Agriturismo Santa Croce

We felt at home straight away, thanks to Cristiano’s hospitality, which went beyond what we expected. It’s a beautiful location with lovely scenery and an easy approach to the house. San Gimignano is only a 15 minute walk, so you can leave the car behind, and nearby vineyards offer wine tastings. Day trips to Volterra and other nearby cities were easy too. We’d love to come back.

A wonderful host and a clean, comfortable place with an amazing view of San Gimignano and the Tuscan countryside. The location makes it easy to get in and out, and most attractions in the area are close by.

We had a lovely stay and enjoyed the gorgeous views over the Tuscan hills. The owner was friendly, and you can walk to Sangimignano in about 20 minutes.

The garden is a peaceful place to spend the day. I’d start with breakfast under the fig tree, listen to nature and enjoy the steady light breeze, then walk into San Gimignano for a wander and dinner wherever takes your fancy. Finish back near the fig tree with a sundowner. Would I come again? Yes. The owner's hospitality and the calm of the garden matter more to me than the apartment's need for renovation. For anyone who read to the end, renovation was scheduled for 2023. This old farm sits on a lovely hill close to San Gimignano. It was among the first farms to open to tourists in the 1980s, and it feels like little has changed since. It’s a secluded, tranquil spot. We couldn’t choose between the view of the town’s towers and the rolling vineyards in the countryside. Both were peaceful. Our charming, sympathetic host made the quiet even better. He served breakfast in the garden, found a spot for the table under the fig tree’s shade, and took care to make excellent coffee and tea. The apartment is spacious, but some of that space doesn’t work very well. A small corridor runs from the stairs to the good-sized main bedroom, past a tiny bathroom and into a small kitchen that feels like a cutout in the corridor. There’s also what might be called a living room, apparently added later to the historic building in concrete and aluminium. It’s a single large room, about as big as the rest of the apartment, and the highest room on the farm, making it the tallest structure in the area. Its windows all around give stunning views. In July, though, it was almost impossible to spend time in there. It felt more like an attic than a living room, very hot and dry. The aluminium window frames don’t insulate and the concrete roof holds the heat. Only the blind windows help block the hot sun. So although the apartment is spacious, we could use only half of it. Spending a few pennies, or more, on improvements would help a lot. The kitchen could use a redo, and the bathroom even more. Everything was clean and working, just clearly worn and torn.