A small Etruscan town existed in the 3rd century BC on the site of the current town of San Gimignano. In the 1st century two brothers, Mucchio and Silvio, built two castles named Mucchio and Silvia. The name Silvia was changed to San Gimignano in 450AD after Bishop Geminianus, the Saint of Modena, intervened to prevent the destruction of the castle by followers of Attila the Hun.
A church was built and in the 6th and 7th centuries a walled village grew around the castle and the church. The town sits on the medieval road, Via Francigena and in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era San Gimignano became a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Rome.
Conflicts between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines in the medieval period resulted in the competitive building of tower houses. Towards the end of this period there were 72 towers up to 70 metres tall until the local comune called a halt to any tower higher than the one beside the Palazzo Comunale.
The remains of these towers are a feature of this beautiful town. There are 14 towers left largely intact and they are clearly visible from the roads towards the town.
It was a cloudy day when I visited before the most recent lockdown and I stopped when the towers came into view.
I went on and parked at the car park opposite Porta San Giovanni, one of the entrances to the town. By then sunshine had appeared.
The view from the square in front of the entrance is Tuscany at its loveliest.
I walked up Via San Giovanni towards the Piazza della Cisterna, the main square of the town.
The well in the centre of the piazza was the main water source for the residents of San Gimingnano. The piazza dates from the 1300s. It was renovated in the late 20th century but some of the original paving remains.
Walking past the piazza I quickly came to the Piazza del Duomo, home of the Collegiate church, the Palazzo Comunale and the Palazzo Podesta
I continued down Via San Matteo to my accommodation Hotel L’Antico Pozzo.
The hotel was excellent. I will show you in the next post about San Gimignano, along with some views of the surrounding countryside, the town at night and a great restaurant. There is much to love about this gorgeous hill top Tuscan town.