Medieval city: San Gimignano, Italy

SAN GIMIGNANO: A TOWN OF FINE TOWERS

San Gimignano is a wonderful medieval village, surrounded by ancient walls, immersed in the Sienese countryside. It is a town of high artistic interest. Founded in Etruscan times, it developed during the Middle Ages. The village stands on a hill overlooking the vineyards and olive groves of the marvelous Val d ’Elsa.

The medieval village of San Gimignano has remained almost completely intact in its 13-14th century appearance. It is one of the best examples of urban organization in the communal age in Europe. With its towers, its historic buildings, ancient churches and craft shops.

San Gimignano in 1990 was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is famous throughout the world for its fourteen towers and for the countless architectural works, including the fantastic Romanesque Cathedral. Museums, churches, theaters and palaces are scattered throughout the village, subjected entirely to monumental restrictions since 1929.
The city was built on a hill 300m high, from the evidences found it was already inhabited in Etruscan and Hellenistic times. Probably the hill was chosen for its dominant position that allowed to keep the Val d’Elsa under control. Probably the village was so called around the 10th century AD in honor of San Gimignano, bishop of Modena who lived in the fourteenth century. It is said that he saved her from the assault of the barbarians by appearing on the city walls.

San Gimignano experienced its most flourishing period in the Middle Ages. The village was located on the Via Francigena, one of the main communication routes of the time. It became a point of reference for traders, wayfarers and pilgrims who came to Rome. 

Around 1150, despite the opening of a new Francigena route, San Gimignano continued to be an emerging center. It had a territorial expansion policy and a significant growth in commercial activities. Despite the infighting between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, the thirteenth century was the century of greatest economic development for San Gimignano, thanks to the trade in local agricultural products such as saffron and wines. The city was greatly enriched and numerous public works were also completed. The solid economy allowed the creation of an urban aristocratic class, which expressed its political and social supremacy in the construction of the towers: in the fourteenth century it came to count 72 towers of which today only 14 remain. They characterize the city profile. San Gimignano was ruled by the Ghibellines until 1255, the year in which it passed into the hands of the Guelphs, who destroyed the original walls. By winning the famous Battle of Montaperti in 1260 the Ghibellines regained possession of the city, rebuilding and enlarging its walls.

The historic center of San Gimignano offers medieval masterpieces including the famous towers that still stand out on its panorama and which have earned it the definition of "Manhattan of the Middle Ages". Of the 72 original towers only 14 have remained. The oldest is Torre Rognosa, 51 meters high, and the highest is Torre Grossa of 54 m. Torre grossa, dates back to the 14th century and it is possible to visit it to enjoy the spectacle from above the whole town and the surrounding hill landscape.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Historic Centre of San Gimignano.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/550/.

•  Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019). San Gimignano | Italy. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Gimignano

• Visitworldheritage.com. (2019). Historic Centre of San Gimignano, Italy | World Heritage Journeys of Europe.