San Gimignano

The village is surrounded by 13th century walls, and has two main roads running through it, coming together in two splendid piazzas. Towers and tower-houses once owned by the local aristocracy, merchants and bankers still rise high above the other buildings on the cobblestone streets.
Some of the towers are still in perfect condition, while others were cut short a long time ago, when the aristocratic families that owned them fell into disgrace: the people of San Gimignano were known for their turbulent affairs, and bloody feuds were the order of the day.
The town stands in a strategic location dominating the valley and protecting against enemies, and was already occupied in very ancient times: according to the archaeological findings (mostly tombs), the Etruscans had already settled the area at least as far back as the 3rd century B.C., followed by the Romans, who called the town Silvia.
San Gimignano, the saint after whom the town is named, was a Bishop of Modena who is said to have freed the village from barbarians after the fall of the Roman Empire.
The town saw its golden age in the Middle Ages. According to the legend, the Lombard King Desiderius lived here, and the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne stopped in this splendid place after his victory over the Lombard army.
San Gimignano owes much of its charm to the medieval towers that still dominate the skyline, earning it the nickname “medieval Manhattan”. Of the 72 towers and tower-homes in existence in at the height of the town’s splendour, only 25 were left in 1580, and 16 now stand, while other cut-off towers may be glimpsed amongst the buildings of the town.