Day 3 San Gimignano

Rick Steve’s says that San Gimignano is the epitome of Tuscan Hill Town.  We could not agree with him more after our day visiting there.  It is the perfect kind of city that you just meander through shopping a little, taking in the architecture, enjoying the narrow craggy lined streets, sampling the food, and poking your heads into the many churches.  Loved it! 

Piazza della Cisterna:  Named this for the cistern that is served by the old well in the center of the square.  A system of pipes drained rainwater from the nearby rooftops in to the underground cistern.  This square has been the center of the town since the ninth century.  If you look closely at the well you can see the grooves that have worn into the stone from years and years of women drawing water at the well. 

 

The boys are showing off the grooves in the stone from the years of people drawing water here

So we had to test out the gelato that was touting having won the “Gelato World Cup'’ (didn’t know they had such things!) And it definitely has our stamp of approval…..as well as a lot of other Gelato stops we have found along our journies! 

We climbed a short tower on the edge of town to get a better look at the surrounding Tuscan countryside as well as a great view of the Medieval towers that San Gimignano is famous for.   Only 14 of the original 72 towers are still standing.  Before wall building became really effective to fortify cities, these towers served as ways to fortify homes when the city was being attacked or pillaged.  Sadly most of the towers were torn down when San Gimignano was forced under the rule of Florence due to a plague that decreased the population from 13,000 to 4,000.  The trade route was directed away from San Gimignano which is why the city is so well preserved today. 

 

Lots of Olive Trees:

 

We topped of our visit to San Gimignano with a dinner at Trattoria Chiribiri which is recommended by Rick Steve’s for having yummy homemade pastas and local cuisine.  Yum!  The boys all got awesome Italy shirts for souveniers and proudly wore them for the rest of the day.