8 Sights to Visit in San Gimignano

By VICTORIA IME

San Gimignano has very ancient origins. The city already existed in Etruscan times, a few centuries before Christ, and was called Velathri. In the following centuries the city was conquered by the Romans and then by the Lombards. But the heyday of San Gimignano was the Middle Ages. It was indeed located in a strategic position on the Via Francigena, which was the main way for travelling at the time. In this period the city reached its zenith, and the famous towers that today constitute the symbol of the city were built.

Recently, art treasures and the beauty of the city have been rediscovered, making it important enough to be recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO. To truly appreciate the city, consider these top sights:

A Walk Through the City

1. Piazza del Duomo

San Gimignano has over the centuries retained the ancient medieval structure. The main square, Piazza del Duomo, is overlooked by buildings of great architectural and artistic value such as the Duomo, the Twin Towers, the Palazzo del Podestà, the Tower “Rognosa” and the Town Hall. A short walk from Piazza Duomo is the Piazza della Cisterna, a square named after the octagonal well in travertine which is located in the centre of the square. In the Middle Ages, this square was the shopping and entertainment centre of the city and housed shops and taverns.

2. The Duomo or Collegiate Church of San Domenico
Built around 1100, this building contains so many works of art that it can be considered a proper museum. The church has three naves, decorated with frescoes of the Sienese and Florentine schools, with authors such as Benozzo Gozzoli, and adorned with precious statues and sculptures, including some of Jacopo della Quercia. In the Chapel of Santa Fina Domenico Ghirlandaio, a famous Florentine painter painted the “Comunicazione della morte” and the “Esequie di Santa Fina”.

3. The Towers of San Gimignano

In medieval times San Gimignano had over seventy towers of which today there remain only 15. The most important include the tower called “Rognosa” in the Palazzo del Podesta, the twin towers of Ardinghelli, and the tower “Grossa” in the Palazzo del Popolo. This is the highest tower in the city and offers a splendid panorama of the Elsa valley and the Apuan Alps to the mountains of Pistoia.

4. The Town Hall

Formerly the mayor housed the Town Hall. It now houses the civic museum and the art gallery, full of masterpieces by Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, and many others. The Town Hall houses also the room containing the Majesty of Dante by Lippo Memmi.

5. The Rock of Montestaffoli
The Rock Montestaffoli was built on the hill Montestaffoli around 1350. The fortress was built with the same stone used for the walls and has an irregular trapezoid shape. The tip of the trapezoid is outside the walls and the still existing two square towers offer a wonderful landscape.

In the Surroundings

San Gimignano is a city completely surrounded by the countryside, planted with olive groves and vineyards and dotted with villages of ancient origin.

6. Castellina (in Chianti, 29 km)
Castellina, one of the most important villages of Chianti, is of medieval origin and famous for producing wine and oil.

7. Radda (in Chianti, 40 km)
Radda in Chianti is a medieval town that still retains its imposing walls. The village preserves the medieval layout with narrow alleyways.

8. Monteriggioni (25 km)
Monteriggioni is a castle that hasn’t changed over the centuries. Entering the main door means going back a thousand years. There is a large square overlooked by a little Romanesque church, a few houses, some artisan shops and restaurants. The second door of the castle is actually a vantage point among the finest in the area. Even this view is worth a visit.

Victoria Ime works for magicoftuscany.com, a travel site dedicated to holidays in Tuscany. She likes travelling around Italy and writing something about visited places at the end of each trip. Another great passion is reading travel tips by fellow travelers.