San Gimignano – Who Built the Ancient Skyline in Italy?
The first historical evidence of a place named ‘prope Sancto Geminiano adiacente’ (meaning: next to San Gimignano) was in the year 929. This fertile hillside location of the Val d’Elsa was donated to the bishop of Volterra. At that time, it was one of the villages used as a stopping site along the Via Francigena, the pilgrim route. Moreover, San Gimignano was also near the ancient Roman road of Via Romea in Italy.
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Due to its favourable location for the pilgrims travelling to Rome, San Gimignano developed in the Middle Ages into an important town. A small agricultural community arose – with the production of wine, saffron and wool. San Gimignano had about 13,000 inhabitants and was enclosed by a massive town wall at its peak around the first half of the 14th century,
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The remarkable towers in the village, 334 m (1,100 ft) above sea level, were built by wealthy patrician families in the 12th and 13th centuries. In San Gimignano’s heyday, the number of towers rose to 72, symbolising the wealth and power of the proprietors. Every family, who could afford it, built a tower to show its status in society and its economic power. Often, it was rich families like merchants and moneylenders who could spend the amount required to raise such a tower.
The medieval towers housed the family in small rooms with few openings and sufficiently thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and to insulate in winter. The ground floor was often used for workshops.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Photo: Travel In Culture
From the end of the 12th century, the towers changed a bit of character. Bricks were introduced, bigger spaces and wider openings saw the light of day, and lower buildings began to line the towers. The architectural style from Pisa and other Tuscan towns also began to influence the style.
When the Black Death arrived in 1348, it was the start of San Gimignano’s downturn. The village saw a decline in the number of pilgrims and other visitors, weakening the small community. Eventually, Florence took over the control.
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San Gimignano skyline | Photo: Travel In Culture
Today, only 14 towers have survived. Some of these are the Torre Grossa, the Chigi Tower, the Pettini Tower and the Salvucci Tower, to mention a few. Nevertheless, there are remains of the foundations of several others.
San Gimignano became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. Today, the still-existing towers stand on a Tuscan hilltop, as maybe the most peculiar ancient skyline the world knows of!
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San Gimignano Skyline in Italy
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San Gimignano Italy:
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