano itself. Known as 'delle Belle Torri' (the beautiful towers) it is these extraordinary structures that give this little town its fame. The feuding city families of the 12th and 13th century practised one-upmanship by seeing who could build the most substantial family homes. Starved of space in the little walled town, they built up rather than out, and 72 towers resulted. Today there are some 15 remaining, and San Gimignano is still a spectacular sight. There's much more to see here too. Long before its mediaeval heyday the town was a Roman settlement and before that was founded by the Etruscans - the ancient civilisation which occupied what is now Tuscany.
In its scale San Gimignano is not much more than a village - you could traverse the town in a quarter hour, and walk around the intact city walls in less than an hour. Yet within these walls it encloses enormous riches. From the historic gates leading into the town (some of the most impressive Romanesque architecture you're likely to see) you move in to the beautiful churches, museums and public buildings of this lovely little town. The Collegiata church has fine frescoes by Gozzoli, and there are works by Bartolo di Fredi, Barna di Siena and Jacopo della Quercia among others.
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The nearby walled town of Volterra is equally fascinating, though atmospherically very different, sitting bleak and isolated on a high plateau. Enclosed by grey volcanic slopes, the novelist DH Lawrence described it as 'a sort of inland island, curiously isolated and grim'. Don't let that put you off though: with its walled mediaeval streets and dark stone palazzo it's a dramatic and fascinating place to visit.
And there is of course Siena. Centre of Chianti, this marvellous city rewards a day or more of exploration. The Campo sits at the heart of the town, this scallop-shaped piazza the venue for the breathtaking bareback Palio horse races each summer. Siena is more about the pedestrian than the driver, and you'll enjoy walking the spiralling narrow streets of the town, winding toward the Campo. The dramatic black and white marble of the cathedral (and a marvellous collection of art and statuary) make this well worth a visit, and you'll find some of the best restaurants, cafes, bars and shops in this affluent little mediaeval city.
From 6 January 2009 to 14 May 2009, the apartment will cost you EURO €460 a week to rent with a minimum stay of two nights, from 15 May 2009 to 15 September 2009 will cost EURO 660 with a minimum stay of four nighs and for Christmas and Easter EURO 520. Prices include: electricity, water, gas, bed and bath linen and final cleaning. Heating according to consumption.
Swimming pool will be available in springtime.
To find out more, and to book your stay in one of the world's most beautiful places, just click below.
