San Gimignano is one of the symbols of the Italian Middle Ages. Known as “the town of fine towers” for the many noble towers that outline its profile, the city is located in the very heart of Tuscany and is party to a virtuous dialogue with the surrounding landscape. It flourished between the fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries, when it became a jewel of Medieval town planning and a precious box of unequalled art masterpieces. It has been preserved virtually untouched in its fourteenth-century layout, thus offering a truly authentic historical, architectural and artistic testimony of its time.
[expand title=”From the origins to the Middle Ages”]
The origin of this little town located in a territory of Etruscan settlements is still uncertain today. Tradition tells about two patrician young men, accomplices of Catiline, who took refuge in the Valdelsa area to escape punishment in Rome and thus founded two settlements; one of these, Silva, originated San Gimignano. But the true history seems to be different, since the finding of some Hellenistic tombs would date the birth of this town in that period. The elevated position on a hill makes San Gimignano a strategic point that dominates the surrounding valley. According to the legend, the name of the city derives from the name of the bishop of Modena who defended the village from Attila’s army with a miracle (but Attila lived many years after the death of the saint!). The city started to grow during the Middle Ages, with the first documentary evidence appearing in 929, and became an important centre along the Via Francigena, the road used by pilgrims to reach Rome from central Europe. Initially a feud of the Bishop of Volterra, San Gimignano set up as a free Commune in 1199. In spite of harsh political struggles, the centuries of the late Middle Ages were a flourishing period for the city: the production of Greek wine and of the famous Vernaccia, the trade of fabrics, the practice of lending money at very high interest rates, agricultural activities and saffron crops transformed this town into one of the richest centres of Tuscany. But this grandiose period did not last for long; the plague of the first decades of the fourteenth century exterminated one third of its citizens and the growing power of Florence condemned San Gimignano to a slow decay. Although this sudden loss of significance led to the destruction or deterioration of many buildings and towers, the historic centre of the Commune has been preserved till today. Only a few small architectural changes were made to the town after the fourteenth century.[/expand]
[expand title=”The towers: symbols of a growing and fighting city…”]
Only 14 of the 72 fourteenth-century towers have remained today, and they are the symbol of the city. The towers, that were erected starting from the tenth century, are the emblem of the wealthiest local families because of the huge capitals that were needed to build them. Each family had one and the increase in their numbers proves the great growth of San Gimignano throughout the Middle Ages and the continuous confrontation and rivalry between the most well-off families. These tall buildings, together with the new city walls and the large gates, were the symbols of a wealthy and definitely well-established city in the regional scenario. The towers, which were primarily built for dwelling purposes, initially had a very solid and spartan architecture, with thick walls to ensure heat insulation, very few openings, internal partitions designed to protect its dwellers from the risk of fires, and kitchens always at the top floor. It was only between the twelfth and the thirteenth century that the Pisan construction model was adopted, with the creation of larger openings and wooden balconies that considerably expanded the internal space.[/expand]
[expand title=”Churches, palaces, public buildings: the artistic heart of San Gimignano”]
During the thirteenth century, palatial structures were built beside towers. Bricks were extensively used again, thus permitting the partial or total abandonment of the more expensive stone. Both the wealthiest members of society and the representatives of Communal power dedicated to the construction of many palaces inspired to the various traditions that were developing in the major cities of Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena). The Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall or Municipal Palace), built as headquarters of the Podestà, houses a collection of paintings by Pinturicchio, Filippo Lippi, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, Benozzo Gozzoli and the magnificent “Maestà” (Majesty) by Lippo Memmi. Like lay architectures, churches played an important role in the Middle Ages. The Cathedral, a valuable example of Tuscan Romanesque, has a collection of extremely worthy works in its interior. Throughout the centuries, it was enriched by the genius of some of the greatest artists of the time: Benozzo Gozzoli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Bartolo di Fredi, Jacopo della Quercia and Taddeo di Bartolo. A collection of frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli and Benedetto da Maiano, as well as works by Pollaiolo, Pier Francesco Fiorentino and Sebastiano Mainardi, are stored in the Church of Saint Augustine. But the entire hill is dotted with marvellous places of worship, almost all dating back to the Middle Ages. After the centuries of decadence, this rich artistic and architectural heritage became the keystone of the restitution of the beauty of San Gimignano to the world. The rediscovery of the city began in the late nineteenth century, in the excitement of the Communal period that accompanied the process that was leading to Unity. Declared a national monument in 1929, San Gimignano today is universally recognised and studied as one of the most beautiful jewels of Tuscany.[/expand]