The Medieval Manhattan and Ideal Cities: Edilfar Rent Takes You to Some of the Most Unusual Places in the Country

Summer is that time of the year when we are most inclined to seek places to visit and explore. Going on a journey always fuels our curiosity to see what awaits us, and what better way to satisfy this curiosity than with unusual, mysterious, but above all, beautiful places? Edilfar Rent recommends some of the places that have impressed us the most and will leave you in awe!

Starting with a gem nestled in Piedmont, the small town of Ussaux: listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy, in the province of Turin, nestled between the Cozie Alps at 1200 meters above sea level. Surrounded by two natural areas, the Orsiera-Rocciavrè Park and the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Park, this place enjoys the tranquility of the mountains. It is characterized by numerous historical buildings dating back to the 18th century, reflecting the typical Alpine villages where the mill, the washhouse, and the ancient oven are still today the defining elements of a history preserved with great care. The entire area offers continuous panoramic and unspoiled views, enticing any ideas of trekking and mountain hikes. A step out of time.

Raising the bar and heading down to Tuscany, we encounter a UNESCO heritage site. The historic center of this place mostly dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, with few renovations done in the 20th century. It is famous for its ancient towers that, from a distance, mark the town's skyline iconically, earning it the nickname "The Manhattan of the Middle Ages." We're talking about San Gimignano, in the province of Siena. Named in honor of the saint who is said to have appeared on the city walls to protect it from barbarian invasion, it is famous for its towers that soar throughout the area, and in the past, in addition to the current 14, there were reportedly as many as 72.

But why so many? A city regulation from 1255 prohibited building towers higher than the ancient Rognosa Tower of the Municipal Palace. However, the two most important families of the time, Ardinghelli and Salvucci, had their towers built almost reaching the height of the Rognosa Tower, demonstrating their power. Most of the powerful families of the time did the same. Getting lost in the streets of this city is a bit like reliving the splendors of the Middle Ages but also the history and curiosities of the families that built the towers (and not only— one tower seems to have been "touched up" by the devil), and a bit like being in a video game: it was indeed the location of the famous video game Assassin's Creed II!

What can arise from a rose and laurel planted in Montegabbione, in the province of Terni? Ask San Francesco, who in 1218 built a hut right where these two plants were planted because a fountain miraculously sprouted, and it was made with the scarza, a marsh plant. Hence the name Scarzuola, where the Counts of Marsciano built a church and later a convent, becoming a private plot of land until the second half of the 20th century when it was purchased by the architect Tommaso Buzzi. Behind the convent, he tried over the years to build an "ideal city" that represented him, or rather, that could unite all of us in a true eschatological allegory of existence, through a hermetic and symbolic language that intertwines with power, divination, and psychology. The site's scenography is nothing more than input for spiritual rebirth, where the place is imbued with a suspended magic and a natural setting like the Umbrian hills, making it feel like a place out of this world. Not only the place you visit but also how you get there.

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