Hotel
La Collegiata
Tuscany / San Gimignano / Italy
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Hotel La Colligiata, Località Strada 27, I-53037 San Gimignano (Siena) / Italy.
Originally a Franciscan convent built in 1587, the magnificent La Colligiata Hotel overlooks the heart of the Chianti wine region and is only a few …
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… kilometres away from the medieval city of San Gimignano.
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Such prosperity lead to the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches and monasteries. In 1199 it became a free municipality and fought against the Bishops of Volterra and the surrounding municipalities. Due to internal power struggles it eventually divided into two factions one headed by the Ardinghelli family (Guelphs) and the other by the Salvucci family (Ghibellines). On the 8th May 1300 Dante Alighieri came to San Gimignano as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. In 1348 San Gimignano's population was drastically reduced by the Black Death Plague throwing the city into a serious crisis which eventually led to its submission to Florence in 1353. In the following centuries San Gimignano overcame its decline and isolation when its beauty and cultural importance together with its agricultural heritage were rediscovered. The construction of the towers dates back to the 11th and 13th centuries. The architecture of the city was influenced by Pisa, Siena and Florence. There are 14th century paintings of the Sienese School to be seen and 15th century paintings of the Florentine School.
The first-class Hotel Restaurant La Collegiata stands on a hill with splendid view of the towers of S. Gimignano surrounded by a park of cypress trees. The building was erect in 1587 in Strada near the parish of S. Michele as a convent for the order of the Franciscan Capuchin monks at the request of the inhabitants of S. Gimignano. The renaissance building reflects the elegant proportions and restraint of the Tuscan style in bright stones, typical of the region, and red brick. It has been restored in keeping with the history of the locality, while satisfying the highest standards of comfort and elegance.
The drive leads to a large car-park below the lush Italian gardens which are delightful to go for a walk and to visit the old chapel in the grounds. After strolling around pamper yourself by dipping into theair swimming pool surrounded by emerald green lawns, where you can also enjoy light refreshments. The guestrooms are located in the former cloister and you will dine under the Roman vaulting of the ancient chapel richly decorated in the sumptuous red so reminiscent of the Siennese Renaissance. Discover the 13 towers of San Gimignano from the uppermost floors of the Relais et Chateaux Hotel "La Collegiata".
Guestrooms & Suites : There are twenty rooms at La Collegiata, some of those on the first floor overlook the inner courtyard and all have some attractive architectural detail, a mullioned window, a small balcony or stone door jamb. Every room is sound proofed and has private direct dial telephone, satellite TV, fridge bar, air conditioning and a personal safety box. Some rooms have Jacuzzi.
There is also a suite in the tower and on its upper floor there is a large jacuzzi bath tub from where the entire panorama of the valley below can be admired.
Cuisine & Cocktails : The impressive building of La Collegiata including the formerly convent church has been restored to accommodate a restaurant which offers a cuisine based on the fresh flavours of the kitchen garden, the aroma of wood and fragrant herbs and the traditional Tuscan recipes adapted to please the taste of today's people of many different cultures who always enjoyed visiting the Chianti.
The cloister where you can find the beautiful "cisterna" - a well, which is similar in style to the famous one in Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano- into the reception area, the coffee shop, the wine bar, the sitting rooms, the reading room, the television room and the "Sala del Caminetto", a drawing room with a largefireplace where the golden colours of the tapestries and the frescoes recall the Sienese palace style of the same period. In the charming room underneath the well, paved in red brick tiles, you can taste wine and local products. Pool bar for light snacks.
Leisure & Wellness : Outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, hiking, nearby tennis courts and horseback riding and about 20 kilometers away you'll find an 18-hole golf course.
Other Facilites : Hotel "La Colligiata" offers two meetings rooms for up to 80 people fpr seminars, conferences, parties and banquets. Transfer to/from airport Pisa (65kms) and tours can be arranged. Air conditioning. Car parking. Handicapped facilities. Small pets are welcome to Hotel La Collegiata (on request).
Approx.Room Rates :
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