SAN GIMIGNANO - A TUSCAN TOWN WITH A PHALLUS COMPLEX?

SAN GIMIGNANO - THE TUSCAN MEDIEVAL TOWN OF THRUSTING TOWERS - WHO SAID SIZE DIDN'T MATTER?

It's been a while since my last post and I apologise for that, but now spring is here and hopefully its back to regular updates for my Italian blog. We've just had a short spring break in Umbria, but this time the weather wasn't good with lots of wind and rain. If the amount of rain that fell in the last few days is typical of this time of year, then there's no wonder they call the region "the green heart of Italy". On the day we arrived and on the day we were leaving however, the sun shone and the skies were the most amazing azure blue - a reminder that the local weather can be balmy even in March. This time we were flying home in the early evening from Pisa so we decided to leave Umbria mid morning and have lunch in one of our favourite Tuscan hill top towns - San Gimignano - just over an hour's drive from our place near Castiglione del Lago.

The route took us up the A1 motorway for a short while and then we turned left to head for Siena, by passing the town when we got there and taking the quieter road northwards in to the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Smoke was billowing from field fires in several places as owners pruned their olive trees and burnt the branches and there was much activity in many of the hillside vineyards as the plants were being prepared for the forthcoming spring growth surge. In this age of modern technology, where I was following our route as a blue dot passing along the route on my mobile phone, I celebrated that what I was seeing out of the window was a bucolic scene that had changed little over the last few hundred years. There's something very reassuring about that. It didn't seem long before we'd reached the brow of a hill and there in front of us, sitting on top of a fold in the landscape in the spring sunshine, was the  town of San Gimignano - renowned for its many tall towers and one of the most distinctive and famous skylines in the whole of Tuscany.

TWO VIEWS OF SAN GIMIGNANO

After driving up the narrow winding road to the town (goodness knows what its like in summer!) we parked the car in an ultramodern car park outside the city walls near the 13th century gateway - the Porta San Giovanni. Today, thankfully, only locals and delivery vehicles are allowed inside the walls during the day time. (One of my friends in the States told me recently she'd spent time in the town in 1982 whilst on honeymoon and driven through the gate all the way up to the main square where she and her husband had parked the car and then gone to find a room for the night!) No need to worry about being mown down by a Vespa on this occasion.

PORTA SAN GIOVANNI

Though the narrow main street is today lined with tourist shops selling artisan foods, ceramics and knick knacks - it's incredibly atmospheric and despite lots of visitors, even at this time of year, the experience is one of stepping back in time. It's easy to let the imagination run riot and think of the colourful hustle and bustle there would have been on a street like this in times gone by. Like many other hill top Tuscan towns - the route is a spinal one, gently leading up to the main square and as one passes along it, its possible to catch glimpses of the glorious Tuscan countryside through the narrow alleyways that lead off it on both sides of the street. I remembered to look out for the partially original 13th century Romanesque facade of the church of San Francesco on the right hand side.

FACADE OF THE FORMER CHURCH OF SAN FRANCESCO

At the top of the street we entered the picturesque Piazza Communale and stopped to catch our breath.

PIAZZA COMMUNALE WITH THE TOWERS
OF THE ARDINGHELLI FAMILY CLEARLY VISIBLE

San Gimignano can trace its origins back centuries and by the early medieval period it was already well fortified. It had flourished on the back of trade in saffron harvested from the brightly coloured crocuses grown in the local area. Its position on the Via Francinega from Rome at a point where it intersected with a road to Pisa was geographically a good one. Originally under the church's control it became a free commune in 1119 and for the next 200 years it grew and prospered until 1315 when the European pandemic of the Black Death, coupled with poor harvests and family feuds caused its growth to falter so it had to ask Florence to administer it in return for protection. The gradual decline in its prosperity over the ensuing centuries protected it from future development meaning that in the modern age the city street plan and much of the urban fabric largely remained unchanged. As visitors we benefit from this aspect of its history and today it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE PIAZZA COMMUNALE

There are many Tuscan hill top towns with a similar urban plan to that of San Gimignano - Montepulciano comes to mind just along the road from where we have our place - but what on earth caused the explosion of tower building in this one? Well - it would appear that essentially it was a huge medieval willy-waggling competition. Local, wealthy families, often in conflict with one another in the town, flaunted their power and status through tower building. By the 14th century there were 72 towers would you believe, though only 16 are still standing today. The buildings from which the demolished towers sprang up are still there. Sources indicate that many of the towers were inhabited and had wooden balconies and outside landings with staircases down to the ground.The Rognossa tower in the main square, 51 metres tall, was one of the tallest and the site of the local administration in the medieval period.

THE INTERIOR OF OSTERIA SAN GIOVANNI
VIA SAN GIOVANNI

We spent lunch time in a wonderful little restaurant on the main street just below the square. We were the only people there and the pasta dishes - home made lasagna and a wild boar stew were beautifully served and delicious - not too bad on price either for a restaurant on the main tourist drag. Not surprisingly it was called Osteria San Giovanni and I would definitely recommend it. The second treat came shortly afterwards when we decided to have an ice cream before going back to the car. We retraced out steps through the Arch of the Becci (previously a gate in the original 10th century city walls) back in to the square and there, behind a narrow frontage, we rediscovered one of the best gelato shops in Italy - Gelateria Dondoli. The choice of flavours was a huge mouthwatering display and I chose a carton with a medley of three flavours, pistacchio, dark chocolate and pink prosecco, Jon had a cone with his two favourites on top - all for the  princely sum of 6 euros. The photographs speak for themselves. I'd return to San Gimignano anytime just to come to this little ice cream shop!

If you visit San Gimignano there's lots more to do than just wander the streets - though that in itself is a rewarding experience. Here are a few other suggestions:

Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta - built in the 12th and 13th centuries - in the man square. Full of works of art including a fresco cycle telling the story of Santa Fina by the renowned Renaissance artist Ghirlandaio.
The Museum of Sacred Art - full of works from the collegiate and other local churches.
The Museum of San Gimignano which includes a large scale model of the medieval town.
The Palazzo Nuovo del Podesta - dating from the late 13th century, which includes the Torre Grossa - the highest tower in the town and the only one that can be visited. The palace includes the Museo Civico.
The church of Sant' Agostino which has a rather special cloister and an interior with lots of works of art.

CIAO FROM SAN GIMIGNANO

For us it was time to head off to Pisa for the early evening flight to Stanstead. So if you haven't been to San Gimignano - put it on your Italian bucket list - I don't think it will disappoint - whatever time of year you choose to go there.