A special way to discover the town
An Unesco world Heritage monument, "San Gimignano delle belle Torri", 56 km south of Florence, served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena.
The patrician families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as high as 50 m) as symbols of their wealth and power, and rescue in case of attack by rival families.
Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance: the town seem “frozen” since 14th century, and it is possible to breath this atmosphere walking in a perfect silence inside the town early morning, when shops and traditional caravans of bus-driven tourists are off.
