Description

The estate Fattoria Guicciardini is located in the center of San Gimignano, at the square of S. Agostino and near the gate Porta San Matteo.
The building complex of Fattoria Guicciardini rose in the second half of the 15th century. Within the course of time, the Church and the convent of St. Augustine (San Agostino) had acquired such a great importance for the local community, thus at the same time was decided to expand the second town-walls, originally built around 1260. From 1400 on, the building underwent many trasformations, from homes over shops and, from 1700 on until the 1950's the complex gradually became a farm, first owned by the Strozzi family.

Later, in 1877, it was given as a dowry to the Guicciardini family, when Princess Luisa Strozzi married Count Francesco Guicciardini, who also owned the Cusona farm. At that time, the farm was rather large, with approximately fifteen holdings around San Gimignano and many hectares of woodland. The building was the place of many activities; there were rooms used as granaries, wine cellars, stables, a joiner's shop and, on the ground floor, there was also an oil-mill. The complex has been entirely refurbished and includes today the Holiday Accommodations, a shop with the farm products, a dancing school, art galleries and other small shops.

History

Upon appointment our guests can visit the wine cellars of the renowned winery Fattoria di Cusona Guicciardini-Strozzi, only 6 km from San Gimignano. The Cusona farm is well known for its winemaking tradition lasting for centuries.
The oldest historical document in which was mentioned the estate of Cusona dates back to the year 994, when the property was owned by the Lords of Bibbiano. Situated beside the river Elsa, between S. Gimignano and Poggibonsi (at that time called Poggio Bonizi) it constituted an important communication link along the so called "Via Francigena", a connecting road for the pilgrims coming from France, passing over the Alps to reach Rome.

After the destruction of Semifonte, Cusona went under the dominion of S. Gimignano, as a toll place of the Florentine border. The land of Cusona was scene of many hard fights. 
The first land register of Florence of the year 1427, shows that the Cusona villa belonged to the Bardi-family: house with a tower as a residence, vegetable garden and arbour: "produces per year about three barrels of white wine", Vernaccia grapes. Angelo Bardi planted in 1503 a Vernaccia vineyard. As documents show, the Vernaccia grape was intensely cultivated in the area around S. Gimignano, in a special way by the Bardi of Cusona. 

Costanza Bardi married in 1524 Girolamo Guicciardini, brother of the great historical Francesco, bringing with her the Cusona estate as a dowry: "beautiful dwelling, beautiful possession" with eleven farms. A fine Vernaccia vineyard was planted by Girolamo on the "Poggio" farm with a cost of more than 190 ducats. Since then the Cusona estate has always belonged to the Counts of Guicciardini. In 1750 Francesco Guicciardini started with grandiose transformations: the diversion the Elsa river through a canal of "330 arms" length, the reclaiming of the valley, important restorations of the villa, the plantation of vineyards, formed like herring bone patterns on the hillocks around the estate.

Cusona was then frequently visited by the Grand Duke Ferdinand III. of Lorraine.  In 1850 a large wine cellar, with underground tunnels was built. At that time, the estate had reached its full splendour. Cosimo Ridolfi, sang in his short poem "La villegiatura di Cusona" (Engl. Vacation at Cusona) (Florence 1822): "Sacred for the studies of peace and friendship, rich of Baccus and Verturno's gifts, let forget the noise of the city and celebrate the arrival of the fall". Francesco Guicciardini, Minister of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs, from 1906 to 1909, made of Cusona an experimental agricultural farm model of national renown.

Cusona was among the first to begin the process of reconstruction of the viticultural possessions to combat the phylloxera. At the end of the 18th century, the historical families of the Counts of Guicciardini and the Princes of Strozzi have strengthened their close relationship bonds because of the same passion for agriculture. Renowened for the wine production already lasting for centuries, only in 1968 the farm "Fattoria di Cusona" started with the marketing of the whole production, further to imposing restoration works of the cellars and the purchase of the latest technologies for the wine production and bottling, as well as new plantations of vineyards. In total there are 70 hectares of vineyards, of which 35 ha are planted with the white wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano, 25 ha with the Chianti wine and the remaining with Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. Nowadays, Cusona has a leading position between the wine producers of the area.

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