Torre Chigi, Tuscan tower house in San Gimignano, Italy

Torre Chigi is a medieval tower house in San Gimignano that survives among a handful of other towers in the town. The structure stands near the Collegiate Church and offers views of the surrounding historic district.

Torre Chigi was built in 1280 and belonged to the Useppi family. It is now owned by the Giachi Cilemmi family. It stands in Piazza del Duomo among San Gimignano's fourteen historic towers.

The tower's name recalls the Useppi family, who built it in 1280; it now belongs to the Giachi Cilemmi family. Its first-floor portal was reached by a removable staircase, a habit from the internal feuds of medieval towns, when the steps were pulled up at night so the household could sleep safely.

Torre Chigi stands on Piazza del Duomo, beside the Collegiate Church, and is seen from the square; the sources record no visitor access to its upper levels. Look up at the rows of four putlog holes on each floor, cut for the wooden balconies that once enlarged the tower.

The first-floor portal was reached by an external staircase that could be withdrawn at night, a practice from the era of medieval city feuds when sleeping safely meant cutting off access. Each floor also shows rows of four putlog holes with brackets, traces of wooden balconies that once enlarged the usable surface.