San Miniato
Set halfway between Pisa and Florence, the medieval town of San Miniato is about the sleepy mood and the tasty food. Crowning three hills, San Miniato surveys magnificent countryside. On the proverbial fine day you can gaze as far as Volterra and the Apuan Alps from the top of the hill. The lofty fortress, the rebuilt Rocca, stands guard over San Miniato and is the city symbol. The his¬tor¬ic heart of town is delightful and much-underrated. Come for the cobbled streets, the sinuous facades, the handsome mansions and medieval churches. San Miniato is the perfect antidote to the excessive tourism in Tuscan towns such as San Gimignano. Heritage aside, to most Italians, San Miniato means one thing only: white truffles. The town produces a quarter of Tuscany's crop, even if many end up in the best local inns. An autumn visit will show you what the fuss is all about.
Essential San Miniato Information
Top Ten Things to Do
San Miniato is all about mood and minor sights, along with major eating. San Miniato also makes a great base. If suffering from cultural overload, head to a cosy inn, a day spa or go bird-watching in the moody marshlands, the Padule di Fucecchio. For city life and cultural enlightenment, head to Pisa, to the west, or Florence, to the east, along with LuccaSan Gimignanoand the Tuscan coast at Marina di Pisa – all are appealingly arty day trips.
Read moreEating & Drinking
Truffles are, of course, the main feast in town but most food in San Miniato follows the seasons and provides a pretext for any visit. The famed white truffles are best tasted during the November truffle fair and market, with a black truffle festival held in the summer. In late spring, generally in April and May, the prized San Miniato artichokes (carciofi), often served fried, appear on menus. Autumn inevitably means wild mushrooms and chestnuts harvested from the woods. Instead, the local goat’s cheese, formaggio di capra delle colline di San Miniato, is available all year round, as is succulent Chianina beef, Tuscany’s finest meat.
If lucky, your visit will coincide with a festival as San Miniato has a food festival for virtually every delicacy. The best local feasts include: the Sagra del Fiore di Zucca in early June, celebrating edible courgette flowers; the Sagra della Bistecca, the steak festival, in early July; and the Festa dell’Olio olive oil festival in early October. Best of all is the Sagra del Tartufo e del Fungo Porcino in the last week of September, celebrating truffles and ceps mushrooms. On November weekends, truffle fever reaches its peak, with a huge market and exhibition displaying the best truffles of the season. The great farmers market, Il Mercatale di San Miniato, is run under the auspices of Slow Food. For more on markets and food festivals, see Browsing San Miniato markets (above).
Shopping & Parking
Shopping for foodstuffs, especially for cured meats or truffles, is an enticing activity. The white truffle season runs from mid-September to Christmas but peaks in November. These famed white truffles can be bought at the November truffle fair and market, with a black truffle festival held in the summer.
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