San Gimignano is a much loved city in Tuscany, famous for its practically intact medieval urban fabric. From the parking lot to the contemporary art routes in the city, here are some very original sightseeing tips.
La Tuscany. it is certainly one of the most loved and known destinations by travelers from all over the world. Among the most amazing destinations of this amazing region is the medieval city of Saint Gimignano, famous for its practically intact medieval urban fabric. History has stopped here, this important stage on the via Francigena still attracts many visitors. Every year thousands of people walk its narrow alleys in the shadow of the towers and there is no need to explain why: it is so exceptional that UNESCO has put it on the list of sites World Heritage Site.
In this post I propose five tips to make your visit to San Gimignano out of the box, low cost and certainly unforgettable.
1. Parking in San Gimignano
It seems trivial but finding a parking with honest prices is that experience that does not leave us with the feeling of having been "plucked like chickens". San Gimignano is protected from private traffic with a ZTL for obvious reasons, its conformation does not allow anyone to move freely. The limitation of traffic favors the enjoyment: if you arrive here with your car you will have to find a place outside the walls. There are several parking lots and the prices increase the closer you get to the historic center. Since the distances are limited, however, choose the farthest one: walk a little and save a few euros.
2. Towers to visit
Of the 72 from the Middle Ages, 14 remain. Some exceed 50 meters in height: they are powerful examples of defensive but also residential architecture. The advice is to go and look for them, all 14, to go into the most hidden streets. One of those that can be visited is the Campatelli tower, the only one that appears inside with an empty volume and set up as a home. This is the home of the Campatelli family, who then left it to the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) in 2005.
3. Fortress of Montestaffoli
This fortification is reached after a short walk from the famous Piazza del Duomo: it is a fortress built by the Florentines to house the troops once the city was handed over to Florence. The fortress stands on a hill, it is a bit dilapidated but keeps parts intact like a tower from which you can enjoy an extraordinary view of San Gimignano and its incredible skyline, as well as the Valdelsa, one of the sweetest and most harmonious areas of Tuscany. Going up here, now that the area has become a public park, is a moment of pure beauty.
4. Contemporary Art in San Gimignano
The Rocca di Montestaffoli is also one of the stops on the route Contemporary art in the city. Does San Gimignano's vocation to contemporary art surprise you? There are private galleries with temporary exhibitions, such as Galleria Continua (in via del Castello) and permanent installations by Italian and international artists such as Jannis Kounellis, Kiki Smith, Anish Kapoor, Luciano Fabro, Eliseo Mattiacci, Silvia Beghè and others. A dialogue between the Middle Ages and the contemporary: it works here.
5. The Church of Sant'Agostino
With a short walk between houses and gardens you reach this beautiful church of Romanesque origin located in the lower part of the town, near Porta San Matteo: is the place where you can visit an extraordinary cycle of frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, a very active Renaissance artist in Valdelsa. The frescoes decorate the main chapel and represent scenes from the Life of St. Augustine. In the church there are also a table by Piero del Pollaiolo and an altar by Benedetto da Maiano, the terracotta floor is instead by Andrea della Robbia. All Tuscan artists very popular in the Renaissance.
All suggestions for visits, excluding the Campatelli tower, are free. But of course San Gimignano has its own system of Civic Museums (Civic Museum - Torre Grossa - Art Gallery - Archaeological Museum - Spezieria Santa Fina - Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art "Raffele De Grada" - San Lorenzo in Ponte) which can be visited with a cumulative ticket lasting 2 days, the cost is accessible.
