Staying in a Medieval Village in Tuscany

Once we had left Florence to visit other parts of Tuscany, we used a base outside the major urban areas in order to get the feel of the countryside.  With the help of the internet, I was very fortunate to find an apartment for rent in the tiny fortified medieval hamlet known as San Gusmè.

Because our visit took place 11 years ago, I have been unable to find the same apartment, but here is an advertisement for one in the village.  Based on the website photos, the interior looks very similar, but if it is the same apartment, it has since changed hands.  The apartment that we rented in 2000 was owned by a young American couple whose principal residence was in the San Francisco Bay area.  They loved the relatively unspoiled character of San Gusmè, located right on the border between the territories governed by Florence and Siena.  We handled payment issues on the internet and were directed to pick up the keys at the local grocery store.  The owner was a friend of theirs and managed the apartment for the couple while they lived and worked in the United States.

We had been warned to leave our vehicle outside the walls because the streets were very narrow and there was literally no street parking inside the village.

Our apartment was on the upper level of a renovated medieval building and we had impressive views of the roofs nearby.

Ours was not the only building that had been renovated, but the medieval character of the village architecture was still dominant.

HWMBO loved the local version of a Manneken Pis,

but I preferred the scenic windowboxes dotted throughout the village.

We were able to obtain the keys without trouble and everything worked out as we had hoped.   In our experience, the inhabitants of this little village did not speak English as a rule.  Still, with a combination of a few halting Italian words, some French and lots of gestures, we were able to get along splendidly during our stay there.  I only wish that the stay could have been longer.  We still have fond memories of our vist to this truly beautiful and impressive region and recommend it highly.