The Medieval Manhattan

As you crest the hill coming from the east, the 14 towers of San Gimignano look like a medieval Manhattan. The towers, which once numbered 72, were symbols of the power and wealth of the city's medieval families. San Gimignano delle Belle Torri is surrounded by lush, productive land and the setting is altogether enchanting.

San Gimignano was the first Tuscan town on our list of places to vsit.  We decided to wait until the late afternoon to visit the town due to the heat and also due to fact we had been advised that the tour buses leave at around 5pm.  When we arrived in San Gimignano there were still plenty of tourists around, but the streets were far from crowded.

We parked the car and headed towards the main square, the Piazza della Cisterna, visiting several of the souvenir shops and art galleries on the way.  Our first Italian ice cream of the holiday was purchased while we enjoyed the sights of this beautiful medieval city.

We also visited the San Gimignano 1300 museum which contains a ceramic recreation of the city as it existed in 1300.

Driving back to our base near Barberino we stopped to take some pictures of San Gimignano from across the valley.

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