This is the last post in a series about the small villages we visited in Tuscany, Italy; the two earlier posts: Castellina in Chianti and Monteriggioni.
We took a 2-week long driving tour from Lausanne, Switzerland to Tuscany by way of Turin (Torino), the Italian Riviera (Genoa, Cinque Terre), and Florence. Before we turned around, we explored several Tuscan villages. If you like to join us on this epic road trip from the beginning in Switzerland, click here. We started this Tuscany portion of the trip from Florence, click here to follow us from Firenze.
San Gimignano sits on a hill above the Val d’Elsa, offering beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding Tuscan countryside. Click to see a bigger photo.
Parking was difficult in San Gimignano because the place was extremely popular. Many arrive by bus as the town makes a convenient day trip from Florence. It is also a Tuscan destination for cruise ships docking at Livorno.
Enjoy some renaissance music while browsing.
San Gimignano, located 56 km south of Florence, is often referred to as the “Medieval Manhattan” due to its towering skyline of medieval structures.
The town is surrounded by an outer wall and has been amazingly well preserved. Most pedestrians entered through the Porta S. Giovanni and walked up to the town center. Many restaurants and decent souvenir shops line the gently sloping street.
The historic center of San Gimignano is designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. Historically, the town provided an important relay point for pilgrims travelling from Canterbury (in England) to Rome on the Via Francigena.
The town became independent in 1199 and between the 11th and the 13th century the noble families and rich merchants who controlled the free town built many fortified tower houses (as many as 72) as symbols of their wealth and power.
After 1353, the town went into a period of decline due to waves of famine and plague (Black Death) that caused a drastic decrease in population and pilgrims.
While only 14 of the original tower houses have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance.
The town is organized around two connected principal squares: the triangular Piazza della Cisterna, that comprises a central 13th-century well (filled with coins), …
… and Piazza del Duomo, dating from the late 13th century that contains the majority of public and private monuments. This square is flanked by 7 towers and the Romanesque church – Collegiata Santa Maria Assunta.
We sat on the steps of the Duomo watching the queue for ice cream snaked across the open square while a lute player was strumming his medieval-era instrument. The Palazzo Comunale, also known as the Palazzo del Popolo of San Gimignano has been the seat of the civic authority in the commune since the 13th century (see photo below).
Directly in front of the Duomo is the Palazzo Vecchio del Podestà (mayor in Italian), imposing and topped with a 51-meter tower – the Torre Rognosa being the second tallest in town (see right photo).
The façade opens with a large arch and is crowned with Guelf-style merlon.
Overlooking the Piazza del Duomo are the 42-meter twin towers – Torre dei Salvucci (are also called the “Torri Gemelle.” When they were built, they were taller than the 51 meters of the nearby Torre Rognosa, but after a regulation in 1255 expressly forbade buildings higher than Rognosa, they were lowered.
We later found out one of the towers has been converted into a vertical apartment divided into 11 levels with 143 steps. The Torre Salvucci Maggiore can hosts up to 3/4 guests.
The Tuscan countryside is filled with relics from the rivalry between Florence and Sienna. It was a historical turning point when the Sienese lost a major battle to the Florentines in 1554 led by Cosmo I de’ Medici. Siena eventually fell in 1555 after a 15-month siege. Cosmo I de’ Medici is well known for erecting many monuments in Florence, including the establishment of the Uffizi Gallery (see our earlier post here and here).
We found ourselves wishing for more time to journey further south and explore Siena. Perhaps on our next visit to Tuscany, we’ll start in Siena and make our way north towards Florence.
On our return trip to Switzerland, we paused only once—about halfway—where we visited an outlet mall at Serravalle (a quick leap back into the modern world!) and stayed in an interesting hotel – Relais Villa Pomela (see that post here).