A first visit to San Gimignano

Last updated on: May 10, 2016 at 3:50 pm by Dan Peterson

Towers of San Gimignano — The hilltop town of San Gimignano once boasted more than seventy of these skyscraper-like towers — it’s been called a “medieval Manhattan” — but today only a dozen remain.
(Wikimedia Commons)

We spent a substantial part of our day today in the picturesque medieval town of San Gimignano, not terribly far from Siena.

Looking northward toward San Gimignano — A view of San Gimignano from the south (Wikimedia Commons)

It’s a gem. Really a gem. Stepping inside the walls, you’ve essentially entered the Middle Ages. I would love to spend an evening within the gates.

We devoted most of our time to wandering in and around the Collegiata, the so-called “cathedral” of the town — technically, it’s not a cathedral, because there is no bishop in San Gimignano — which was built in the mid-twelfth century.

Exterior of the Collegiata — The very plain facade of the Collegiata suggests absolutely nothing of the riches within.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Frescoes from the Collegiata — The interior of the Collegiata is entirely covered with late medieval frescoes illustrating the creation of the world, stories of the Old and New Testaments (such as these of the life of Christ), the story of the local girl canonized as St. Fina, and so forth. Magnificent. (Wikimedia Commons)

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