San Gimignano

Tuesday morning (October 8) again looked promising so we set off for San Gimignano. It is known as the “city of beautiful towers” and is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Tuscany. Originally there were no fewer than 72 towers - 15 survive. These windowless towers were built to serve both as private fortresses and symbols of their owners’ wealth primarily amassed from their principal trades of saffron and usury. Ice cream shops in San Gimignano have an ice cream flavoured with saffron pistils - of course we had to try it and it is delicious!

The Duomo is well worth a visit but cameras are not allowed inside. The walls are entirely lined with frescoes that tell stories of the New and Old Testaments painted by illustrious painters of the Sienese School of the XIV century. In one area of the Duomo is the Chapel of Santa Fina, created by three very famous Florentine artists: architect Giuliano da Maiano, sculptor Benedetto da Maiano and painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. It is dedicated to the dearest saint of San Gimignano who, while still a girl, was afflicted by a serious illness which left her bedridden choosing to spend the rest of her days lying on a wooden board. At the moment of her death yellow violas blossomed from the board and the bells of San Gimignano rang out festively without any human hands touching the ropes.

Duomo San Gimignana

As we were on our way to buy the tickets to visit the Basilica there was a street artist doing a puppet act. I was captivated by it and had to follow the whole story about a young girl, a flower and the monster death. Very few people paid much attention but I really enjoyed it.

Opposite the Cathedral was an open courtyard where men seemed to congregate to chat.

The view from San Gimignano over the Tuscan landscape.

We lunched in Locanda San Domenico which was situated in one of the medieval buildings. It had a panoramic garden but the rain was starting. After lunch the rain hadn’t come to much so we wandered some more, until the thunder started in earnest, and got back to the car dry. As I write there is more torrential rain after another lightning display and concurrent sound effects. I am convinced that in all our trips since we retired this is the most sustained bad weather we have had.