San Gimignano is a small, medieval town in the province of Siena, Tuscany. Driving from Florence, the thousand-year old towers of the city, wink from behind the hills, sending out an invitation to step into a perfectly preserved medieval world. The foundation of San Gimignano dates back to ancient times, the first historical document mentioning the name of the town dating from August 929
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By Ela Vasilescu – Writer
www.writerinflorence.com
San Gimignano is a small, medieval town in the province of Siena, Tuscany. Driving from Florence, the thousand-year old towers of the city, wink from behind the hills, sending out an invitation to step into a perfectly preserved medieval world.
The foundation of San Gimignano dates back to ancient times, the first historical document mentioning the name of the town dating from August 929, when Ugo di Provenza donated to the Bishop of Volterra the so-called Mount of the Tower “prope Sancto Geminiano adiacente”. During the bitter political dispute between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines, the Commune developed and prospered in agricultural activities from the production of saffron, Greek wine, and Vernaccia, to the commerce of wool, and finally fell into decline after the plague of 1348, when two thirds of the population was decimated.
Nowadays, San Gimignano is one of the most popular, touristic places in Tuscany, enchanting the visitors with its cobblestone, narrow streets, historic churches and beautiful, cozy piazzas. The most beautiful square in town is by far Piazza della Cisterna, hosting many shops and taverns. The name of the square comes from the octagonal fountain placed in the middle, built in 1273, the main source of water at the time, now the perfect place to sit and admire the towers and buildings surrounding it. The setting of the square takes tourists back in time, to a magical place, when the walls of the town hosted an ancient world, filled with traditions and habits that can still be felt in the atmosphere.
The “Historic Centre of San Gimignano”, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place not to be missed when visiting Tuscany, where history abounds from every corner through architecture, handmade decorative pieces sold in every street shop, or through the enticing flavors of the local products. The town is the perfect place to escape and breath in the medieval air for a few hours, eat an exquisite gelato, and get lost into the charm of the streets.
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