Travels in Tuscany--San Gimignano (Part 2 of 3)

Following lunch, we arrived in San Gimignano. 

Here is some interesting information from the town's website:

• According to legend, in 63 B.C. two young brothers, Muzio and Silvio, escaping from Rome after their implication in "a conspiracy to overthrow the government," came to this hilltop.
• The name San Gimignano probably comes from the bishop of Modena. According to legend, during the barbaric invasions the saint appeared miraculously on the city walls, and saved the town.
• San Gimignano had its first inhabitants in prehistory, but the first relevant settlements date back to the archaic Etruscan period.
• San Gimignano mainly developed in the middle ages, thanks to its favorable geographical position.  During that period, the Via Francigena became the route of pilgrims who travelled to Rome, mainly from France.
• The plague of 1348 decimated two thirds of the population of 13,000 and, since then, San Gimignano has experienced a long period of decline in the shadow of the dominant Florence.
• San Gimignano's historical center is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The day we visited the town, it was rainy and there were few other visitors.  So, we were able to leisurely roam the street, enjoy window-shopping and visit the town's museum, including one of the tallest towers still standing in the town.

The most striking feature of the town is its medieval character.  San Gimignano reached its pinnacle in the middle ages and quickly declined following the Black Plague in 1348. The town seems locked in time in the early 1300's with very few changes over the past seven centuries.  The town's ancient walls are still standing,as are many of the ancient towers.  So, San Gimignano is a wonderful example of a medieval town unchanged by the Renaissance and later periods. 

Family friend Susan enjoys a stroll in medieval San Gimignano.

The ancient well in one of San Gimignano's squares, the Piazza della Cisterna..

The Romanesque cathedral of San Gimignano, consecrated by the Pope in 1148.  A church has existed on the site since the 900's.

The visit included a walk to the top of the Torre Grossa, the town's tallest tower.  The tower, pictured below, provides great views of the town and the surrounding countryside. 

The Torre Grossa in San Gimignano

A view from inside the Torre Grossa

The bell in the Torre Grossa

A view from the top of the Torre Grossa

A view from the top of the Torre Grossa

Next Up:  The town's museum.