San Miniato

San Miniato lies on the slopes of a green hill halfway between Pisa and Florence. The landscape around the village is truly striking: the medieval buildings, the meadows, the countryside and the Arno flowing a short walk from the center make this town, steeped in history, enchanting.

The town also lies along the Via Francigena, a route that in the Middle Ages linked northern Europe to Rome, carrying ideas, peoples and cultures.

San Miniato, once called “San Miniato al Tedesco” (“of the German”), has a distant past marked by a Germanic presence: Frederick II of Swabia had the Rocca (fortress) built and installed his vicar for Tuscany there.

During World War II, part of Frederick II’s Rocca was destroyed by the Germans, and fifty-five civilians who had taken shelter inside the cathedral were killed by an exploding shell: after these tragic events, San Miniato al Tedesco came to be called simply San Miniato.

San Miniato’s origins are undoubtedly ancient: many traces of pre-Roman civilizations point to the town’s great historical interest; it owes its fortifications to the Lombards, who settled here in the Middle Ages. After a long period under Florence, San Miniato became part of the province of Pisa in 1925.

Thanks to its charm and its well-preserved heritage, San Miniato attracts a wide range of visitors: tourists, lovers of traditional food and wine, and the many faithful who come to see its prestigious monastery.

Besides the historic center, the villages of Corazzano, known for the ancient Pieve di San Giovanni; Montebicchieri, now uninhabited, with its 13th-century castle; and Ponte a Egola, famous for leatherworking, are also well worth a visit.

Among the many events held around San Miniato, the one not to miss is the “Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco di San Miniato” (white truffle fair): the excellence of such a prized product is confirmed by the name connoisseurs have given it, “white gold.” To protect and promote it, the truffle hunters have set up a master’s course together with the Municipality of San Miniato and the Agriculture Department of the Region of Tuscany.

This prized fungus carries an old tradition and a great history: in 1954, a white truffle was even presented to U.S. President Eisenhower. Since 1969 the fair has been held during the last three weekends of November in Piazza del Duomo.

San Miniato is a much sought-after destination for its food and wine tradition: besides truffles, the San Miniato area is famous for growing wrinkly tomatoes, mignola olives, artichokes and Kentucky tobacco, used to make the famous Tuscan cigars. These products, tied to the land since ancient times, matter because of their undeniable quality, which has given rise to a genuine, much-loved cuisine.

Two especially interesting San Miniato events are the “Festa degli aquiloni” (kite festival), held in April on the lawn of the Torre di Federico II, and the “fuochi di San Giovanni” (Saint John’s bonfires), lit on the evening of June 23 on the same lawn after lanterns called “rificolone” are handed out to those present.