San Gimignano in Tuscany: the Manhattan of the Middle Ages

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On peak days, there are up to 20,000 tourists for just under 8,000 villagers: San Gimignano in Tuscany is known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages". 

In the Middle Ages, there were more than 70 "skyscrapers" in San Gimignano; today, 13 still tower into the sky. Built back then because the inhabitants fought each other so often, the medieval towers now attract up to three million visitors a year.

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The Manhattan of Tuscany

Agriculture and trade made San Gimignano a prosperous town between 1000 and 1300. In particular, the valuable spice saffron and the Vernaccia wine varieties were cultivated, wool was traded and money was lent. 

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Profitable location on the pilgrimage route

The development was supported by the special geographical location: the town was on the "Via Francigena", the pilgrimage route to Rome at the time. In addition, the route to the harbour of Pisa led via San Gimignano. Pilgrims and travellers stopped to rest, spend money and stock up on supplies. The town grew to 13,000 inhabitants. In 1199, San Gimignano declared its independence from the Bishop of Volterra and became a free municipality.

Family feuds in the Middle Ages

Where there was a lot to earn, there was also a lot of strife: Family feuds dominated everyday life in the Middle Ages. The supporters of the papacy, the Guelphs, fought with the supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor, the Ghibellines. The former wanted more power for the pope, the latter more power for the emperor. 

In case of emergency, the rich aristocratic and merchant families built themselves so-called "gender towers" - the higher, the more powerful and wealthy. 

A life in the dark

For safety reasons, a gender tower had no door on the ground floor; the upper floors could only be reached via a rope ladder. In the event of an attack, the ladder was pulled up; attackers were fended off with hot oil, stones, sticks and the like. 

Due to the risk of fire, the kitchen had to be located at the top of the tower, which made everyday life in the rest of the building gloomy, stuffy and clammy. The rooms were very cramped, usually only one metre by two metres, and the walls were around two metres thick. 

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The families who could afford it had a palazzo next to their tower - for a comfortable life in times of peace. From the middle of the 12th century, comfort played an increasingly important role and the openings in the towers became wider. 

Danger of collapse

Out of rivalry, the towers were built higher and higher in the 13th century - even over 70 metres. This led to collapses. After the completion of the "Torre Grossa" at the beginning of the 14th century, it was decided that no tower could be taller than the tower of the local town hall. The "Torre Grossa" measures a spectacular 54 metres.

The plague leads to ruin

The plague hit the town hard in 1348: according to local reports, two thirds of the population died. San Gimignano became impoverished and submitted to Florence in 1352. A decline began that would last for centuries.

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Due to a lack of funds, the centre of San Gimignano remained unchanged: No new buildings were erected, no new squares were created. For centuries, San Gimignano remained as it was in the Middle Ages - frozen in time. 

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After the Second World War, the rebirth began: the Middle Ages became a popular topic and interest in the history of the small Tuscan town increased. Restoration work began and tourists started to arrive. In 1990, Unesco declared the historic centre a World Heritage Site.

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• At Torture MuseumMuseo della Tortura", there is a collection of instruments of torture.
• Famous white wine: the protected "Vernaccia di San Gimignano". More in the wine documentation centre of the municipality (HERE, external link)
• Also the Saffron of the region has had a protected designation of origin since 2005.
• The Ancient Roman pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena (Franconian Way), leads through the city. It takes about three hours to walk to Gambassi Terme and about 30 kilometres to Monteriggioni in the south.

Travel tips

Viewing

The Torre Grossa is the only tower that is open to the public. It's worth the climb - the view is fantastic! The admission ticket is valid for all public museums on site (City Hall, Picture Gallery and Torre Grossa). The ticket costs 9 euros, reduced 7 euros (students, senior citizens, people with disabilities).

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Accommodation

There are more than 100 guesthouses and hotels in and around San Gimignano: everything is possible, from rustic and simple to opulent and luxurious, centrally located in the town or outside in an agriturismo, a holiday on a farm. Hotel rooms with private bathrooms are available from just over 100 euros in high season. 

Arrival

• Car: The historic city centre is closed to cars from outside. There are four paid, signposted car parks outside the city, two in the south (Parcheggio P1 Giubileo, P2 Montemaggio) and two in the north ("P3 Bagnaia Superiore" and "Parcheggio P4 Bagnaia Inferiore".

• TrainThe nearest railway station is in Poggibonsi, from where you can continue by bus or taxi. The journey takes just under 20 minutes. There are regular connections from Florence and Siena to Poggibonsi. 

• Flight: The nearest airports are in Florence (61 kilometres), Pisa (75 kilometres) and Bologna (150 kilometres).

Here you come to the official tourist information from San Gimignano

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