Official website of the destination San Gimignano

Collegiate Church of St. Mary of the Assumption

At the top of a grand staircase, a treasure chest of art

Undoubtedly one of the most significant monuments and main place of worship in the city, the Cathedral of San Gimignano stands in the square of the same name, at the top of a wide staircase that leads directly to the discovery of the treasures inside. Built around the year 1056 and consecrated in 1148, the basilica underwent several renovations and then was enlarged in 1460 according to plans by Giuliano da Maiano. The church's travertine facade from the Romanesque period features a beautiful central rose window while the basilica-like interior of the church has fourteen classical Tuscan stone columns, ten round and four octagonal. Inside, numerous splendid frescoes cover the walls of the entire church, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments and created by famous painters of the 14th-century Sienese school. The cycle of highly evocative frescoes dedicated to the New Testament, painted by Lippo and Federico Memmi, is on the right-hand walls; while the pictorial cycle dedicated to the Old Testament occupies the opposite wall and was signed by the illustrious Sienese painter Bartolo di Fredi in 1367.

In addition, the church still retains polychrome decorations typical of ancient medieval churches, such as the splendid blue cross vault and the intradoses of the arches decorated with a distinctly Tuscan motif. The wonderful frescoes are not the only treasure the cathedral contains; the Chapel of Santa Fina is a true jewel of art and history. Three great Florentine artists worked together in its creation: Giuliano da Maiano, as architect, sculptor Benedetto da Maiano and painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, united to pay homage to the patron saint of San Gimignano. In fact, the woman, struck down in her youth by a serious illness, decided to lie for the rest of her life on a wooden board that bloomed with yellow violets when she died. On the left, there is a fresco depicting the young woman's funeral and the procession paying tribute to her with the town towers in the background. Among them, one right adjacent to the church was converted to a bell tower in the 13th century.

City of the world, heritage of humanity. Where to breathe in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and immerse yourself in the magnificent Tuscan countryside under the banner of a beautiful and sustainable lifestyle.
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