San Gimignano – A Small Medieval Town Famous For Its 14 Mismatched Towers.
Easily accessible from the nearby cities of Siena and Florence, the walled hilltop city of San Gimignano is celebrated particularly for its 14 mismatched medieval towers, which make the city look strikingly similar to medieval Manhattan as one treks the hill coming from the east.
With its Gothic-inspired architecture and legacy a visitor might even feel that a good portion of the New York City borough has taken over. But tourists must not confuse the two cities from the opposite sides of the world. With its frescoed duomo (cathedral), coterie of museums, billowy towers and vistas affording snapshot views of the countryside, the fortressed city is a tourist magnet by many accounts.
Winter or early spring is the perfect opportunity to escape the tourist crowds and wander around San Gimignano a little, for in the summer months visitors can expect having to elbow their way around the city. But once the last bus tour has pulled away discovering and indulging in what the city has to offer will definitely be worth cresting atop a hill.
The first time I visited this town was late June in 2003. Even if there is a pretty large parking lot just outside the city wall of San Gimignano, we had to park the car along the road about a mile away from the main gateway in the city wall. So my advice would be to visit in the afternoon.
San Gimignano, Italy: Towering Hill Town
San Gimignano, with its distinctive skyline, stands like a medieval mirage on its hilltop. With walls built in the 13th century and 12 surviving towers, what was once a stop for pilgrims en route to Rome is now a popular tourist destination. For more information on the Rick Steves´ Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
When you enter the main gate into San Gimignano you follow a narrow road up to the Piazzo del Duomo. There are small shops on both sides of the road with souvenirs, clothes, exclusive handbags and local products like cheese, wine and olives.
The History of San Gimignano
San Gimignano, which was originally a village inhabited by ancient Etruscans, was a town named after San Gimignano, the bishop of Modena, who is regarded as the city’s savior from the barbarian Attila the Hun. During the Middle Ages San Gimignano fought continually with the Tuscan commune Volterra even when it was finally declared a commune in 1199.
Divisons within the city resulted from the internal strife between the Salyucci (Ghibelline) and Adringhelli (Guelph) families for the next two centuries. This period saw the erection of most of the towers until the 13th century when a podestà (town chief) forbade the construction of towers higher than the one he built which stood 51 meters.
In the 13th century much of the commune’s population was wiped out because of a plague epidemic which also weakened the power of the noble class, resulting to Florence’s conquest of the town in 1353. Today the city attracts tourists by the droves.
The Panoramic View from the Towers
The view from the top of this tower was amazing!
The panoramic views atop an imposing hill await visitors in this dream-like, fairytale-inspired city. A total of 72 at one time, the iconic towers were symbols of wealth and power of the city’s ruling medieval clans.
Though significantly sparse in design and rather bare, San Gimignano delle Belle Torri (which literally translates to ‘of the Fine Towers’) is enveloped in lush, arable land.
Although sheer altitude may not be impressive for some tourists, the setting as well as the rustic backdrop is utterly enchanting. There is also a footpath that weaves around the outlying areas of San Gimignano that provides tranquility and snapshot views of the nearby Tuscan countryside.
Tourists are advised to be mindful of the signs possessing the hiker icon. Although the path doesn’t appear to run fully throughout the city’s outskirts, it’s vast enough to work up an appetite or a healthy thirst.
Tourist Attractions in San Gimignano
At the heart of the city lies Piazza del Duomo or the medieval town’s cathedral square surrounded by the ancient 14 towers. Torre Grossa, in particular, is the tallest thousand-year-old tower with the height of 200 feet. It was a challenge to get up there in the heat, but so worth it when we got up.
Nearby lies Pinacoteca Civica (civic painting gallery), a museum filled with the city’s treasure troves. The Collegiata, San Gimignano 1300 and the Sant’Agostino church are living repositories of frescoes containing religious themes and subjects from the Old and New testaments.
Market on Thursdays
In San Gimignano Thursday is known as market day where locals and tourists congregate at Piazza della Cisterna to shop for local wares and enjoy authentic Tuscan fare.
Hotels near San Gimignano
If you want to experience Italian Agriturismo at it’s best, check out Poderi Arcangelo
