Archive for 'San Gimignano'

San Gimignano is a small, medieval hill town in Siena Tuscany province of north-central Italy. The town is famous for white wine and tall medieval towers, which may be seen from several miles outside the town.

It was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Etruscans. It was the stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and Vatican during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period.

The patrician families of the town built 72 towers-houses as symbols of their wealth and power. Only 14 of these towers have survived the test of time.

Well known as a tourist attraction in and of itself, San Gimignano attracts a multitude of visitors each and every year. Some decide to stay in and around the town, looking for that small town appeal, while others make a day trip of it from one of the larger towns such as Florence and Siena. No matter what way you decide to visit, San Gimignano is a beautiful site to see. Its many towers seem to rise majestically from the landscape as you approach it.

San Gimignano is a small medieval town about 60km southwest of Florence, 70km to the western coast of Italy, and 40km from Siena. Founded by the Etruscans in the third century B.C., the town has gone from a small hamlet to a major stopping point for traders to a small tourist town well known for the wine that is grown in its region. In the middle ages the town suddenly found itself on the Via Francigena, a main road running to Rome from France and much of Europe.