Historic City Centre of San Gimignano
The historic walled city of San Gimignano is another must see UNESCO site located in the region of Tuscany. The city, founded in the 4th century, is located to the south of Florence. It began as a small Etruscan town in the 3rd century BC, but was eventually taken by the Romans and turned into a fortress town. From the 10th century, it was ruled by Catholic Bishops and served as a stopping point for pilgrims traveling to Rome. In 1199, the city freed itself from the rule of the Bishops and became an independent comune that was used by the city of Florence as additional fortification and defense against the Sienese in their ongoing battles.
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This independence left the town ruled by many aristocratic families in a feudal fashion. The families were constantly engaged in rivalries between each other. This culminated in the building of tower homes by these families. They built them increasingly higher in order to outdo each other. At its peak, the town boasted seventy-two tower homes that belonged to the ruling families. Eventually this competition was stopped when an ordinance was passed that no tower could be higher than that of the town hall, or Palazzo Comunale. Today, the Palazzo Comunale is a major tourist attraction and can be climbed. The Palazzo is also home to a number of frescoes, including works from both the Florentine and Sienese art schools of the time. The Palazzo Comunale is located in the Piazza del Duomo and adjacent to the town’s basilica, which is also home to a number of important works of art by Italian masters.
San Gimignano flourished until the late 14th century, when it was struck by the Black Plague and famine that wiped out a significant part of the population and downgraded the town’s importance as a Florentine occupied territory. This caused the town to not undergo the urban renewal that many other Tuscan cities and towns underwent in the coming centuries. Today, only 14 of the towers remain standing. However, it does boast a perfect representation of medieval architecture, characterized by homogeneity of building, which helped get it inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Other criteria met include its display of Italian masterpieces and the clear display of the prevalence of public institutions over private power.
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San Gimignano quiet streets and spectacular views of the rolling Tuscan hills that surround it draw in visitors from the neighboring and larger cities of Florence and Siena. It is also home to one of the most famous gelaterias in the world. Called Gelateria Dondoli, it has been named the Gelato World Champion twice and is most famous for the flavor called Santa Fina, after one of the unofficial patron saints of the town. From Florence, the easiest way to arrive is by bus. The BusItalia Nord leaves from the Santa Maria Novella bus depot and arrives in Poggibonsi. From here, transfer to the local bus to San Gimignano. Alternatively, trains run from Florence to Poggibonsi and then the same bus can be taken up to the town.