Undoubtedly among the most significant monuments of the city stands out the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, also known as the Cathedral of San Gimignano, which for centuries has been an indispensable destination for spiritual refreshment and cultural enrichment. A space with a basilica plan, marked by fourteen Tuscan stone columns and entirely covered with frescoes. The wonder unfolds in the side walls frescoed in the 14th century with a fresco cycle of the New Testament, a masterpiece of the Sienese artists Lippo and Tederigo Memmi, and the Stories from the Old Testament painted by Bartolo di Fredi. Inside, shining in its own light is the Chapel of Santa Fina. This little jewel of the Renaissance encapsulates the mastery of sculptor Benedetto da Maiano, painter Domenico Ghirlandaio and architect Giuliano da Maiano: three celebrated Florentine artists. The back wall houses the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Benozzo Gozzoli and the Last Judgment, by Taddeo di Bartolo, who is also responsible for the depiction of the Paradise and the fine interpretation of theInferno.
Curious similarities surface in the cycle frescoed by the Florentine painter Cenni di Francesco di ser Cenni around 1413 in the Romanesque church of San Lorenzo in Ponte. In the small room, in fact, one can admire otherworldly representations of Dante's Purgatory, of theInferno and of Paradise. The Florentine painter is also credited with the remaking of the Madonna in Glory on the right wall of the loggia, whose face is attributed to the young Simone Martini.
It then finds its rightful place in the ancient Council Chamber of San Gimignano, a testimony clearly referring to the unmistakable master of the 14th-century Sienese school: the Majesty (1317) by Lippo Memmi, a copy of Simone Martini's famous fresco in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico. Also called Dante Hall, on May 7, 1300 it welcomed the supreme poet who, as a Florentine ambassador, arrived to plead for the accession of the municipality of San Gimignano to the League of Guelph municipalities of Tuscany. The hall's splendor was already manifested then with the vivid colors of the chivalric cycle attributed to the painter Azzo di Masetto, created a few years earlier in 1289.
The heritage of the enchanting Tuscan landscape is even more impressive when admired from the top of the Torre Grossa. The last to be built out of a strong desire of the municipality to have a real symbol of power. Inaugurated in 1311, although the towers had already begun to be replaced with more practical dwellings, it was the tallest in the city, reaching the respectable height of 54 meters.
The second floor of the Torre Grossa houses the chamber of the Podestà, where profane stories, by the Sienese Memmo di Filippuccio, from the 14th century warned the governor against corruptions and seductions, represented mainly by the female figure. Opposite the chamber, the hall of the picture gallery, which was originally intended to be frescoed with red and yellow wave decorations to recall the colors of the municipality. The collection preserves panel paintings from religious bodies in the terriotory that have now been suppressed. Thus, testimonies of Sienese and Florentine artists from the 13th to 15th centuries find their home there, including such masters as Coppo di Marcovaldo, Rinaldo da Siena, Filippino Lippi, Benozzo Gozzoli, Benedetto da Maiano and Pinturicchio. With due time, one can appreciate all its masterpieces and satisfy curiosities about the city's two patron saints, following the narrative of Taddeo di Bartolo's panel San Gimignano and eight stories from his life and of the polyptych by Lorenzo di Niccolò di Martino St. Gregory, St. Fina and stories from her life. The model of the city of San Gimignano is held in the hands of the patron saints, committed to eternally protecting a treasure of inestimable value.
Modern and contemporary painting and sculpture are now an integral part of San Gimignano, an inexhaustible source of artistic inspiration. The Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art is named after the Milanese painter Raffaele De Grada, who chose the Tuscan landscape as the place of choice for his art. The permanent collection includes accounts of 20th-century painters including: Niccolò Cannicci, Renato Guttuso, Raffaele De Grada, Mario Sironi, Giorgio De Chirico, Sergio Vacchi, Giannetto Fieschi, and Marco Gastini.
It continues in the historic center where the encounter between contemporary art and a context marked by the presence of medieval and renaissance art fostered a contemporary alternative route to the exhibition room. The project Affinity, since 1994, has left five site-specific works in the historic center. Walking around, artists Nunzio and Jannis Kounellis identified for their respective Untitled cross alleys and intimate spaces, while Giulio Paolini and Luciano Fabro preferred the wide spaces of Piazza Sant'Agostino and the courtyard of the Palazzo comunale for their Sundial e Italy at Auction. Finally, Eliseo Mattiacci admitted that he had the feeling that that ancient stretch of broken walls of the Rocca di Montestaffoli was waiting to accommodate Compromised Balance, a contemporary artistic intervention.
This experience conducted in historic places where conteporary art redeems its value has been treasured by the project Art to Art., promoted by the Arte Continua Association. Those who were unable to visit the historic center in the 1996 to 2005 editions can still admire the works that remained in permanent form. Proceeding toward the Piazza Sant'Agostino are manifested The chair in front of the door by Joseph Kosuth, Untitled by Jannis Kounellis, Underground by Anish Kappor. Finally appears The Rest of Time by Luisa Rabbia, suggested to the artist by the evocative power of ancient Medieval Sources.
There are numerous contributions from San Gimignano artists such as. The cinnamon tree, the Monument to the Martyrs of Montemaggio, the tile Elm by the sculptor Maurizio Masini, Traveller of Peace by ceramist Franco Balducci and the four panels on the facade of the Podesta Palace ,made in collaboration with Silvia Beghè, whose work Along the Path of Time again dialogues with Meeting Balducci's.
There is no shortage of private galleries opening San Gimignano to the international vision of avant-garde art, such as the well-known Continua Gallery. To the latter's efforts are owed the installations The Starry Sky Above Me by Letizia Cariello, Sun and Water by Nic Jonk, Jellow Girl by Kiki Smith.
The invitation is to come into contact with the works, through their aesthetic system and the environment that houses them, and experience a direct confrontation with them for a time of indefinite duration.
San Gimignano, with its medieval towers and atmosphere steeped in history, offers visitors a unique and unforgettable experience. Among the many wonders of this historic gem, a walk on its centuries-old walls represents a journey through time. Step by step, glimpse by glimpse, discovering sublime views, historical testimonies of special value and the magic of a past that blends with the present.
The doors
The more than two kilometers of city walls are interspersed with five gates that are not only access points to the city but are true guardians of its historical identity. Porta San Giovanni, located on the Via Francigena toward Siena, Porta San Matteo, also on the Via Francigena but facing the Pisan territory, Porta San Jacopo, Porta Quercecchio and Porta alle Fonti, are the entry portals dating back to the 13th century that welcome people to the so-called Manhattan of the Middle Ages.
The Fortress of Montestaffoli
Set on a hill overlooking the entire town, the Rocca di Montestaffoli is an imposing fortress that tells the story of medieval struggles and defense of the territory. Built in the 13th century, the fortress was a crucial bulwark against enemy invasions and struggles among the powerful families of San Gimignano. Its massive walls and panoramic towers offer breathtaking views of the surrounding Tuscan countryside, transporting visitors back in time and allowing them to imagine the military life of a bygone era.
The Bastion of St. Francis
One of the architectural gems of San Gimignano is undoubtedly the Bastion of San Francesco. This structure, dating back to the 14th century, is an outstanding example of medieval military architecture. Located on the edge of the historic center, the bastion was built for the purpose of strengthening the city's defenses. Its grandeur and thick walls are testimony to the tough challenges and threats San Gimignano faced throughout its history.
Medieval Sources
The medieval public springs that enrich the historical record of San Gimignano testify to the vitality and importance of water at a time when water resources were essential to the survival of the community. These springs, in addition to the everyday service they offered such as washing clothes, often became meeting points for the local population, places where stories and news were exchanged.
The Fortress of Montestaffoli, the Bastion of San Francesco and the Medieval Sources of San Gimignano are some of the testimonies of the glorious past of the turreted city. Each stone tells a story, each wall hides secrets, and each spring reflects the vitality of a community that has thrived through the challenges of the centuries. To explore these places is to immerse oneself in a journey through time, an opportunity to connect with San Gimignano's rich history and appreciate the legacy that has shaped this fascinating medieval town.
The ancient Via Francigena runs through the San Gimignano area, giving pilgrims an experience that involves history, natural landscapes e spirituality. Modern walkers, following in the footsteps of their medieval predecessors, can traverse the vineyards and olive groves that surround the city, enjoying the same panoramic views that enchanted the pilgrims of that time. They also intercept the fascinating religious buildings found along the route that furrows the surroundings of the town of San Gimignano.
A prodigious place: Shrine of Divine Providence in Pancole
A place of peace and an excellent opportunity to take a break midway along stage 31 Gambassi-San Gimignano of the Francigena, the Sanctuary of Mary Most Holy Mother of Divine Providence of Pancole is also a prodigious place where a legend linked to a shepherdess says, presumably in the late 1400s, the image of the Virgin suckling the Child painted by Pier Francesco Fiorentino. Almost completely destroyed by German troops during World War II, the shrine was rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1949.
Faith and silence among the cypresses: Pieve dell'Assunta di Cèllole
Rooted in the 11th century, essential and solemn architecture, a surrounding nature that envelops it in sacredness and silence, the Pieve dell'Assunta di Cèllole is a religious gem that stands out on the path unexpectedly. The façade dating back to 1200 makes space for itself among the rows of cypress trees and conceals a three-aisle layout punctuated by columns and round arches and traces of ancient frescoes. It marks the end of the dirt route of Stage 31 and the imminent arrival at the City of Towers along a scenic but paved road.
The monastery on the outskirts of the city: Convent of Monte Oliveto
Leaving San Gimignano behind and approaching Stage 32, which ends in Monteriggioni, the Convent of Monte Oliveto shows itself in all its austere grandeur emerging among the surrounding vineyards and olive groves. Also known as the Convent of Monte Oliveto Minore in Barbiano, it was founded in the 14th century and offers an environment of peace and serenity, where it is possible to admire works of religious art kept within the centuries-old walls, such as Benozzo Gozzoli's fresco depicting the Crucifixion, housed in the 15th-century cloister.
The evocative places of worship of the Via Francigena also enrich the itinerary in the historic center of San Gimignano; once through the village gate, one encounters the Church of San Francesco, a treasure trove of art that stands in a reserved and discreet little square off the tourist flow routes, and the Collegiate Church, the cathedral and spiritual heart of San Gimignano.
