Towers of San Gimignano at sunset by Arja Schrijver Photography

Photo of the medieval town of San Gimigano in Tuscany. In the photo you can see the square Piazza del Duomo with some of the towers for which the town is known. In the Middle Ages there were no fewer than 72 towers, 14 of which are now left. The towers were built between the 12th and 14th centuries as a defense work, but also served as a symbol of power for the wealthy and rival families. Bloody feuds were fought and the towers of conquered families were reduced in size.

The rightmost tower in the picture is the Torre Rognosa, which was used as a prison until the end of the 14th century. At almost 52 meters, this is the second highest tower in the city. In 1255 there was a municipal statute stating that no tower in the city could be higher than the Torre Rognosa. However, the Salvucci family did not care about this and built two towers that were higher (also known as the twin towers). The rival Ardinghelli family did not let this happen and built two high towers right next to each other as well a little further on in town (not in the photo). All four towers have since been lowered.

The tower to the left of the Torre Rognosa is called the Torre Chigi. The low tower just behind the Salvucci towers is called the Torre Pettini.

In 1990 the historic center of San Gimignano was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.