San Gimignano, Medieval hilltop town in Tuscany, Italy
San Gimignano is a commune on a hilltop in the Province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy. The pale stone buildings are enclosed by medieval defensive walls, and inside the ring you walk through narrow cobbled lanes between towers and facades dating from the 13th and 14th centuries.
The town arose in the 11th century as a stop on the Via Francigena pilgrimage road running from Canterbury to Rome. During the Middle Ages there were 72 towers built by wealthy families as signs of their influence, and they gradually disappeared after wars and plagues in the 14th century.
The name comes from a bishop of Modena who passed through in the 4th century, and the church of San Gimignano was later dedicated to him. Today you can see craft workshops in the alleys, small shops selling local saffron, and wine cellars producing Vernaccia, a pale white wine from the area.
You can reach the place by bus from Florence and Siena several times a day, and parking is available outside the town walls. The streets are mostly cobbled and often steep, so comfortable shoes are helpful, especially if you climb the towers.
The oldest surviving pharmacy in Europe, the Spezieria di Santa Fina, sits in a medieval room inside the hospital and preserves ceramic jars and tools from the 15th century. In a small museum next door you can see the original furniture and recipe books from the Renaissance.
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