San Gimignano

San Gimignano stands on the profile of its towers, dominating a 334 meter hill overlooking the Val d'Elsa. Originally a small Etruscan settlement from the Hellenistic age (3rd-2nd century BC), the city began its history around the 10th century, taking its name from San Gimignano, the bishop of Modena who, according to legend, saved the village from Barbarian Invasions. During the Middle Ages, San Gimignano prospered thanks to the Via Francigena that crossed the territory, leading to an extraordinary flourishing of works of art that adorned churches and convents.

In 1199 it became a free municipality, fighting against the bishops of Volterra and other neighboring municipalities. It went through internal struggles divided between the Guelphs of the Ardinghelli and the Ghibellines of the Salvucci. In 1300 it hosted Dante Alighieri, ambassador of the Guelph league in Tuscany. The terrible plague of 1348 and the subsequent decimation of the population threw San Gimignano into a serious crisis, finally leading it to submit to Florence. Only in the following centuries, thanks to the rediscovery of its beauty and cultural importance, did the city begin to recover from degradation and abandonment.