There is one special village in Tuscany that has more than a dozen medieval skyscrapers
that have been standing there for 700 years. Tall stone towers like this were found in many
Tuscan towns during the Middle Ages. But in later times, most of them were torn down,
which makes these survivors of San Gimignano so unusual. No doubt this is one of the largest
collections of medieval towers in Italy. An aerial view of the center of town shows
how impressive these towers are, soaring over the other Gothic and Romanesque buildings around
them. Originally, there were 72 of these towers here back in the Middle Ages. And remarkably,
14 of the towers have survived, which is the main reason why this town is so famous.
San Gimignano was preserved in this unique way because for many centuries it was ignored and
left alone without any further development, until the 20th century, when its status as
a tourist attraction began to be recognized. These preserved buildings became a bonus for the
modern visitor who gets to experience an authentic medieval town. The highest tower reaches 170 feet,
and you can pay a small fee to climb all the way up to the top of it, where you get a fabulous view
of the old town and a delightful panorama of the Tuscan countryside. Coming up soon,
we will take you on the walk up to the top of that tower with a glorious look at the scenic vistas.
Along with these towers, many ancient stone palaces, churches and homes have
survived. Meandering pedestrian lanes connect these various sites together,
providing a delightful path to stroll along as you discover this wonderful place. From the moment you
walk inside through a gateway and the old wall, you feel magically transported into another time
and place. Sometimes called a medieval Manhattan because of its ancient skyscrapers. This program
was photographed during several visits to give you an in-depth look at this wonderful town.
Let's enjoy a walk through the main lanes and little side alleys. It doesn't take very long.
The village is so small, it's just 700 meters from north to south and about 350 meters from east to
west. So you could walk it in 20 minutes. And yet there are many wonderful things to see that will
keep you busy. While strolling along you'll enjoy picturesque views that make this town a historic
and artistic delight, along with some reminders of modern life. The historic center is mostly a
pedestrian zone where you can walk in peace. However, there are some minibuses that will
come through and service vehicles and other cars with a special permit, such as for the residents.
We're going to take you on a walk along the main street of town, via San Giovanni, then
visit the three piazzas in the middle of town. We'll climb the tower, continue along via San
Matteo. We'll have a look at an abandoned fortress and then we'll exit along one of the
interesting side streets. You'll be tempted by the many shops along the way offering clothing,
handicrafts, jewelry, souvenirs and food. One candy shop has a tempting chocolate fountain.
Along with your appreciation of history and ancient buildings,
you can do some interesting shopping here and have a nice meal at one of the outdoor restaurants.
But your main motivation in coming here is probably those ancient buildings,
so well-preserved that UNESCO has declared them a World Heritage Site.
According to UNESCO, the town is "a cultural site of exceptional value,
providing a shining example of medieval architecture with influences of Florence,
Siena and Pisa from the 12th to the 14th century." They also explain that the medieval town contains
all the elements that contribute to its outstanding universal value.
Towers and tower houses. Noble palaces, rich in stone and terracotta decorations, late Roman
churches as well as the urban pattern of streets. San Gimignano has preserved its authenticity.
The perimeter of the property is defined by two concentric rings of defensive walls.
This picturesque double arch is the Arco Della Cancelleria. It's in the middle of town today,
but in earlier times, the town was much smaller and this was actually a gate in the
wall that went around the outside of the town. The next tall gateway is the Arch of Becci that
was formerly an entrance to the old medieval town. But then the town grew a little bigger
and they expanded the walls. So this arch became a gateway from the lane into the central square,
which is Piazza Della Cisterna. We happened to be here on a Thursday morning, which is when
the main outdoor market takes place every week. So it was quite colorful. All these clothes and
things to wear and buy and jewelry and foods and lots of people out and around, including a lot of
locals looking for a good deal. This program was filmed during several different visits,
so we can show you how the Piazza Cisterna looks on a normal day. The name comes from the cistern,
or well, that's in the middle of the piazza. For a thousand years and still today, the piazza has
been the main gathering place of town. And all around it are small lanes and alleys. There
are some shops and restaurants, so it's very convenient. There is a small three-star hotel,
Leon Bianco, right on the piazza and highly rated four and a half stars out of five on TripAdvisor.
A good choice if you're spending the night here. At the center of town are three main squares, the
Piazza Cisterna, Duomo and delle Erbe, with little pedestrian lanes all around them. Piazza Duomo is
connected to Cisterna by a little passage adjacent to an open loggia in which the city government
authorities took their seats during public ceremonies happening in front of this Loggia
del Comune. The market continues in the Piazza Duomo with the church above and even higher.
the Torre Grossa, which you just might want to climb. Built in the 14th century,
it's the tallest tower in town, 54 meters high. Is Meghan wondering, Shall we climb the tower?
Of course we will. It's the highlight of your visit. To purchase your ticket,
enter the Palazzo del Popolo, the City Hall, and then start climbing. In the lower portion
you'll have solid stone steps and as you get higher, there's a well-built metal staircase
with railings that will get you right up. Midway up the steps, you can look through the window for
a preview of the big view you're about to get. If you're young and in shape, no problem. Otherwise,
go slowly and stop to rest along the way. You will get there, and what a view you will enjoy
looking down at the towers and line of ancient buildings, looking almost like toys from here,
and beyond at the landscapes of Tuscany. From the open-air platform, you get unobstructed views in
all directions. Up top, there's a massive bell which is rung on festive occasions.
Here in San Gimignano you might want to climb up the bell tower. You will get quite a view.
It's only 219 steps. It takes about 10 minutes to walk up. No elevator.
You can do it. You'll get some of the best photos of your trip.
Because this tower is in the center of town, you can look out in each of these
four directions with so many interesting and yet different neighborhoods down below.
On the west side, we can see the remains of what had been the Rocca de Montestaffoli. It
was a fortress built in 1353 by the Florentines to maintain their hold upon the town which they
had conquered. It was dismantled 200 years later by Cosimo de Medici. The greater part of it is now
a garden with an old well in the middle and ivy, figs, olives and cherries growing, where once the
Florentine soldiers were stationed. We'll go inside later.
You can see that agriculture is another very important activity here, with the vineyards
all around for many miles, specializing in the production of excellent wines, especially the
Vernachia, and many orchards of olive trees, the other great agricultural product of the area.
In the early days, saffron was another important crop used in both cooking and dyeing cloths.
The surrounding landscape of green rolling hills dotted with olive groves and vineyards
frames the town with sublime beauty. The ancient buildings cluster down below,
forming a picturesque urban landscape nearly 500 years old, shrunk within its medieval walls to
the single main street running north and south, and a couple of lanes branching off from it to
the east and west. And in this side you look down on some of the flat tops of other towers.
These towers were originally constructed for defensive purposes back in the Middle Ages,
but then after a while they became status symbols, each family trying to build higher than the next.
Later on in the middle of the 14th century, the city was conquered by Florence, and they
required most of the towers be pulled down in a way to control the local population. At least the
climb down is much easier than the climb up. Once you get past that top section, which is a rather
steep ladder with good hand railings, then you can stop again along the way and peer out the window.
The staircase can get a little busy, especially when a group of students is coming up. So you
just might have to wait your turn and let people come down that ladder before you go up it. This
was photographed during November, which is a very good time to come. The crowds are much
less than you'll find in the summertime, and the weather was very comfortable.
There is an art museum at the base of the tower which has some important paintings,
including this immense fresco by Lipo Memmi, who painted a similar, more famous fresco in Siena.
The Madonna in Glory, painted by Pintoriccio in 1512, is one of the great treasures of the city
and an Annunciation by Filippino Lippi. The museum and tower are all part of the Palazzo
Pubblico, which was the Old City Hall of San Gimignano built at the end of the 13th century.
The courtyard takes the form of a small loggia, with some original frescoes still in place on the
walls. Your admission ticket includes climbing the tower and the museum, so be sure to catch both.
Entrance to the museum and tower is right on Piazza Duomo, so it's very easy to find it.
And the Tourist Information Office is right in front. It is a most interesting piazza,
modest in size and yet second-largest in town. On the west side of this piazza, up above stands
the Duomo, also called the Collegiate Church. A beautiful wide flight of 25 stone steps flows up
to the graceful facade of the Duomo, which looks peacefully down on a square that has
seen a thousand years of incredible history. The walls of the church are entirely covered
with frescoes that tell the stories of the New and Old Testament, painted by illustrious artists of
the Sienese School of the 14th Century, and paintings by Girlandaio. This town's other
important art treasure is a series of frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, in the Church of San Agostino.
Looking down at the piazza from the steps of the Duomo, we see another
impressive building with a tall tower. It's Palazzo del Podesta which was the
house of the mayor with a large arch in the facade. That comfortable space is a major
landmark that still serves as a popular gathering place for the locals, open-air,
centrally-located and sheltered from the sun and rain. It's also useful during the weekly market
as a venue for the merchants. In the old days, these piazzas occasionally functioned as markets,
and it's quite wonderful to see how that tradition continues today, hundreds of years later.
The main lane extends on the north side of town as well, where it's called via
San Matteo line with more of those essential items for the tourists, the souvenir shops,
the cafes and restaurants, including this takeaway pizzeria, a perfect spot to grab a quick lunch.
They also have ready-made sandwiches. It's not so easy to find a place to sit down, though. Maybe
the steps of the Duomo, or join these local guys who know the good spots for sitting and talking.
Behind Palazzo Publico a path leads up to the Rocca de Montestaffoli, which is that fortress
mentioned earlier that we spotted from the top of the tower. It only takes a few minutes to walk
over there, so it makes a very worthwhile visit. The fortress was constructed back in the mid-1400s
by Florence, who had taken control of this town because San Gimignano was in
such bad shape after the plague and debt and warfare of the 1300s that they voluntarily
surrendered to Florence for protection. Now this garden and walls are all that's left.
Nearby there is an exhibit featuring a miniature three-dimensional model of the city -- gives you
a bird's eye view. After you've seen all the main sights, maybe climbed that tower, strolled
up and down the main lane, you might want to sit back and have something to eat and then continue
walking. How about exploring more of these side streets? There are quite a few residential small
lanes where you can get away from the crowd. Of course, we always like to get into the
little side alleys. That's where you get some more characteristic local life and you can see
some residents and maybe restaurants that are a little bit less expensive and more delicious.
On the back streets, you'll get a glimpse into the working life of the actual city where local
people are doing their jobs, including some metal craftsmen carrying on an old tradition.
There are few refuges in all Tuscany more secure from the rampant modernization of our time than
San Gimignano, this strangely towered city. Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include
examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture with outstanding examples of secular buildings
as well as churches. No other town or castle in Tuscany retains more of the Middle Ages and
was less changed by the centuries that followed. Situated at this remote height, out of the way of
modern industry and life, it is never lost its medieval buildings, so that it is famous today
for its accurate appearance of the late Middle Ages, especially characteristic of the conditions
of life in the 14th and 15th centuries. This proud resident of town likes to
come out and walk her dog, show off this pretty little terrier and draws
a crowd because this dog has got some charisma. So often when you're traveling and visiting these
historic sites, it's the little surprises, the local touches that mean just as much,
or more, than the history. Always fun to run into these little unexpected bonuses.
If you want to know what a Tuscan hill town was like in the 14th century, you must go. But you
will probably find you have plenty of company. It can get crowded. This video was shot mostly
in November, which is a great time to go. Not many people around and they are mostly local.
San Gimignano did not know mass tourism until the end of the 1970s. Approximately 3 million
tourists visit San Gimignano every year, which ranks it the fourth most visited place in Tuscany.
Behind number one Florence, then Siena and Pisa. As always, it's better to come in the off-season
from late October through early May so that you can enjoy it without the mass of modern crowds.
If you're coming here on a day trip by a public transit, which is a typical way tourists arrive,
it's a little complicated. There is no train station here, so you have to arrive by public
bus. And if you're coming from Florence, there is no direct bus. So you take the bus from Florence
to Poggibonsi, a nearby city, and there you change to another bus, the local bus that'll
bring you into San Gimignano. Total trip is going to take you about 2 hours one way. By
now you've seen how attractive the city is, and so it will be well worth your time to come and visit.
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