Historic Centre of San Gimignano, Medieval town center in Tuscany, Italy.

The Historic Centre of San Gimignano is a medieval town core in Tuscany with 14 surviving towers rising above terracotta roofs. Narrow streets and stone buildings occupy the space within 13th-century defensive walls.

The town grew in importance during the 11th century as a key stop along the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route running from France to Rome. This trading position shaped its development and drew wealth to the community.

The cathedral displays elaborate frescoes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament, painted by artists of the Sienese school. These artworks define the interior of the sanctuary and tell biblical stories across its walls.

The town center is easy to explore on foot, with open streets and level ground on most main routes. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as some side streets are uneven and the terrain slopes upward toward the town edges.

Fourteen towers remain of the roughly 72 built in the 13th and 14th centuries, when noble families competed to raise the tallest and finest. Seven of them ring the Piazza del Duomo. The tallest, at 54 m, belongs to the Palazzo del Popolo, now the town museum.