Bioagriturismo Podere Pretoia in San Gimignano ★★★  

There are 11 hectares of land cultivated organically, respecting theenvironment and its precious resources. Most of the cultivation isdedicated to vineyards for the production of local wines such as Chiantiand Vernaccia.Other parts of land are dedicated to the cultivation of Olives, AncientFruits, Saffron and Legumes. The tradition of hospitality at the PODEREPRETOIA dates back to ancient times, with documentation showing theoldest track of the Via Francigena, on the left of the Elsa river.The name Pretorio comes from Praetorium and was used to indicate theplaces where travellers, using the public roads (curcus publicus)sheltered for refreshment and hospitality. The name PRETOIA probablyevolved from Pretorio. The track from Ulignano passed by S.Maria andS.Lucia (now S.Benedetto) and down towards the Elsa valley finallyreaching Badia a Elmi, a monastery founded in 1034. Nowadays only thechurch survives intact.Content provided courtesy of the property.  The property is solely responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.