Medieval Manhattan … in Tuscany’s San Gimignano

I’ve been a few times to the gorgeous Tuscan town of San Gimignano, but I hadn’t visited in several years.

So, earlier this month – the Summer Solstice, to be precise – I was thrilled to get back to this wildly picturesque medieval hilltop town.

What makes this town so special are the thirteen narrow towers built by San Gimignano’s noble families between the 12th and 13th centuries. Much like Manhattan’s narrow skyscrapers along Billionaire Row today, these towers were a visible sign of wealth and privilege for some of the wealthiest and most important local families.

During San Gimignano’s hey day, competition was strong among local families to advertise their status – setting off a construction frenzy to out-do one another with their towers. At its peak, San Gimignano boasted 70 towers in this tiny town. This is why it is commonly referred to as Medieval Manhattan today.

Sadly, most have been destroyed through time, but this town maintains the largest grouping of these towers in Italy. Visitors to Rome and Bologna will see a few of these surviving medieval towers scattered around, but nothing like the grouping of medieval skyscrapers still boasting pride of place in San Gimignano.

One of the reasons the town’s medieval history is so well-preserved is that – unlike Rome or Bologna – it importance diminished by the mid-1300s, thereby decreasing pressure to build.

From the 1100s to the 1300s, San Gimignano was an important stop along the pilgrim route from northern Europe to Rome, bringing wealthy and prosperity to the town. That changed drastically with the plague of 1348 and a subsequent diversion of the pilgrim route.

But the medieval town’s  loss is our gain – as the town and its spectacular skyline feels like a medieval wonderland preserved in amber for modern-day tourists.

It isn’t only the towers, but all of the town’s palaces, streets and squares that alow you to feel you’ve travelled back in time.

On our latest visit, my younegr son an I had already had a long day, but we stopped off to stretch our legs and wander the town during the evening of the longest day of the year. Yes, it meant a much later return to Rome than we had planned, but what a fabulous way to spend the Summer Solstice against this backdrop of medieval splendor.

Don’t miss out on San Gimignano on your next visit to Tuscany.