The Arno plain that passes from Florence to Empoli and then continues towards Pisa is surrounded by hills, which hide villages that are not only beautiful but rich in history. Nice discovery, one could say, all of Italy is like this. And in fact, if you take the SGC (it means the Great Communication Road) Florence-Pisa-Livorno, locally called FI PI LI, you will see many small villages perched. One of these stands out more than others for a tapered and very high fortress and it is Saint Miniato, also known as San Miniato al Tedesco.
It is located in an enviable position, on a hill overlooking the Arno plain on one side, on the other it turns its face towards the Valdelsa, which is one of the most beautiful Tuscan environments, after the Val d'Orcia and perhaps some points of the Sienese Chianti, at least in my opinion. The hills are designed with cypresses, olive groves, vineyards, without interruption.
However this town, now a provincial town, has had a glorious past as it controlled the Arno valley, as mentioned and in a central position on the Via Francigena, which being a real medieval "highway" made you stay in the center of the world. You see the importance of this city in the monuments, in the palaces, you read it in its history, city of emperors where Federico Barbarossa, Henry IV and Otto IV stayed.
In more recent times this village was a film set for two of its most famous "sons", the Taviani brothers, who in the film The Night of San Lorenzo returned the drama experienced by San Miniato during the Second World War.
Well in short, if you go to San Miniato in the meantime you will climb a lot, up to the top of the hill on which the town develops; then you will enter the center through a door and you will be fascinated, like me, by a singular square that recalls that of the Knights of Pisa. It is the square of the Episcopal Seminary, a large concave-shaped building, which follows the perimeter of the houses on which it was built: it is all frescoed with edifying mottos for young seminarians (in Latin) and from its size it is clear how powerful the church was here, where the bishopric.
Then you will go up to the Rocca with the tower of Federico II, which stands on the very top of the hill, and rises quite high - by the way, it is rebuilt, it was bombed during the war which was tough, and heavy here, but still worth the climb to enjoy the cool of the lawn, the extraordinary 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape; if it is clear you can see Florence and also Pisa. Going down to the city again, you can visit a beautiful Duomo and the museum circuit.
San Miniato becomes an ideal destination in November, when the National Truffle Market Show takes place. The White truffle it is a local specialty protected both in harvesting and marketing, it is very valuable and delicious and is used alone crude on hot dishes. Unfortunately I went there in the summer, so I had to settle for… ice cream. I still recommend the Camilla ice cream shop, at the entrance to the town. There are "personalized" flavors such as Camilla or the wonderful total dark chocolate.
