Torre del Diavolo, Medieval tower house in San Gimignano, Italy.
Torre del Diavolo is a medieval tower house standing on Piazza della Cisterna, the main square of San Gimignano in Tuscany. It rises noticeably above the surrounding buildings, with a plain stone facade and narrow windows typical of the residential towers that once filled this town.
The tower was built in the 13th century, when wealthy families in San Gimignano competed to build the tallest tower as a sign of power and status. That rivalry shaped the skyline so strongly that the town still looks much the same today.
The tower takes its name from a story: an owner once returned to find it taller than he remembered, and blamed the devil for the change. That story stuck, and today the name is the first thing guides mention when they pass through Piazza della Cisterna.
The tower is best seen from Piazza della Cisterna, where you can step back and take in the full height of the building from the outside. Going early in the morning gives you more space and a quieter view of the square.
At its peak, San Gimignano had over 70 towers, but only around 14 survive today, making each one a rare trace of that period. Torre del Diavolo is one of the few that kept its original name across the centuries, which is itself an unusual thing for a building of this age.
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