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Welcome!
...Roberto Viani, his wife Paola and his son Cesare truly welcome you. They place their splendid holiday home at disposal of all those who love Tuscany and would like to discover those places and traditions that only a friend on the spot may know.
Locanda Viani is only 300 metres far from the historical centre of San Gimignano. It is an ancient sighting tower built for the protection of the town (free commune since 1199) between the 10th and the 11th Century A.D. on the top of a hill. The extraordinary dominating position (279 m a.s.l.) and the vicinity to San Gimignano (332 m a.s.l.) enabled an easy and fast communication with the highest tower of the town (the "Torre Grossa" - the great tower). The tower was later enlarged to lodge a garrison and a "pellegrinaio" (old locanda -inn-) in order to restore all the many pilgrims who passed on the near Francigena Road.
Of the ancient tower it remains the imposing sandstone walls and the splendid view of San Gimignano. In 1968 the family of the painter Roberto Viani bought part of this historical building which was used as private residence for years. Just for the simple pleasure of hospitality and the desire to make known the most precious fruits of our country tradition, the old "locanda" (inn) on the Francigena Road has revived and today it is called "Locanda Viani". Only a few modifications to what already existed and a restoration respectful of the history have transformed the structure from a private residence into a comfortable and elegant inn, which still keeps its homely atmosphere.
Today, the painter Roberto Viani, his wife Paola and his son Cesare place their splendid holiday home at disposal of all those who love Tuscany and would like to discover those places and traditions that only a friend on the spot may know...
The locanda cooking
"Our plates derive from a careful research on the ancient Tuscan cuisine, a subtle compromise between cooking archaeology and nowadays taste."
Philosophy
We do not have a written menu since we want to decide our plates according to the best ingredients we will find when we go shopping. Even if we have a lively imagination, we try to limit our creativity; in fact we think that a good product does not need any mediations. We know that the best recipe is the one which reminds us of the past flavours, the flavours of our childhood spent in touch with nature, next to our granny's cookers.
Ingredients
Tuscan cooking, legendary for its sobriety, is based on salads, legumes, cereals, and meat. It prefers oil rather than lard, and soups rather than pasta. The basic food is bread (insipid) and the main drink is wine, which gives colour to every glass.
To enjoy the holiday
We will be pleased to have you at the Locanda and experience with you the essence of our traditions. Together we will have the opportunity to prepare your dinner and become acquainted with the world of Tuscan wine, olive oil and cheese by tasting a selection of products or visiting those producers who have considered quality as the main goal of their life.
Upon reservation (min. 4 pp. x min. 7 days) we organize guided tours in order to get to know the places, the persons and the products that made our region so famous. Upon reservation (min. 4 pp. x min. 7 days) we may also organize:
Small cooking courses
Degustations of wine, oil and honey
In collaboration with Viviana Girola, professional guide to San Gimignano, we organize guided tour to:
San Gimignano
Siena
Crete senesi
Pienza, Momtepulcinao, Montalcino
Chianti Wine tour
In collaboration with Esperia we organize:
Meetings
Cerimonies
Language assistant
Itlalian language lessons
Visit to San Gimignano cellars
La Meridiana International Centre of Ceramic Art in Tuscany
Demonstrations and visits every Monday at 11.00 am
We may offer other programmes for stays of 1, 2 weeks or more with subjects such as nature, art, oenogastronomy, etc.
It is possible to reserve all the structure with a programme to be established previously, considering that the Locanda has 4 bedrooms for max. 8 persons.
"Any desire expressed with courtesy and intelligence may be an encouragement for our work."
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