Visiting San Gimignano was one of the highlights of our Italian adventure last year. I took hundreds of San Gimignano photos and couldn’t get enough of the ancient medieval towers with the incredible Tuscan countryside acting as the canvas.
San Gimignano Photos: The Towers are seen for miles around, like sentries standing guard over an ancient civilisation.
San Gimignano Photos
San Gimignano, or Town of Fine Towers, is a tiny village on a hilltop in the province of Siena, Tuscany, a couple of hours south of Florence. It is world-famous for it’s 14 medieval towers which still stand sentry within the walled town.
During the Middle Ages there used to be 72 towers, some over 50 meters in height, built by the richest families in the town. Much like modern-day Dubai, the families competed to have the tallest towers to demonstrate their power and wealth.
Of course that meant they were a beacon for any marauding Romans from out of town and the village was attacked countless times. Luckily San Gimignano is a UNESCO world heritage site to protect this incredible village forever.
We visited San Gimignano while we were exploring Tuscany by Scooter and could easily have stayed here for more than half a day.
San Gimignano Photos: A Tuscan villa and vineyard outside the San Gimignano city walls.
San Gimignano Photos: Many locals have taken up painting to showcase their beautiful village and sell them in all the tourist shops.
Visiting San Gimignano: Piazza Cisterna. Just one of the many squares.
Visiting San Gimignano: The San Gimignano Twin Towers.
Visiting San Gimignano: The narrow cobbled streets are only fit for walking inside the city walls.
San Gimignano Photos: The locals brought their own chairs to watch over the bustling tourists in the Piazza.
San Gimignano Photos: Locals resting from the summer sun under the arches.
Photos of San Gimignano: The San Gimignano Towers rise above the small village.
Photos of San Gimignano: One of the many Churches in San Gimignano.
Photos of San Gimignano: Birds eyeview from one of San Gimignano Towers over Tuscany.
Photos of San Gimignano: Adela hiking between the ancient towers.
Visiting San Gimignano
Getting to San Gimignano from Florence
San Gimignano is approximately 60 km south of Florence and is relatively easy to get to. To get to San Gimignano from Florence on public transportation, jump on a bus or train from Florence to Poggibonsi. From Poggibonsi you can catch a local bus to San Gimignano.
If arriving by car then you will have to park outside the city walls and explore on foot.
We stayed in Certaldo, which is another medieval village in the Tuscan countryside, and it was only a short train ride to Poggibonsi.
The other alternative is to take a tour from Florence to San Gimignano. They will pick you up from Florence and show you the sights around the rest of Tuscany too.
Extra Travel Tip: San Gimignano Gelato
Don’t forget to buy a delicious gelato from Sergio who is the master ice cream maker at the world famous Gelateria di Piazza. It is located in the central Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano and will be easy to spot due to the horrendous lines out the door.
Included in his locally sourced flavours are Crema di Santa Fina (cream with saffron and pine nuts), Champelmo (pink grapefruit and sparkling wine), and Dolceamaro (cream with aromatic herbs).