"Don't Miss San Gimignano" Top 5 Page for this destination Tuscany Favorite Tip by deecat

Favorite thing: Medieval San Gimignano should be an overnight stay. Why? You want to be there AFTER the tour buses are gone. Most tourist are "day-trippers"; if you stay overnight, you will see a completely different place.

San Gimignano is famous for its majestic towers (13 still exist) that were built by rival noble families. At that time, San Gimignano was a prosperous town. But, the plague of 1348 led to its economic downfall. In a way, that was fortunate because it remains almost untouched today.

We found this town filled with great shops (not tacky ones), rich works of art, and marvelous restaurants.

As I said in another tip, it was April 25, Liberation Day, when we visited. There were not tourist buses; rather, it was wall-to-wall Italians on holiday. We were caught up in the holiday spirit and enjoyed ourselves ever so much.

Be sure to visit Collegiata, the 11th-Century church to see the frescoes, especially "The Creation" by Bartolo di Fredi.

In addition, make sure you see the Palazzo Vecchio del Podesta whose tower is the oldest.

But if you want to climb a tower, go to the Museo Civico where you will find access to the tallest of the towers. The view is astounding.

There is also a Civic Museum here with frescoes in the courtyard, rooms with art, and antique furnishings.

Fondest memory: That evening Allan and I were walking to dinner, and we saw an older man and woman. They were classic Italian elders. I really wanted to take a photo. I pointed to my camera, and they smiled.
They moved close together with his arm around her. It was just so endearing.

This photograph was taken from our hotel room across the way to an apartment where a woman was hanging out her wash. It is such a typical everyday scene in Tuscany, and that's why I chose it for this page.