The medieval Manhattan, with its skyline of stone towers
In the Middle Ages the rich families of San Gimignano competed by building ever taller towers: there were once around seventy, and fourteen still stand, giving the hill town its unmistakable skyline. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At its heart, Piazza della Cisterna, with its thirteenth century well, and Piazza del Duomo are framed by towers and palaces. The Collegiata is entirely covered with frescoes of the Old and New Testament, and the Palazzo Comunale holds the civic museum and the Torre Grossa, the tallest tower that can be climbed. In Sant'Agostino, Benozzo Gozzoli painted the life of St Augustine.
Tip: day-trippers fill the streets at midday; stay overnight to enjoy the town at dawn and sunset. Try the local white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, and the prize-winning gelato in Piazza della Cisterna.
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