The village of Gambassi Terme, along the "Via Francigena" Middle-Age way
Located in the hill area at the side of the valley of Elsa river, tributary of the Arno river, Gambassi Terme is known since the Middle Age for the glass manufacturing and for its thermal baths (the Italian word "Terme" means "SPA").
Just outside the town, the magnificent Medieval church "Pieve di S. Maria a Chianni" , built in XII Century in Romanesque style proves the passing in this area of the ancient "Via Francigena", the road of pilgrims from Canterbury and Europe to Rome. The first document citing this road is in fact the diary of the pilgrimage to Rome that Sigeric, Canterbury archbishop, did in the year 994.
The Via Francigena road took to this region commercial trades and allowed rich cultural exchanges thank to the pilgrims coming here from Europe. Together to the Road, a wide system of structures grew for the pilgrim assistance, both from the spiritual (churches, convents) and practical (hospices and castles) point-of-view. Thanks to the Via Francigena, this region knew a rich bloom of Romanesque churches, between which the one near Gambassi, Santa Maria a Chianni, is no doubt one of the most beautiful and better preserved (Photos). Other churches can be found in the surroundings.
In the town, 2 minutes walk from the apartment is located the SPA-Thermal bath "Terme di Gambassi", which water is suggested for beauty treatments and both for digestion and breathing diseases. Also the town park, with centuries-old trees and tennis court is at 2 minutes walk distance.
Thanks to its magnificent hill location, it is easy to find panoramic sites for enjoying the wonderful landscapes that make Tuscany famous all over the world by walking in Gambassi.
The Gambassi village is located on the top of a hill, higher than the surrounding areas and therefore in the clear days the view sweeps over very large distances, allowing to see, if the air is particularly clear, even the sea of the Versilia region.
