Dante's itinerary: in San Gimignano on the trail of the Supreme Poet
A step-by-step itinerary in the places of the Supreme Poet in San Gimignano, discovering the World Heritage city among history, flavors, myth, images and words, in the wake of the Divine Comedy.
In the city of many towers, where the Middle Ages reign supreme and draw the profile of the historic center, the presence of Dante Alighieri is strongly felt. The myth of the Supreme Poet and the Canticles of the Divine Comedy create a red thread to be followed among the squares and countryside of San Gimignano, in an itinerary suspended between antiquity and contemporaneity, to rediscover the city that Dante saw and knew. The itinerary begins with the ambuscade fulfilled by the Supreme, who on May 7, 1300, arrived in San Gimignano, in the Palazzo Comunale, to deliver a famous political harangue.
1.
It was in this very room that Dante Alighieri gave his speech to support the cause of the Guelph League of Tuscan municipalities. In the same hall today one can admire Lippo Memmi's Majesty, made a few years after Dante's ambassadorship. The climb inside the majestic Torre Grossa-the highest in the city-gives the view a cycle of frescoes created by Memmo di Filippuccio in the early 1300s. Among these works, a fascinating, though debated, depiction might depict the famous kiss of Paolo and Francesca, the ill-fated lovers Dante encounters in Canto V of the Inferno.
2.
In the Middle Ages, the production of Vernaccia wine and saffron-now certified PDO-was already flourishing and a source of luster for the town; even today these products continue to be the pride of local food and wine production. To discover them, the tour makes a stop at the Rocca Vernaccia Wine Experience, and offers a meeting with producers from San Gimignano.
The walk to the Rocca di Montestaffoli passes by the ancient Via Francigena, the historic path that, since before the year 1000, has immersed itself in the beauty of San Gimignano's landscapes.
The walk to the Rocca di Montestaffoli passes by the ancient Via Francigena, the historic path that, since before the year 1000, has immersed itself in the beauty of San Gimignano's landscapes.
3.
In the representations, Jesus, Mary and the Holy Spirit are presented to the eye surrounded by musician angels, while the imposing demonic figure of Satan dominates Hell and punishes the great traitors of history such as Judas, Brutus and Cassius. In the center of the counter façade, an incredible stained glass window created by contemporary artist Marcello Aitani shines with scenes inspired by the Canticle of Paradise.
4.
The gateway underwent major restoration work in 1921, on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the poet's death, in order to restore with increasing accuracy what the city environment was like at the time of Dante's visit. Equally important restorations were carried out in buildings in the historic center among which are: Palazzo Marsili current Palazzo della Cancelleria, Casa Razzi, Case Martini, Casa Salvestrini, Casa Semplici, Casa Lorini.
5.
The doors of the church, fully decorated inside, open wide onto an admirable cycle of frescoes created by Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni. Dating from 1413, the paintings are entirely inspired by Dante's work, and depict the afterlife through evocative details that accompany the visitor into the mouth of Hell, then up the mountain of Purgatory and into the idyllic skies of Paradise.
6.
In the past, the library housed a room dedicated to the "Dantesque Exhibition," in which collections and memorabilia related to the Supreme Poet were on display. The documents preserved here are a real pass for a journey through time, as well as a testimony to Dante Alighieri's lasting influence on the culture and history of San Gimignano.
