San Miniato Area Information
San Miniato in northern Tuscany is a typical historic and dtrategic hill-top town. It is located roughl halfway between Florence and Pisa. As far back as Augustus this town has been utilised for startegic reasons. Today it is a wonderful location in wich to rent a Tuscany holiday apartmnen or a nearby luxurious Tuscany Villa where you can enjoy the sublime Tuscan countryside.
At the end of the 10th century, Otto I made San Mniato an outpost of the Holy Roman Empire. Later Frederick II built the town's landmark fortress which is perched high on the hill up a long and quite steep walk. There is a large grass area and outer walls with a tall and narrow inner keep or tower.
Today san Miniato is a sometimes busy and sometimes sleepy little agricultoral town great for spending a couple of historic hours enjoying the atmosphere. The old quarter is San Miniato Alto on the hill with the Piazzale Dante Alighieri just outside the old walls. There is a red brick Duomo and, next door, a very small museum.
The best time to visit San Miniato is between May and october when there is a rich cultural calendar including concerts and exhibitions as well as an antiques market on the first sunday of each month.
For a central location to visit the many sites in northern Tuscany you can stay in a Tuscany Villa in the countryside surrounding San Miniato, or in a Tuscany Apartment nearby the old town.
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