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San Gimignano
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San Gimignano is the city of towers.
Wherever you arrive from, you will see the 13 towers that still rise today on the hilltop.
In the XIV century there were 72 of them. Built by the richest families of the city, they were a symbol of wealth and power and each family would strive to build the highest and most beautiful one. San Gimignano had a particularly fast development in the late Middle Ages, when it was crossed by the branch of the Via Francigena that ran through the hills and thus become an important resting place for the numerous wayfarers.
The atmosphere of San Gimignano is that of a place out of time, where the silence that reigns among the stone and brick buildings gives one a pleasant sensation of peace and quiet. But the towers are not the only attraction of San Gimignano. Particularly noteworthy are the Piazza della Cisterna with its characteristic 13th-century well and the12th-century Cathedral, called "Collegiata", with its numerous masterpieces. Also worth visiting is the Palazzo del Popolo with its "Maestà", a wonderful fresco by Lippo Memmi