![\"Historic](\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2020\/01\/historic-centre-san-gimignano-300x200.jpg\")
\u00a9Bigstock.com\/Jorisvo<\/p><\/div>\n
The tremendous tower houses and equally enthralling palaces and churches are predominantly the result of the vanities of medieval patrician families stemming from an era heavily affected by repeated feuds and disputes. Those families tried to one-up each other constantly, particularly during times of conflicts and controversies in the 12th<\/sup> and 13th<\/sup> century. San Gimignano itself was a rich town. Its central location at the trade route Via Francigena plus the saffron cultivation and trade \u2013 saffron was used to dye silk fabrics \u2013 facilitated a boom period of 160 years that only ceased in the Late Middle Ages when drained swamps created easier routes rendering the Via Francigena mostly useless. San Gimignano sunk into poverty; later eras left hardly any marks.<\/p>\n Before all of that, however, massive towers rose into the sky leading to an arms race. These tower houses were originally intended for residential and protective purposes as the very limited space in San Gimignano prohibited wide-spread construction and led, quite literally, to dizzying heights. The functional outset quickly turned into something more prestigious. Once an adverse family had added another floor, one\u2019s own tower house needed to be expanded or \u2013 even better \u2013 a new, even grander tower had to be built. However, these disputes also led to the destruction of numerous tower houses. In addition, the decay in later centuries and certain urbanistic projects caused the demolition of other formerly prime specimen. 15 tower houses remain in San Gimignano.<\/p>\n Tower houses and fortifications<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a9Bigstock.com\/Jorisvo<\/p><\/div>\n Just to get this out of the way, we won\u2019t name each and every sight that\u2019s part of this impressive World Heritage Site, simply because there are far, far too many. Instead, we\u2019ve prepared a few select highlights for you. Oh, and don\u2019t forget to stop at one of the many ice cream parlours during your walk through the historic centre, because San Gimignano is home of genuine, award-winning ice cream world champions.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s enough of the sweet, ice-cold treats for now (then again, can there ever be enough?) \u2013 here are some of the most beautiful tower houses and fortifications of San Gimignano:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Palaces and museums<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s it for the town houses and walls, at least for a few lines. Don\u2019t miss out on the following palaces, castles and museums in the historic centre of San Gimignano that are most definitely must-see:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n San Gimignano\u2019s churches<\/strong><\/p>\n What would San Gimignano be without its churches? Countless religious buildings form yet another piece of the town centre puzzle. Time for a final look at our top suggestions for your World Heritage Site tour:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are only few other places in the world offering as much excellently preserved medieval architecture in one space as the historic centre of San Gimignano. This tour across sweeping squares and through narrow alleys introduces you to a wildly fascinating era. Don\u2019t forget to sit down every once in a while \u2013 while enjoying the best ice cream in the world, obviously – and let the unique atmosphere of the old walls sink in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A long drive through the hills of Tuscany on narrow roads with even narrower hairpin turns proves to be unbelievably nerve-racking, particularly when travelling in coach. While you\u2019re still trying to catch your breath, San Gimignano pops up before your … Continue reading ![\"Historic](\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2020\/01\/san-gimignano-historic-centre-300x199.jpg\")
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