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San Giminiano
San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating Val d’Elsa (the Valley of river Elsa) with its towers. Its history dates back to the Hellenistic period (200-300 B.C.) when it began as an Etruscan settlement, but we can start to refer to it as a town around the Xth century, when it was named San Gimignano after the Holy Bishop of Modena, who is said to have saved the town from the Barbarian invasions. The town witnessed a major economical and architectural development during the Middle Ages, as the "Via Francigena" (the Rome to France trading and pilgrim's route) ran exactly through it. In 1199 it became a free borough and fought against the Bishops of Volterra and the surrounding towns. Due to internal power struggles it eventually divided into two factions, one headed by the Ardinghelli family (Guelphs) and the other by the Salvucci family (Ghibellines). On the 8th of May 1300 Dante Alighieri honoured San Gimignano with his visit as “Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany”. In 1348 the population of San Gimignano was drastically reduced by the Plague, which plunged the city into a serious crisis. It was in fact defeated by Florence in 1353. San Gimignano was able to overcome its decline and centuries long isolation, when its beauty and cultural importance, along with its agricultural heritage, were finally rediscovered.
The Duomo or Collegiate Church: consecrated in 1148, it was built in a traditional basilican plan and enriched by beautiful frescoes by the Sienese School of painting: Old and New Testament (Bartolo di Fredi and "Bottega dei Memmi"), Universal Final Judgment (Taddeo di Bartolo); by the Florentine School: Storie di Santa Fina (Ghirlandaio), San Sebastiano (Benozzo Gozzoli), Statue Lignee (Jacopo della Quercia) and sculptures by Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano. All this makes the Collegiate Curch of San Gimignano a great museum.
Palazzo Comunale (The People’s Palace): Courtyard and hall by Dante, with Lippo Memmi’s Maestà. The civic Museum and gallery with works by Filippino Lippi, Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Domenico di Michelino, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, Sebastiano Mainardi, Lorenzo di Niccolò di Martino, Coppo di Marcovaldo etc… Moreover, from the Civic Museum one may visit the Torre Grossa (the Great Tower) built in 1311, 54 metres high.
Archaeological Museum: Etruscan, Roman and Medieval findings from excavations in the surrounding area.
Also worth of notice the collection aof the “R. De Grada” Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery.
Spezieria dello Spedale di Santa Fina: a collection of pottery, glass receptacles and medications from the antique pharmacy of the hospital of Santa Fina.
Curch of Sant’Agostino: (St Augustine Church): Storie di Sant’Agostino (Benozzo Gozzoli) 14th century frescoes remains, canvases and boards by various authors (Benozzo Gozzoli, Piero del Pollaiolo, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, Vincenzo Tamagni, Sebastiano Mainardi). Santo Bartolo Chapel (Benedetto da Maiano).
