Holiday apartment in San Miniato: Rocca, the history of writing and truffles

San Miniato becomes particularly tangible when you consider its military history, ancient routes, archaeological traces, written culture and truffles together. A holiday apartment in San Miniato can serve as a starting point for very different kinds of holiday days: for views of historic buildings, for routes with clear information on distance and walking time, for museums or for a culinary experience. What matters is which of these focuses you would like to combine at your own pace.

Holiday apartment in San Miniato: Rocca, the history of writing and truffles

The Rocca di Federico II was built between 1217 and 1223 at the behest of Frederick II of Swabia. Its tower was approximately 37 metres high. The Rocca formed part of a complex defence system that occupied the central and highest area of San Miniato. Anyone interested in medieval architectural history will find a concrete starting point here for exploring the town.

San Genesio and archaeological traces

The settlement of San Genesio arose along the ancient route between Pisa and Florence, the Via Quinzia, and later along the route of the Via Francigena. Its archaeological documentation covers the history of the settlement from the period between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC to the 14th and 15th centuries. At the San Genesio site, the foundations and crypt of the former parish church are visible.

The Antiquarium of the San Genesio archaeological site in the municipality of San Miniato preserves and displays archaeological finds from multidisciplinary research and excavation campaigns carried out by the University of Pisa since 2001. This makes it possible to combine a visit with different interests: the history of a settlement, visible architectural traces and the results of archaeological work.

The history of writing at the museum

The Museo didattico sulla Civiltà della Scrittura traces the most important stages in the history of writing. It also documents the development of various media used for written works, mainly through faithful reproductions of original objects. Upon admission to the Museo didattico sulla Civiltà della Scrittura, visitors also have the opportunity to take part in one or more workshops in addition to accessing the facility. This makes it possible to enjoy a museum visit that is not limited to viewing exhibits.

Via Francigena, routes and truffle experiences

San Miniato is one of the historic stages of the Via Francigena recorded by Sigeric on his return journey to Canterbury. For the network of routes in the municipality of San Miniato, brief descriptions of the individual routes are available, together with directions for reaching the sites and information on distances and walking times. Different distances and walking times help you compare walks and excursions according to your preferred daily rhythm.

San Miniato also has a clear culinary focus. The “Caccia al Tartufo” experience includes a one-hour truffle hunt in the forest with a truffle hunter, followed by a tasting featuring fresh truffles. The Museo del Tartufo delle Colline Samminiatesi tells the story of the landscape where the largest truffles in the world grow.

When choosing your holiday apartment in San Miniato, you can therefore first decide whether architectural history, archaeological traces, writing, routes or truffles should be the focus of your trip. If you would like to broaden your choice of locations, also take a look at Corazzano, Case Altini and Balconevisi.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Calci, Cenaia, Monteverdi Marittimo, Orentano.

Back to the overview of the main destination: Pisa.