Italy: San Gimignano – Around the Town

San Gimignano, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed medieval city in the heart of Tuscany, is often called the Medieval Manhattan for its towers (that look kind of like the old twin World Trade Center towers). All these towers were build between 12-14th centuries, when the city’s wealthy competed with each other to show off their wealth and power. Of the original 72 towers, 14 remain today. Made of local stone, towers were square or rectangular, often with minimal windows at lower levels for security. Upper floors had larger openings and wooden balconies with heights ranged from 30m to over 50m. The Black Death in 1348 and San Gimignano’s submission to Florence 1353 halted tower construction. The tallest tower is the Torre Grossa at 54m high and you can climb all the way to the top for a stunning observation platform of the city and the surrounding Tuscan landscape.