It’s hard to miss the San Gimignano towers along the Tuscan skyline near Siena, Italy. More fascinating than the medieval skyscrapers themselves, is the story of how they came to be. In its heyday, San Gimignano Italy had as many as 72 towers! When you visit one of the prettiest medieval towns, youโll discover the 14 remaining towers that remain–which are simply unforgettable. Read on to find out why.
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CONTENTS: In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to about the towers of San Gimignano (Tuscany) and more, so you can plan your visit to this beautiful Tuscan hilltown.
- How to Pronounce San Gimignano
- Where is San Gimignano?
- How to Get to San Gimignano
- The History of San Gimignano
- San Gimignano in Popular Culture References
- When to Visit San Gimignano
- The San Gimignano Towers (alphabetically)
- Where to Stay in San Gimignano (Interactive Map)
- Final Thoughts on the San Gimignano Towers
How to Pronounce San Gimignano
Before we get started, let’s make sure you’re saying “San Gimignano” right.
If you know how to roll the “gn” sound like you would in the word gnocci, you’re half way there.
If not, the g and n together make something like a Spanish รฑ, similar to the n in “Daniel.”
So, here goes.
Say, “san jimmeen-nyah-no.” The emphasis is on the third syllable.
Got it?
Close enough. Let’s begin.
Where is San Gimignano Italy?
Youโll find the medieval town of San Gimignano poised upon a Tuscan hilltop within the Val dโElsa. That’s in the province of Siena, Italy.
Its location in north-central Italy makes for an easy day trip from Florence, Pisa, and Siena alike. That’s how we saw it, as part of a 4-stop San Gimignano tour from Florence (which also included Monteriggioni, Siena, and Chianti).
For reference, itโs also just 40 minutes (16 mi./25 km) from Monteriggioni, a small but important medieval fortress.
Once you arrive in San Gimignano, multiple gates provide entry to the walled enclosure of the commune.
Related: Florence Festival Guide: Find The Best Festivals in Florence Each Month
How to Get to San Gimignano?
The most popular ways to get to San Gimignano are by car, train and bus, and on a tour. It’s a great day trip from Florence, Siena, or Pisa. Rome to San Gimignano is about 131 miles (211 km) by car, so not as convenient for a day trip at about 3 hours, but doable.*
And one of my favorite day tours from Siena is this small-group tour to San Gimignano and Volterra. It departs at 9:30 am, lasts around eight hours, and takes you on a scenic drive through Tuscany.
Along the way, you’ll stop in Monteriggioni and see an exquisite fortress built in the 13th century. You’ll then continue onwards to San Gimignano and enjoy the many medieval towers and amazing boutiques that can be found here.
Next, stop at a small family-run farm to enjoy a decadent lunch that is made with nothing but the finest of seasonal products. Finally, continue to Volterra and admire the stunning streets of the city center while stopping in a small alabaster workshop to see the historic art of sculpture. Just a fantastic way to quickly and easily see all that San Gimignano has to offer.
*If you’re coming to San Gimignano from Rome, your best option might be the half-day (4.5 hours) train ride, and then plan to stay overnight.
By Car (and Parking in San Gimignano)
You can easily reach San Gimignano from Florence or other points in Tuscany by car.
There are plenty of parking lots, but in the peak season expect them to fill up so you may need to wait a bit for a spot.
San Gimignano parking will set you back about โฌ2/hour for a maximum of โฌ20/day.
If you will be driving to Gimignano, here are general routes from Florence, Siena, and Pisa. (We recommend double-checking your route using GPS.)
- Florence to San Gimignano: Take the Firenze-Siena roadway south, exit at Poggibonsi Nord, then follow signs to San Gimignano.
- Siena to San Gimignano: Take the Siena-Firenze roadway, exit a Paggibonsi Nord, and follow the signs to San Gimignano.
- Pisa to San Gimignano: Follow the Firenze-Pisa-Livorno roadway toward Florence, exiting at Empoli Ovest. Cross south through the countryside, then follow signs for Castelfiorentino-Certaldo. From Certaldo, follow the signs to San Gimignano.
By Train/Bus
- From Florence, take one of the trains that depart regularly from the Santa Maria Novela station, arriving in just under one hour in Poggibonsi. From there, catch local bus #130 to the San Gimignano train station.
Alternatively, you can take the bus directly from Florence on the BusItalia Nord (formerly SITA). It departs from the bus depot at Santa Maria Novella and brings you to Poggibonsi. There, you can catch the local bus #130 to San Gimignano.
- From Siena, youโll take the train to Poggibonsi and the local bus #130 to San Gimignano.
Or take bus 130/A from the train station and youโll either need to change busses in in Poggibonsi or it will sometimes continue on to San Gimignano.
With a Tour Bus
Perhaps one of the best ways to get to San Gimignano is on a Tuscan Wine tour. Tours to San Gimignano from Florence make good sense. That way, you can cover a lot of ground in a day and leave navigating to San Gimignano to the tour company! Plus, the coach busses are comfortable, and air-conditioned, and some have wifi.
Thatโs what we did and we were very happy with the arrangements.
We loved our 4-stop day tour out of Florence that covered San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Siena, and Chianti. You’ll even get to taste authentic Tuscan wine and delicious olive oil along the way.
Alternatively, you could try this amazing, 12-hour day tour from Florence with stops in Siena, Chianti Hills, San Gimignano, and then finally Pisa. Not only are tickets well-priced, but it’s a quick and easy way to see as much of the region as possible – perfect for anyone short on time while in Italy.
Highlights include experiencing the stunning medieval architecture of Siena, exploring the enchanting squares of San Gimignano, admiring the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, a decadent wine tasting at a local estate in Chianti, and an organic, traditional Italian lunch at a local farmhouse.
Discover the wonders of Tuscany and beyond in our 2024 guide to Italy, a treasure trove of experiences.
San Gimignano History
San Gimignano was an important stop along the route between Rome and Canterbury for Catholic pilgrims traveling the Via Francigena in the Middle Ages. In fact, you can still see the ruins of a 12th-century pilgrimsโ shelter near the main gate.
The people of San Gimignano used this strategic location to their advantage, capitalizing on the constant influx of pilgrims.
But San Gimignano had humble beginnings.
San Gimignano was originally a small Etruscan village (3rd century BC) that grew into a prosperous commune. The walled village grew up around the town in the 6th and 7th centuries and was known as the “Castle of San Gimignano.” Today, these well-preserved buildings of Gimignano showcase Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
Like the rest of Italy, the 12th and 13th centuries were plagued by conflict between the Guelphs, who were supporters of the Pope, and the Ghibellines, who supported the Holy Roman Emperor.
This feud spurred feuds between San Gimignano families, most notably the Ardinghellis and Salvuccis.
Their economic and political rivalry led them to each build tower houses to show their wealth and power and assert dominance. They competed by building each tower greater in height than the last.
Basically, they were showing off! The higher the tower, the more important were the lords that lived there.
This started a trend so that every wealthy family built their own tower in San Gimignano. Everyone wanted a palace, but all that fit within the city walls were tall, narrow, towers.
So the nobles built more splendid towers to outdo one another and indulge in their need for status.
At one point, there were 72 tower houses up, as high as 230 feet (70 meters) tall!
That is, until the city council stepped in to put an end to this craziness.
A Height Limit to the Towers
The city council passed a law in 1255 in which no private tower could be higher than Torre Rognosa, which was part of the City Council Palace (Palazzo Comunale).
This finally ended the long rivalry.
The city flourished and even received a visit from the famous writer Dante Alighieri, who was then the ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany.
When the Black Death hit San Gimignano in 1348 (as it did all of Europe), the town lost about half of its population. The town went into decline due to cycles of famine and plague.
Many of the towers were cut down over the years or destroyed in World War II.
San Gimignano remained in its medieval state until the 19th century when it became recognized for its tourist and artistic value.
Fourteen towers remain which preserve the history of San Gimignano, a skyline visible for miles by the surrounding towns and countryside.
San Gimignano in Popular Culture References
For such an old place, San Gimignano certainly has its share of pop culture references. Even if this is your first time visiting San Gimignano, it may seem familiar.
Hereโs why:
- E.M. Forsterโs 1905 Novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread, features a fictionalized version of San Gimignano called Monteriano.
- M.C. Escherโs 1923 woodcut San Gimignano features the the San Gimignano towers.
- Most of the Assisi scenes in Franco Zeffirelliโs 1972 Saint Francis of Assisi biographical film, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, were actually filmed in San Gimignano.
- Parts of the 1999 drama Tea with Mussolini was filmed in San Gimignano. The frescoes saved from destruction in the plot are those inside the San Gimignano Duomo.
- In John Grishamโs novel, The Broker (2005), the main character rents a 14th-century monastery near San Gimignano for himself and his wife.
- The 2009 video game Assassinโs Creed II depicts a 15th-century version of San Gimignano.
You might check these out before or after your visit!
When to Visit San Gimignano
Make no mistake about it: San Gimignano is a very popular and often-crowded tourist attraction.
But there are a couple of ways to minimize the impact when you visit.
- Plan your trip for Italyโs off-season or shoulder season
- Visit San Gimignano after hours, when the tour busses have left, and stay overnight.
Otherwise, anticipate crowds.
The San Gimignano Towers
In other cities around the world, few towers remain after wars, catastrophes, or urban renewal. San Gimignano is lucky to have 14 towers intact. They include:
- Campanile della Collegiata
- Casa-torre Pesciolini
- Torre dei Becci
- Torre Campatelli
- Torre Chigi
- Torre dei Cugnanesi
- Torre del Diavolo
- Torre Ficherelli or Ficarelli
- Torre Grossa
- Torre di Palazzo Pellari
- Torre Pettini
- Torre Rognosa
- Torri degli Ardinghelli
- Torri dei Salvucci
Many of the towers were tower-houses with tiny rooms and walls that were 6.5 feet (2 meters) thick.
In these tower-houses, youโd most likely find:
- Workshops on the ground floor
- Bedrooms on the first floor
- A kitchen on the second floor
They were arranged in this way so that a fire in the kitchen would not jeapardize the living spaces. And, the bedrooms on the second floor offered a degree of protection.
In time, some tower houses were expanded to adjacent buildings and ultimately grew to a palace (palazzo).
Let’s look at each of the remaining in San Gimignano in further detail (listed alphabetically).
Campanile della Collegiata (“Bell Tower of the Collegiate”)
Itโs not clear whether the Bell Tower of the Collegiate Church (Santa Maria Assunta, San Gimignano) once belonged to an older church or was one of the tower-houses before it became part of the Duomo.
Sometimes this tower is overlooked when it comes to counting the number of remaining towers in San Gimignano.
Casa-torre Pesciolini
You’ll find Casa-torre Pesciolini, built at the end of the 13th century, on Via San Matteo.
This is both a palace and a tower in the heart of San Gimignano. It features a Florentine-style architecture, two floors, and barred windows. At the bottom, there is an Etruscan grave within a lovely garden.
You can rent an apartment in the medieval tower-palace of La Torre Nomi Pesciolini, which overlooks San Gimignano. The palace was once the residence of King Desidio dei Longobardi.
Torri degli Ardinghelli
The Ardinghelli family were the wealthiest Guelfs supporters in San Gimignano. They built these two towers located on Piazza della Cisterna on the corner with Piazza del Duomo at the end of 1200.
These two towers are not identical twins: One is narrow with hardly any windows, while the other is larger and features a set of large windows under arches.
The Torri degli Ardinghelli were originally over 3 feet (1 meter) taller than their rivalled Salvucci towers, but higher than the law allowed. So, they had to trim them to almost half their original height.
Torre dei Becci
The wealthy Becci family, merchants who held important public offices in San Gimignano, built Torre Dei Becci in the 13th century.
Youโll find it on via San Giovani near Arco dei Becci, next to one of the old portals of the city’s first defensive wall.
Torre Campatelli
This tower house built in the 12th century is hollow and almost 92 feet (28 meters) high.
The Campatelli family of Florence bought this house-tower and relevant buildings in the early 19th century.
Descendents donated it to Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), the National Trust for Italy.
You can tour Torre Campatelli as a museum, today.
Torre Chigi
The Useppi family, Sienese who settled in San Gimignano, built this tower in Piazza del Duomo in 1280. It overlooks the Collegiate Church.
Later it belonged to the Chigi-Saracini family, then the Cilemmi-Giachi family who bought Torre Chigi in 2002.
Torre Chigi is considered one of the most beautiful of the towers of San Gimignano, featuring stonework on the first three floors, then bricks and identical windows on the upper portion.
Torre dei Cugnanesi
Built in the 13th century, Torre dei Cugnanesi was once a defending structure that served as part of the old city gates.
Itโs one of the highest towers in San Gignano and was built on an old palace whose gateway to the city was the “Arco dei Becci.”
Torre del Diavolo
Torre del Diavolo is 144 feet (35 meters) tall and has a double-height portal suggestive of an old pedestrian crossing. It’s integrated with the adjacent โPalazzo dei Cortesi,โ a two-story building constructed in 1400 upon older buildings.
According to the legend, his tower got the name โThe Tower of the Devilโ when the owner declared it grew taller while he was away on a long journey. Without any way to explain the towerโs mysterious circumstances, he claimed it was the devilโs work!
Torre Ficherelli or Ficarelli
This 13th-century tower is in the Historic Centre of San Gimignano.
Torre Grossa San Gimignano
Torre Grossa or the “Big Tower” is aptly named because it is the tallest of all the San Gimignano towers at over 177 feet (54 meters) tall!
It took 11 years to build (1300-1311) next to the Palazzo Comunale on Piazza del Duomo.
At its base, you’ll find a vaulted passage. It’s coated in regular cut stones.
This is one tower you can climb when you visit San Gimignano for a view of the city and incredible Tuscan scenery. It’s an arduous 218-step climb, but the 360-degree panoramic view is well worth it. A ticket to the Civic Museum grants you access to Torre Grossa.
Torre di Palazzo Pellari
Built in the early 13th century, youโll find the tower of the Palazzo Pellari in Piazza Pecorini. It has no windows and an arched roof.
Torre Pettini
Attached to the Pettini Palazzo, the Torre Pettini stands across from the twin towers of the Torri dei Salvucci. You’ll find it on Via Oro near Santa Chiara, just north of Piazza del Duomo.
It is one of the lowest towers in the city, at bout 98 feet (30 meters) high.
Torre Rognosa
This well-preserved tower built in about 1200 reaches over 170 feet (52) high. It’s almost square in shape, with a small window that faces the Piazza della Cisterna.
Its former owners included the Gregori family and then the Oti family.
After the mayor moved to a new palace, Torre Rognosa was used as a prison until the 14th century.
At the terrace on the top, a bell was used to alarm the town of danger. Now, the bell simply marks the hours.
Youโll find Torre Rognosa on Piazza del Duomo.
Torri dei Salvucci
The Salvucci’s were spice traders and the archrivals to the Ardinghelli family. The Salvucci Towers are San Gimignanoโs version of the twin towers. You have to admit, they look a lot like New York City’s twin towers, lost in 9/11.
You’ll find the Torri dei Salvucci in Piazza delle Erbe.
At one point in time, their height was reduced because they exceeded the 170-foot (52-meter) maximum set by city hall. Instead, the Salvucci family opted to build two 130-foot (40-meter) towers to feed their ego and fuel the competition with the Ardinghellis.
One was called โTorre Salvucci Minoreโ and the other was “Torre Salvucci Maggiore.”
You can tour these two towers when you visit San Gimignano. The taller one (Maggiore) has 10 floors connected by 160 stairs–and you can even rent this single apartment with a panoramic terrace!
Where to Stay in San Gimignano (Interactive Map)
Like any popular destination in Tuscany, San Gimignano is home to a wealth of amazing hotels that you might want to overnight at. Therefore, it can be difficult to decide where to stay and what accommodations might be perfect for you.
So, to help you with this process, here is a list of some of the best hotels that San Gimignano – amazing accommodations that will give you an authentic feel for what life in Tuscany is really like.
- Villasanpaolo Spa Hotel San Gimignano – This enchanting, four-star hotel is tucked away inside a 19th-century Tuscan villa that is surrounded by olive groves on a three-hectare estate. It is also located just six kilometers from the center of town and features a fantastic selection of rooms that include either private patios or balconies. Various other on-site amenities include a fantastic spa, an outdoor pool, two different restaurants, a wine cellar, a poolside bar, and a delicious, breakfast buffet.
- Fattoria San Donato – This well-priced hotel is set amidst the rolling hills of San Gimignano and sits inside a rustic farmhouse. Step inside and you’ll discover three classic, Tuscan-style apartments that feature stone walls, vintage furniture, wood ceilings, working fireplaces, living rooms, and cozy kitchenettes. Also included with your stay is a complimentary breakfast buffet, as is access to an on-site restaurant, a charming outdoor pool, and a fantastic little garden.
- Hotel L ‘Antico Pozzo – Hidden away inside a former convent from the 17th-Century, this stunning hotel is just a 4-minute walk from the center of town and features well-appointed rooms with antique furniture, four-poster beds, wood-beamed ceilings, and optional room service, A complimentary breakfast buffet is also included with your stay and can be enjoyed in a formal dining room that overlooks an enchanting, courtyard terrace.
Be sure to compare popular hotel booking platforms, like booking.com, expedia.com, and hotels.com to get the best deals.
Or, you can use this full-featured interactive map to hone in on your preferences.
Tip: You can adjust the dates, budget, and filters, as well as zoom in/zoom out to narrow down your options. Adjust the filters to explore tours, restaurants, and other attractions here, too!
Final Thoughts on the San Gimignano Towers
When envisioning your San Gimignano day trip, can you imagine this rivalry between families, each wishing to assert a statement of the greatest wealth and power through the San Gimignano towers? It’s a little bit like “keeping up with the Jones’,'” but in the Middle Ages.
Even though only 14 of the towers remain in San Gimignano, they are magnificent structures and a sort of Medieval “Who’s-Who”. Each tower is a monumental remembrance of the families who built them more than 6 centuries ago.
I think it’s fair to say, they will never be forgotten.
About Jackie Gately, editor-IN-CHIEF
I'm Jackie Gately, your travel confidante and the creative force behind Enjoy Travel Life, awarded the "Best Casual-Luxury Lifestyle Blog (USA)" in Travel and Tourism by LUXlife Magazine for four consecutive years. With 25 years of published expertise, I'm a seasoned writer, editor, and photographer curating inspiring travel guides and lifestyle tips for empty nesters. I hope to kindle your spirit of exploration, encouraging you to overcome obstacles and turn your dreams into reality. Learn to minimize your pre-travel angst and maximize the joy of exploration with insights from my experiences. Let's make every adventure a celebration of this exciting phase of life! Follow my social channels for more inspiration.
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