How many towers does San Gimignano have?

San Gimignano is a charming village of medieval origin located in Tuscany. Its historic centre is rich in palaces, churches and squares, whose beauty and history attract visitors and tourists from across Italy and around the world.

However, San Gimignano is best known for its towers. Why were they built, and how many are there? Let’s explore where San Gimignano is, how many of its famous towers remain, and why they were originally constructed.

Where is San Gimignano located

San Gimignano is a town of just over 7,000 inhabitants in the province of Siena, Tuscany. It lies on a hill in the Val d’Elsa area and features a significant change in elevation, ranging from just a few metres above sea level to 631 metres at its highest point. The actual town centre sits at around 300 metres above sea level.

This topography means that San Gimignano is characterised by steep lanes and narrow alleys, with an elevated position that offers commanding views of the surrounding countryside.

Since 1990, the historic centre of San Gimignano has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its outstanding historical, architectural, and artistic significance dating back to the medieval period.

Why San Gimignano has towers

The town of San Gimignano, although it has much older origins (probably Etruscan) reached the height of its importance and power during the Middle Ages, particularly from the second half of the thirteenth century. Its location along the ancient Via Francigena, a major route used by both travellers and merchants, made it a key centre for movement and trade.

San Gimignano’s most sought-after product was saffron, a highly prized spice that was sold both within Italy and abroad. As a result, the town became extremely wealthy, and its most prominent families began to amass immense fortunes.

The Construction of the towers

To demonstrate and make their wealth and status visible, these affluent families began building towers, symbols of their prosperity and social standing. In a short time, many towers were erected. The only restriction on their construction was a law stating that no tower could exceed the height of the one belonging to the political authorities, the Torre del Podestà.

In reality, however, the town’s two most powerful families, the Ardinghelli and the Salvucci, attempted to defy this rule by building pairs of towers almost equal in height to the central one, in order to assert their own power.

How many towers are there in San Gimignano?

At the height of its importance, the city boasted as many as 72 towers.

Despite the many centuries that have passed, and despite various restorations and alterations carried out between the 19th and early 20th centuries, the historic centre of San Gimignano has remained largely unchanged since the Middle Ages. It stands today as one of the best-preserved examples of communal-era urban architecture in Europe.

Today, however, not all of the original towers are still visible. Over the centuries, many have collapsed or fallen into ruin. Fourteen towers still stand, among them:

• the Torre Grossa, at 54 metres the tallest;
• the Torre Rognosa, 52 metres high, the second tallest and formerly the tallest before the Torre Grossa was built;
• the Ardinghelli Towers in Piazza della Cisterna;
• the Salvucci Towers in Piazza delle Erbe;
• the Becci Tower;
• the Devil’s Tower;
• and the Chigi Tower.

Article translated by Agnese Giardini

Tag

Curiosities

Travel

Subscribe to our newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest news Subscribe with your email address to receive the latest news, updates and practical tips from the real estate world directly in your inbox

Subscribe