Europe, Italy

A Day in The Medieval Hill Town of San Gimignano, Tuscany – Gallop Around The Globe

April 17, 2017

When I was researching an itinerary for mine and my mum’s 7-day trip to Tuscany, I kept being drawn to the beautiful medieval hill town of San Gimignano.

San Gimignano

Photo by Lorena Torres Angelini via Flickr

With a population of just under 8000 permanent residents, and no roads within its 13th century walls wide enough to accommodate the majority of motorised vehicles, a visit here would make a nice contrast to the busy, traffic-filled streets of Florence.

Streets of San Gimignano

San Gimignano (pronounced “Jiminyano”) is often referred to as the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages” due to its stunning hilltop skyline of towers that were built in aristocratic rivalry by the feuding nobles of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.  Of the original 72 towers, 14 survive today, the tallest of which is open to the public.

towers of San Gimignano

The historic centre of San Gimignano has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, containing well-preserved examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, churches, and medieval fortifications.

San Gimignano

It’s also famous for its saffron, Golden Ham, and Vernaccia di San Gimignano – a white wine that is produced from the Vernaccia grape (an ancient variety that is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the surrounding area).

Seeing as though we didn’t really want to rush about from place to place with our luggage any more than we had to, we decided to base ourselves in Florence for the first four nights of our trip, and make a day trip out to San Gimignano by local bus.

Viale Roma, San Gimignano

The bus dropped us just outside the old town walls on Viale Roma, from where we were able to enter through Porta San Giovanni.  Via San Giovanni then continues north through the town towards Piazza Duomo and the location of the largest concentration of San Gimignano’s notable historic buildings, including its tallest tower – Torre Grossa.

Via San Giovanni is lined with shops (selling a variety of brightly-painted ceramics, artisanal food and drinks, and leather goods) and cafes serving coffees, cakes, and gelato.  As San Gimignano’s historic centre is pretty compact, you’ll have time to stop for a caffeine fix and to have a quick browse.

Ceramics, San Gimignano

Shops, San Gimignano

Shops, San Gimignano

While in San Gimignano, the best way to explore the town is simply to wander aimlessly through its narrow streets, but don’t leave without:

#1 Climbing Torre Grossa for spectacular panoramic views

Located next to Palazzo Comunale (San Gimignano’s former Town Hall) in Piazza della Cisterna, Torre Grossa (“Great Tower”) was constructed in 1311, and at 54 metres high it’s the tallest remaining tower in town.

Access to the top is via a wide metal stairway with landings, which makes it quite an easy climb compared to some of the other towers I climbed in Tuscany.  The trickiest part is the uppermost section, where you’ll ascend around 15 rungs on a small ships ladder, and subsequently squeeze through a tiny opening which takes you out on to the roof of the tower.

View from Torre Grossa

How the rich sunbathe (hey, who needs gardens when you have a tower?)

Watch your camera as you do so; you’ll need it to photograph the incredible 360 degree panoramic views of the of the town and its surrounding countryside.  You can actually see the whole Valdelsa region from the tower’s summit, as well as the mountains of the Pistoia area, and as far as the Apuan Alps.

Views from Torre Grossa, San Gimignano

Entrance fee: €9 (includes all Civic Museums (Palazzo Comunale, Pinacoteca, Museo Archeologico, Spezieria Santa Fina, Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea “Raffele De Grada”  and San Lorenzo in Ponte)).

#2 Having a look around the Spezieria di Santa Fina, one of Tuscany’s oldest pharmacies

If you’ve read my Florence post last week, you’ll know how much I loved its oldest pharmacy-perfumery, Officino Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella.  Although San Gimignano’s offering is nowhere near as grand and decadent, it’s still a really interesting little find.

Herb Garden, Spezieria di Santa Fina

Flowers, Spezieria di Santa Fina

The Spezieria di Santa Fina reproduces the layout and original scents of the 13th century pharmacy, and there’s a lovely garden in which herbs are grown and furniture is made out of old pallets.

Calendula, San Gimignano

Furniture made out of old pallets, San Gimignano

#3 Enjoying lunch at Caffè delle Erbe, Piazza delle Erbe

Although we only found out after eating here, Caffè delle Erbe is recommended in Lonely Planet’s Florence and Tuscany guidebook as one of the best places to eat in town.

Caffe Delle Erbe, San Gimignano

Piazza del Erbe, San Gimignano

It’s located in a lovely sunny spot on the edge of the Piazza delle Erbe, with fantastic views of San Gimignano’s famous towers.

We enjoyed a delicious salad with rocket, cherry tomatoes, capers, tuna, and anchovies, accompanied by a panini with figs and gorgonzola.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Lunch, San Gimignano

#4 Walking along the old town walls 

It is possible to walk along the perimeter (3.5 kilometres) of the second circle of the 13th century walls that form the boundary to the historical centre of San Gimignano.

There are various different access points from either inside or outside the town, and the walk affords some beautiful views of the surrounding hills and of the Elsa valley beyond.

Looking out over the Elsa Valley, San Gimignano

Looking out over the Elsa Valley, San Gimignano

#5 Escaping the crowds in Piazza Sant’Agostino

Equally as charming as Piazza della Cisterna but significantly quieter, Piazza Sant’Agostino is where you’ll find the Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, a 13th century church whose simple facade still retains the characteristics of its original architectural style.

Piazza del Sant'Agostino

We arrived into Piazza Sant’Agostino just after the church closed its doors for the afternoon, but there are apparently some beautiful frescoes inside.

Opening times: 

January – March: Monday 4pm – 6pm, Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 12am / 3pm – 6pm
April – October: 10am – 12am / 3pm – 7pm
November – December: 10am – 12am / 3pm – 6pm

#6 Taking a walk up to the fortress

Originally a castle of the Lombard Astolfo, and later a Dominican Convent, San Gimignano’s fortress (Rocca di Montestaffoli) was built by the Florentines in 1353.

Local men relaxing in the grounds of the fortress

I noticed the fortress from the top of Torre Grossa and thought it would be a great place to head for an alternative perspective of the town’s historic centre.

It was pretty crowded up on its one remaining turret (the only one remaining that’s safe and open to the public) but the views are pretty impressive, and the surrounding streets are peaceful and largely tourist-free.

View from the fortress, San Gimignano

Streets of San Gimignano

There’s also a walled garden to the left before you reach the steps, which is home to this rather unusual sculpture.

Unusual sculpture near San Gimignano's fortress

Practical Info

I found this bus timetable online.  Although it’s only in Italian and I’m pretty sure I don’t know more than 10 words of Italian, I found it fairly easy to use and understand.

If you’re travelling from Florence (as we did), you’ll need to make a change in Poggibonsi.  The entire duration of the journey is approximately 1hr and 45 minutes and costs €6.80 for each leg of the trip.

Route map and times, Florence to San Gimignano


Florence to San Gimignano timetable

Outward journey

08:40 – 09:30 / 10:20 – 10:40

09:40 – 10:30 / 11:00 – 11:20

10:40 – 11:30 / 12:05 –12:25

Return journey 

16:55 – 17:17 / 17:25 – 18:15

17:43 – 18:10 / 18:25 – 19:15


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A DAY IN THE MEDIEVAL HILL TOWN OF

A Day in the Medieval Hill Town of San Gimignano

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10 Comments

  • Reply Lucy - Travel Textbook April 22, 2017 at 9:25 AM

    Tuscany is so so beautiful! I will definitely be checking out San Gimignano next time I’m there 🙂

    Thanks for the lovely post,

    Lucy x

    • Reply Kiara Gallop April 23, 2017 at 7:48 PM

      You definitely should! It was one of my favourites. Such a photogenic place 🙂

  • Reply Charlotte April 22, 2017 at 7:25 PM

    This looks like such a lovely little town and the view from the Torre Grossa is amazing too! Definitely one to add to the list if I end up near Florence!

    • Reply Kiara Gallop April 23, 2017 at 8:01 PM

      I absolutely adored the view from the Torre Grossa! I spent about 15 minutes at the top, just taking in the view and snapping photograph after photograph, and I wasn’t joined by a single other soul. So peaceful up there 🙂

  • Reply Lisa Michele Burns April 23, 2017 at 5:53 PM

    Great post! I love San Gimignano, I visited by public bus once and got stuck there for hours when there was a bus strike for my return trip, definitely a beautiful place to explore 🙂

    • Reply Kiara Gallop April 23, 2017 at 8:04 PM

      Hey, there are worse places to be stuck! 😉 Did you manage to make it home the same day or did you have to find accommodation overnight?

  • Reply Jacky April 30, 2017 at 8:45 AM

    What a beautiful town and I had never even heard of it! I would love to climb the Torre Grossa, after all I’m a sucker for good views. But just wandering the streets looks lovely too. Thanks for including so much practical information, too! 🙂

    • Reply Kiara Gallop May 1, 2017 at 7:55 PM

      Yep, it’s a tough call for me too: take an aimless wander through an inviting maze of cobbled streets and centuries old architecture or climb a tower/hill to marvel at the views? If possible I’ll always do both! 😀

  • Reply Mich May 9, 2017 at 4:27 PM

    Oh my, I wanna visit and see this hill town too! Great historic buildings and love the overall view too!

    • Reply Kiara Gallop May 9, 2017 at 9:31 PM

      San Gimignano is such a photogenic town! I hope you manage to visit some day 🙂

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