SAN GIMIGNANO, 27km northwest of Siena, is perhaps the most-visited small village in Italy. Its stunning hilltop skyline of towers, built in aristocratic rivalry by the feuding nobles of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, evokes the appearance of medieval Tuscany more than any other sight. And the town is all that it’s cracked up to be: quietly monumental, very well preserved, enticingly rural, and with a fine array of religious and secular frescoes. However, from Easter until October, San Gimignano has very little life of its own, and a lot of day-trippers. If you want to reach beyond its facade of quaintness, you should come well out of season; if you can’t, then aim to spend the night here – the town takes on a very different pace and atmosphere in the evenings.