"San Gimignano" San Gimignano by elva199
San Gimignano Travel Guide: 397 reviews and 1,208 photos
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Such prosperity lead to the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches and monasteries. In 1199 it became a free municipality and fought against the Bishops of Volterra and the surrounding municipalities. Due to internal power struggles it eventually divided into two factions one headed by the Ardinghelli family (Guelphs) and the other by the Salvucci family (Ghibellines). On the 8th May 1300 Dante Alighieri came to San Gimignano as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. In 1348 San Gimignano's population was drastically reduced by the Black Death Plague throwing the city into a serious crisis which eventually led to its submission to Florence in 1353. In the following centuries San Gimignano overcame its decline and isolation when its beauty and cultural importance together with its agricultural heritage were rediscovered. The construction of the towers dates back to the 11th and 13th centuries. The architecture of the city was influenced by Pisa, Siena and Florence. There are 14th century paintings of the Sienese School to be seen and 15th century paintings of the Florentine School.
San Gimignano Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "Small town with lots of towers"
- "The Town with Towers"
- "San Gimignano delle belle torri"
- "San Gimignano"
- "San Gimignano"
- "San Gimignano, City of Towers"
- "Under the Tuscan Sun"
- See All...
Explore the World
Badges & Stats in San Gimignano
- 0 Reviews
- 1 Photos
- 0 Forum posts
- 0 Comments
- 289PageViews
- See All Stats
- See All Badges (4)
Have you been to San Gimignano?
Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in San Gimignano
- created a San Gimignano Travel Page "San Gimignano"
- Uploaded a Photo to "San Gimignano"
Top 5 Pages
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Dalian
Intro, 49 reviews, 53 photos
-
Dali
Intro, 9 reviews, 11 photos
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Knokke-Heist
Intro, 7 reviews, 8 photos
-
Hong Kong
Intro, 3 reviews, 8 photos
-
Shenyang
Intro, 2 reviews, 3 photos
Friends
See All Friends (24)Latest San Gimignano hotel reviews
- Fattoria San Donato
- 107 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 16, 2013 - L'Antico Pozzo
- 283 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 20, 2013 - Tenuta Torciano
- 38 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Mar 27, 2013 - Il Lazzeretto
- 4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 22, 2012 - Podere La Marronaia
- 16 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 24, 2013 - Poggioluglio Apartments
- 1 Review & Opinion
Latest: Oct 7, 2012 - Casolare di Libbiano
- 66 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 1, 2013 - Relais Santa Chiara Hotel
- 200 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 13, 2013 - Agriturismo Poggio ai Cieli
- 6 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Mar 25, 2013 - Hotel Sovestro San Gimignano
- 116 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 12, 2013 - Vecchio Asilo Hotel San Gimignano
- 235 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 8, 2013 - La Mezzana Rossa
- 6 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 19, 2009 - Leon Bianco
- 204 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2013 - Hotel Bel Soggiorno
- 71 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 21, 2013 - Sangi Apartments
- 11 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 4, 2012

Comments