Stroll through the quaint town of San Gimignano in Italy

We pass hills of different shades of green, sunflowers dancing in the breeze and vineyards laden with grapes as we drive to San Gimignano in the province of Siena from Florence. As we draw nearer, I can see the strong stone walls surrounding this medieval city and its famous towers rising high above the city walls. We enter this UNESCO World Heritage Site through the Porta San Giovani and walk down the stone lanes; buildings with arched doorways stand tall on either side. I look up at the wooden windows to see pots of pink flowers grace the window sills, just below the tiled roofs.

The ancient walls of San Gimignano

The town is characterised by beautiful sqaures, buildings, churches and narrow alleyways. It is known for its saffron, Santa Fina pottery and its white wine–Vernaccia di San Gimignano–made from a variety of Vernaccia grapes. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is believed to be the first Italian wine to bear the Controlled Designation of Origin (D.O.C.) title in 1966, followed by the additional D.O.C.G. (‘G’ stands for Guaranteed) in 1993.  

At the San Gimignano 1300 Museum

Our first stop is the San Gimignano 1300 Museum, which recreates the city as it existed 700 years ago. A guide dressed in Medieval attire greets us and shows us around. We start with the miniature of San Gimignao made entirely from fired clay, and decorated with natural pigments to replicate historically accurate colours. To me it does not seem that the city has changed much from the quaint little structure that I see with its towering structures, tiled roofs and even the town well. We move on to the an exhibit which represents a day in the life of the people of San Gimignano; little clay soldiers patrol the streets, a woman loads a donkey, a group of girls dance happily and vendors sell vegetables on the streets. Next we come to the tower exhibit. “There were 70 tower houses, but only 13 still stand. The higher the towers, the richer the family. These towers were built for defense purposes; if the town fell under attack, the families would climb up each level of the tower and the pull the ladder up until they reached the top,” our guide informs. Next we come to the 'outside the wall' exhibit, which gives you a realistic representation of a typical rural suburb, outside the walls of the city. As we exit the museum, we stop at the museum shop selling ceramic plates and a selection of Tuscan crafts.

Life in San Gimignano

We make our way to the Piazza della Cisterna, where we pose for a few pictures by the well. Built in 1273 and enlarged in 1346 by Podestà Guccio dei Malavolti, the well was the main source of water for the people. The coat of arms of Podestà Guccio dei Malavolti—a ladder—is engraved on the stone wall of the well.

Piazza della Cisterna

From the Piazza della Cisterna, we head to the Piazza del Duomo. To the left is the Palazzo Comunale, just besides the staircase leading to the Basilica Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta. As we enter we're hit by a wave of frescoes–of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, the Last Judgement as well as stories of the New Testament on the right and stories of the Old Testament on the left. You can also admire a Renaissance jewel–the Chapel of Santa Fina– where you can gaze upon the masterpiece of three very famous Florentine artists, architect Giuliano da Maiano, sculptor Benedetto da Maiano, and painter Domenico Ghirlandaio.  The masterpiece is dedicated to the patron saint of San Gimignano. As legend goes, while she was still a young girl, she was seriously ill and chose to spend the rest of her days lying on a wooden board. At the moment of her death, yellow violas blossomed from the board. It is believed that every year in March, the violas of Santa Fina blossom amidst the hard stone of the towers. 

The Basilica Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta

As we walk out, we stop by the Museo delle Torture, which is home to instruments of torture including, the fork of the heretic, the guillotine, hanging cages, scourging chains, spiked chairs, thumbscrews and a barbed collar. Another instrument of torture was a chastity belt used by women (especially the wives of crusaders) to act as a barrier against rape. It was considered an instrument of torture as it was worn in fear of having to suffer the violence of men. A walk through the museum's exhibits is bound to send shivers down your spine and question humanity. 

As we walk past the city walls and leave behind the 1300s, I silently bid goodbye to the ancient city with it's soaring towers and intriguing stories.