Ten chapters, ten reasons to come visit, stay and return.
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Gambassi Terme, in the heart of Tuscany
Gambassi Terme is the ideal destination for a relaxing vacation close to Tuscany’s great art cities. Let’s start with some numbers: it’s 18 kilometres from San Gimignano, the village with 13 towers, one of Italy’s most popular skylines. It’s 28 kilometres from Volterra, the medieval city famous for its alabaster and impressive walls that tower over the spectacular Era Valley. Get lost in its labyrinth streets, stop in Piazza dei Priori, visit the Etruscan acropolis and the Roman theatre, and if you love art and archaeology, you’ll find Rosso Fiorentino, Taddeo di Bartolo and Il Ghirlandaio waiting for you!
Siena and Florence are less than an hour away by train from the Castelfiorentino station, which is just 10 minutes from Gambassi Terme.
If you want to enjoy the lesser-known parts of Tuscany, found in its small hamlets, we suggest an excursion to San Vivaldo: with its Franciscan convent, it’s one of the most surprising Jerusalems of Italy, a system of 25 chapels built in 1500 to provide worshippers with a pilgrimage destination that could substitute the costly and dangerous trip to the Holy Land controlled by the Turks. Nearby Certaldo is another undiscovered jewel in Tuscany. You should visit it in July, during the Mercantia festival that celebrates street theatre, dance, art and handicrafts.
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Gambassi Terme: a corner of rural authenticity!
The territory of Gambassi Terme has never lost its most authentic rural dimension. Over the years, many of the abandoned farmhouses have been rebuilt, the ancient vineyards and olive groves have come back to life, and many families have opened the doors of their homes, providing the characteristic hospitality that has always run in their veins. In Gambassi, you can do your shopping in town, or stop at different places, from farms to agritourisms: through the short distribution chain of small local producers, you can discover genuine meats, cheeses, olive oil, wine, flour, pasta and vegetables, and through this food you may discover a world of people and relationships.
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Good food close at hand
Good food is a question of education. You learn to eat well as children, thanks to traditions passed down through generations, thanks to grandparents with a vegetable garden, thanks to the flavours you learn about in the kitchen and at the market (the weekly market comes to town on Tuesdays in Gambassi, and on Saturday mornings in Castelfiorentino). You also learn thanks to the passion of cooks at home or in osterias that work hard to choose the best products, from the mozzarella on your pizza to the local ingredients used to revisit traditional Tuscan dishes.
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Vacations by the pool? Yes, please!
Do you have no other plans than to bask in the sun by the pool? The choices are endless: privacy, exclusivity, breathtaking panoramas, salty water, heated tubs, inflatable pink flamingos, suspended atmospheres, the summer sun, the smell of sun cream, dives, splashes, chats under the umbrella…whatever dream you’re imagining, you can find it in Gambassi. We can’t promise you George Clooney in a bathing suit, but for everything else, we’ll bring you the best of Gambassi to your poolside, including yoga lessons, massages, private chefs and babysitters.
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We care about your relaxation!
Do you need to plan your next excursion? Is it too tiring to choose? Do you want to take a vacation with no worries? Our concierge service is just for you. All we need is a couple of days’ notice and we will find the answers to all your questions!
6. & 7. The Via Francigena and its thermal baths
Those who love to walk, excursionists and pilgrims don’t need to read these lines: the Via Francigena is a well-known name and travel experience. But we’ve found that many of our guests know little or nothing about it, so we will tell you a bit. If Aristophanes managed to summarise the Odyssey in just a few lines, can we do it with the Francigena?
Considered the first international arterial road of Europe, recently recognised by the Council of Europe as a Great Cultural Itinerary, the Via Francigena is the path – or belt of roads – that thousands of pilgrims took starting in Medieval times in order to reach Rome and visit the tomb of Saint Peter. Then they travelled on to Puglia, where they could set sail for the Holy Land. Even today, there are people who walk the whole 1600 km, from Canterbury, through France and then along the Italian peninsula.
Those who don’t plan on walking the entire way can still follow the route and take day trips to discover one, two or three stops.
Gambassi Terme is found on the Sigeric itinerary, named after an English archbishop who documented the entire path in 990. It is between two spectacular walks: San Miniato – Gambassi, which is 24 km long, and Gambassi – San Gimignano, which is 14 kilometres long. Each route can be walked in one day. If, on your way back, your legs feel like wood, your feet are boiling and your body is tired, you have to stop at the thermal baths in the centre of Gambassi Terme: in addition to specialised personnel, a hydro-massage pool, a heated pool, a sauna and a Turkish bath await you.
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A pleasant retreat for the entire family
Gambassi and its establishments are made for families! Apart from the poolside – we know we’ll find you there! – we have a long list of proposals and experiences for all ages. Gambassi means nature and authenticity for both you and your children. Have you ever tried to make pizza at home? Gerardo will teach you, he’s a pasta and dough magician! Your children don’t want to follow you to the supermarket? Why don’t you visit the Fattoria Le Caprine farm? You’ll find the best goat cheeses in the area, along with many other organic products, and your kids could have a close encounter of the third kind with the goats and learn how cheese is made. If you like to be together outdoors, why not try a bicycle tour, a trip to the mysterious Grottoes of Maurizio, or a nice horseback ride with the Baio Scuro stables? There’s something for everyone…and in the evening, if you want to enjoy an aperitivo in town, the public park is the ideal place to let your children run free.
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Are you thinking about your wedding ceremony?
Gambassi is the destination for you. Are you imagining an event that brings together all your friends, family, and the people in your heart? Is it your dream to get married in Tuscany? Contact us: based on the number of your guests, we can help you find where they can stay, propose a calendar of experiences to have together, before or after the ceremony, provide at-home services to minimise wedding stress…We know you to take care of your reception, from A to Z, also thanks to Cinzia, who has been organising fabulous weddings at her estate for years.
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Hospitality is our specialty
We receive compliments from our guests, friends, regular visitors, and those who return because they feel at home here. This is all thanks to the people, to each smile that represents enormous amounts of work and passion. If you come back, it’s thanks to us – with no false modesty – because we love to welcome you. And because we live in a small corner of Tuscany that, if it weren’t for you all, would forget how beautiful it is.
Your home in Tuscany is in Gambassi, we’re waiting for you!
