The most impressive thing about San Gimignano is without a doubt the silhouette.
The many towers on a hill in the middle of the Chianti wine region can already be seen from afar, which is why the place was given the nickname “Manhattan of Tuscany”, which is not really meant. The towers are actually from the Middle Ages, they are called "gender towers" because they were built in competition between wealthy families.
Why are there so many towers?
It was about which family can finance and build the tallest tower. In historical days there were up to 72 towers in total that were erected as inhabited defense towers, not infrequently because of the dispute between families.
Even Dante tried for a few years to reconcile the aristocratic families, but in vain. Finally, the Grand Duke of Florence an end to this struggle for air sovereignty. From 1563, no further towers were allowed to be built, the quarrels finally stopped and the remaining 15 towers were preserved as contemporary witnesses. This is how this unique cityscape from the Middle Ages was saved in our time.
San Gimignano in the Province of Siena has almost 8.000 inhabitants, in the high season there are tens of thousands of tourists who roll over this small place, to the chagrin of the locals, who feel like they are in a living museum.
The will take place on Thursday morning Market instead of. It takes place in Piazza Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna from 8 a.m. to 13 p.m.
Recommendation from Tuscany tour:
That is why we recommend that you look for a nice area in the area of S. Gimignano, which gives you an unobstructed view of the picturesque scenery at all times, and visit this medieval gem mainly in the early evening hours when you find the Piazza della Cisterna in contemplative peace is open.
San Gimignano Museum
Do not miss the Museum of San Gimignano, which shows so beautifully and vividly the cityscape in the 13th century, the heyday of the place and also provides the explanations for the incessant feuds in this early era. The museum has a large number of scientific sponsors and supporters worldwide (www.sangimignano1300.com). Also note our recommendations for San Gimignano in the context of the Round tour through the Chianti area.
Arrive by car
The drive to San Gimignano is almost entirely by road, through beautiful rural areas. Due to the lack of a connection to an expressway / motorway, a longer journey time is to be expected. Take this into account.
There are parking spaces around the city center of San Gimignano (the old town cannot be accessed by car). During the main holiday periods, the parking spaces can be full at lunchtime. It is therefore best to arrive earlier.
Last updated on November 20, 2025 at 14:31 PM. Please note that prices shown here may have changed since then. All information is provided without guarantee.
Tuscany, with its picturesque coastline, offers ideal conditions for an unforgettable camping holiday by the sea. Nature lovers and families will find over 390 kilometers of coastline
Tuscany is not only known for its picturesque landscapes, excellent wines and historic cities, but also for its numerous thermal springs. The thermal baths in the
Shocking figures characterise Italy’s e-scooter scene: 21 people lost their lives in e-scooter accidents in 2023 – more than twice as many as in 2021. With around
Flight delays are an unpopular topic for many travellers, especially when they are travelling to popular holiday destinations such as Tuscany. The region, which is known for its
Affiliate links / advertising links The links marked with an asterisk (*) are so-called affiliate links. If you click on such an affiliate link and shop via this link, I will receive a commission from the online shop or provider concerned. For you the price doesn't change!
Manage your privacy
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.
Functional
always active
The technical storage or access is absolutely necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a certain service that is expressly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of transmitting a message via an electronic communication network.
preferences
Technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that have not been requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or the access, which takes place exclusively for statistical purposes.Technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, the voluntary consent of your Internet service provider or additional records from third parties, the information stored or retrieved for this purpose cannot usually be used to identify you alone.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles, to send advertising or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
