San Gimignano is a medieval walled town in the province of Siena in the Italian region of Tuscany. The place attracts many tourists, especially because of its special medieval architecture.
San Gimignano is known for its fourteen towers that dominate the silhouette of the city. These were built between the 12th and 14th century by wealthy families. The towers served as a home and reinforcement, but above all as a prestige object. During the battle between rival families, i.e. between supporters of Guelphs on the one hand and Ghibellines on the other, people entrenched themselves between the towers and fought their often bloody feuds. At its peak, the city had 72 towers.
In the late Middle Ages this city was very prosperous because of its location on the pilgrimage route to Rome. But the plague epidemic of 1348 and later the rerouting of the pilgrims' route meant the economic ruin, but the preservation of its medieval character.
In 1990, the historic centre of San Gimignano was included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. San Gimignano is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Tuscany and is therefore one of the busiest.
I'm Jeroen, and I'll spare you the long introduction. ;) If you're looking for a landscape photo for your wall, you've come to the right place... Read more…