Walls of San Gimignano

The town's protective shield, the walls of San Gimignano are the distinctive symbol with which San Gimignano has always been identified. The first city wall was built in 998 to protect the town from enemy attacks and stretched for 1108 meters starting from Montestaffoli and arriving near the church of San Bartolo where the double Arch of the Chancellery is still visible. In the 12th century, with the increase in trade due also to the intense passage on the Via Francigena, two new boroughs came into existence; that of San Matteo, toward Pisa, and that of San Giovanni, toward Siena, thus making it necessary to extend the walls to encompass and protect the new towns. In 1255, however, the Florentine Guelphs conquered San Gimignano and ordered the destruction of the walls, which in 1261, having regained independence with the famous battle of Montaperti, were rebuilt even more solid and higher. To the ancient gates that served as entrances into the walls, others were added, arriving at five total gates that are still visible today: Porta Quercecchio, Porta San Jacopo, Porta delle Fonti, Porta San Giovanni and Porta San Matteo, the latter of which were used by wayfarers during their travels along the Via Francigena. The ancient conformation of the walls is still visible from some remains of the original city wall.