San Gimignano

Views from the Great Tower

San Gimignano is a 7,774 inhabitants town located in a hill in the middle of the countyside of Tuscany, Italy. The town has a very important medieval heritage, having been nicknamed Medieval New York or the Town of Fine Towers because of its dozen tower houses. Its Old Town was placed at UNESCO World Heritage list in 1990.

How do I arrive to San Gimignano?

  San Gimignano isn't far from the main cities in Tuscany so it has some different ways to arrive. 

• Train: the nearest train station is in Poggibonsi, that is connected with frequent buses to San Gimignano.
• Bus: there are buses from San Gimignano 10 times every day to Siena (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes), 14 times to Florence (via Poggibonsi, aprox. 2 hours) and four daily buses to Volterra (via Colle di Val d'Elsa, 1.5 hours). From Volterra there are ten daily buses to Pisa (aprox. 2 hours).
• Car: if you rented a car, San Gimignano is a 40 minutes journey from Volterra, a 50 minutes journey from Siena, a 1 hour 10 minutes trip from Florence, 1 hour 20 minutes from Pisa, 1.5 hours from Livorno and 1 hour 40 minutes hours journey from Grosseto.

History

The current town of San Gimignano was founded around 3rd century BC by the Etruscan, adopting its current name in honour of St. Geminianus (who defended it from the Huns). Its importance increased during Middle Ages because it was part of the pilgrimage to Rome, Via Francigena. During its apogee San Gimignano became independent from Volterra (around 1199) and it was the birthplace of St. Fina in 1238. It hosted Dante Alighieri in 1300 as he was the ambassador or the Guelph League and San Gimignano continued independent till 1348, when Black Death made it surrender to Florence. Since that time to the 19th century the town of San Gimignano had little development, when its touristic and artistic heritage began to be recognised.
 

What can I visit in San Gimignano?

Some of the most important locations in the town are Piazza Duomo, Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza Pecori, as well as the remaining gates of the town. There are great views of the town from Roca di Montetafolli. For art lovers San Gimignano has some art galleries where getting works of arts of good quality.

These are San Gimignano's main attractions:

• San Gimignano Cathedral (10-19 Mon-Fri, 10-17 Sat, 12:30-16:30 Sun from Jun to Sep; 10-19 Mon-Fri, 10-17 Sat, 12:30-16:30 Sun from Oct to May; 4€ /2€  adults/students and kids under 18): duomo first built in the 11th century but whose frecoes date back to the 14th one. Inside there's also St. Fina Chapel, 15th century chapel built to enshrine the relics of St. Fina. Theree's a combined ticket with San Gimignano Sacred Art Museum for 6€ /3€  adults/students and kids under 18.
• Town Hall, Picture Gallery and Great Tower (10-19:30 from Apr to Sep; 11-17:30 from Mar to Oct; 9€ /7€ /free  adults /retiree and kids under 17 /students and kids under 6): 12th century palace with the tallest tower in the town, Torre Grossa (54 m), whose views of the town and its surroundings is great. The palazzo has some extraordinary halls with frescoes like Camera del Podestà or Sala di Dante (where Dante Alighieri asked the town support for the Guelphs in 1299). The ticket includes the entrance to St. Lorenzo in Ponte Church, San Gimignano Archaeological Museum and Raffele De Grada Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery, valid for 2 days.
• Sant'Agostino Church (7-12 and 15-19 from Jun to Sep; 7-12 and 15-18): 13th century church known for the frescoes of St. Agustine's life by Benozzo Gozzoli. He also made other frescoes of St. Sebastian protecting San Gimignano's inhabitants during a plage in 1464. Paying 0.50€ improves the illumination of the frescoes.
• Raffele De Grada Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery (10-19:30 from Apr to Sep; 11-17:30 from Mar to Oct; included in Town Hall's ticket): despite being located in a town with such a medieval heritage this museum of Modern art is quite surprising, with works of art of locals and some interantional artists. In the same building it's locatd San Gimignano Archaeological Museum, with remains of Etruscan, Roman and Medieval cultures.
• San Gimignano Sacred Art Museum (10-19 Mon-Fri, 10-17 Sat, 12:30-16:30 Sun from Jun to Sep; 10-19 Mon-Fri, 10-17 Sat, 12:30-16:30 Sun from Oct to May; 3.50€ /2€  adults/students and kids under 18): museum with several pieces of the duomo and other local churches, as well as some other objects from nearby towns. Some of its nicer pieces are the wooden statues The announcing Angel, Madonna or Madona della rosa.
• St. Lorenzo in Ponte Church (10-19:30 from Apr to Sep; 11-17:30 from Mar to Oct; included in Town Hall's ticket): 13th century Romanesque church with simple inside and outside. Its frescoes depicting of scenes of St. Benedict and Christ in Glory.
• San Gimignano Wine Museum (11:30-19:30; free): small museum  that shows the history of vernaccia di San Gimignano and its land. Wine testing is also available in a flat roof.  
• Museum of Death Penalty and Torture of San Gimignano (10-19 from Jun to Sep; 10-19 Sat-Sun from Oct to May; 10€ /7€  adults /reduced): museum with a sinister and curious collection of medieval torture objects (specially those used for heretics). It also relates the topic with human rights nowadays.
• Going down the town it can be reached the Medieval Fountain, 14th century fountain where people used to drew water and washed their clothes.

Duomo di San Gimignano o St. Maria Assunta Cathedral

Sant'Agostino Church

View of Volterra

Going 30 km west you can find the popular town of Volterra, a 10,290 inhabitants town that became famous after the publication of the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. But the town is much more than vampires and werewolves. One of its most important touristic points is Guarnacci Etruscan Museum (9-19 from Mar to Nov; 10-16:30 from Dec to Feb; 8€ /6€  adults/students), museum with one of the most interesting collection of Etruscan objects in Italy. Most of the objects were found in the region and has more than 600 funeral urns, whose most representative object is Urna degli sposi; its other most important attractions is Volterra City Museum and Art Gallery (9-19 from Mar to Nov; 10-16:30 from Dec to Feb; 8€ /6€  adults/students), museum with art from Siena and Florence located in Minucci Solaini Palace. 

Volterra Roman Threater

Other points worth a visit are Volterra Roman Threater (10:30-17:30 from Mar to Nov; 10-16:30 from Dec to Feb; 5€ /3€  adults/students), one of the best Roman threaters in Italy built around the 1st century BC; Alabaster Ecomuseum (9-19 from Mar to Nov; 10-16:30 from Dec to Feb; included in Volterra City Museum pass), museum that honours this material so important for Volterra, showing its production, its trade and examples of art using it or Viti Palace (guided tours), a 16th century palazzo bought by Viti family in 1850. Among the religious buildings are St. Maria Assunta Cathedral (8-12 and 14-19 from Jun to Oct; 8-12 and 14-17 from Nov to May), 12th-13th century duomo with a nice ceiling and its Oratory of the Virgin Mary has impressing works of art like the sculptures by Andrea della Robia and Journey of the Magi, by Benozzo Gozzoli. Volterra has its own version of the torture museum of San Gimigniano, Museum of Death Penalty and Torture of Volterra (10-19 from Jun to Sep; 10-19 Sat-Sun from Oct to May; 10€ /7€  adults /reduced). The town has a combined card, VolterraCard, for 16€ /13€  adults/retiree, students and kids that lasts 72 hours.
In Volterra there are many shops specialised in alabaster where buying objects done with it like Cooperativa Artieri dell'Alabastro (Piazza dei Priori 5), Alab'Arte (Via Orti San Agostino 28) or the jewelry Fabula Etrusca (Via Lungo Le Mura del Mandorlo 10).

Where can I eat in San Gimignano?

 San Gimignano is quite known for its saffron (zafferano) and its wine vernaccia di San Gimignano. The town has some interesting culinary offers like the cheap Dal Bertelli (Via Capassi 30) or the Tuscan typical restaurants Locanda Sant'Agostino (Piazza Sant'Agostino 15) and Perucà (Via Capassi 16). To eat a gelato a good idea is Gelateria Dondoli (Piazza della Cisterna 4). 
In Volterra offers some tasty choices to eat in cafes like L'Incontro (Via G. Matteotti 18), Caffè dei Fornelli (Piazza dei Fornelli 3) or the Tuscan restaurant La carabaccia (Piazza XX Settembre 4-5). A nice place to buy some artisan food is Emporio del Gusto (Via San Lino 2).

Posted in: Europe,Italy,Tuscany