Central Italy’s towns were built on hills for defensive purposes with massive stonewalls, sturdy gates, and watchtowers. Construction techniques have been studied to try to understand why the towns survived earthquakes when modern buildings fell down. Most hill towns have been kept faithful to their original character because their hilltop locations make it impossible for them to expand.
Below are five hill towns you will want to become familiar with when selling Tuscany, Italy.
1. Siena
The city is one of Italy’s largest and best-preserved hill towns. It is famous for its winding streets and its large piazza shaped like a scallop shell, the Piazza del Campo. A bell tower, Torre del Mangia, dominates the plaza.
Twice a year a wild bareback horse race called the Palio is held in the Piazza. Ten horses and riders dressed in appropriate colors represent the contrade (city wards). The horses are of mixed breed; no purebred horses are allowed. Complex rules and various dubious methods of improving odds are rumored. The Corteo Storico, a parade with flag wavers in medieval costumes, precedes the race.
2. Cortona
The Tuscan hill town was made famous by Francis Mayes in her book, Under the Tuscan Sun. The Villa Bramasole, built in 1504, was used as the film’s location. Walls built by Etruscans around 3,000 years ago surround the town. Cortona has interesting medieval architecture, beautiful views, and a large ex-pat community so English is widely spoken. An array of accommodations is available, ranging from villas, through agriturismi, to hotels, and B&Bs.
3. San Gimigano
Tuscany’s most popular hill town is usually crowded with tourists even in the off-season. Known as the City of Beautiful Towers, San Gimignano is a small walled town famous for its medieval towers built in the 12th and 13th centuries when the town was on the pilgrim route from northern Europe to Rome. The plague of 1348 and the route’s diversion led to the town’s decline as well as its preservation.
Originally there were seventy-two towers, built by rich families to demonstrate their wealth and power. Each show-off family wanted to build its tower higher than another’s. Today, there are only fourteen towers standing, and only one tower is open. San Gimignano is a World Heritage Site; also know for the white wine Vernaccia produced from an ancient variety of grapes grown on the area’s hillsides.
4. Montepulciano
Tuscany’s highest hill town is built on a narrow limestone ridge offering views over Tuscany and Umbria. The town’s rich cultural history, its natural environment, and the presence of thermal baths at Saint Albino attract many tourists. In summer the town hosts the Cantiere Internationzionale d’arte, and in the Italian mid-August holidays, the Bruscello, a traditional show spoken in rhyme, is performed on the cathedral’s steps. On the last weekend in August a wine barrel race, the Bravio, is run between the town’s districts, and there is a procession in 13th century dress. No cars are allowed in the town’s center. Piazza Grande, the main square, is one of Tuscany’s most impressive. Hotels are converted from old villas and family homes.
5. Monte Argentario
Monte Argentario is scenic promontory in southern Tuscany in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was an island until the early 1700s when the shallow waters separating it from the mainland silted up creating splits of land known as tomboli. Two upscale resorts, Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole, offer good hotel choice. Attractions include both sandy and rocky beaches, Spanish forts, nature, hiking, and boat trips to the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. The panoramic road Strada Panoramica starts in Porto Santo Stefano, and a drive along it provides beautiful views of the coast.
