Historic Centre of San Gimignano
'San Gimignano delle belle Torri' is in Tuscany, 56
km south of Florence. It served as an important relay point for
pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena. The patrician
families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as
high as 50 m) as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14
have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and
appearance. The town also has several masterpieces of 14th- and
15th-century Italian art.