Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Street-by-Street: San Gimignano
1
The distinctive skyline of San Gimignano must have been
a welcome sight to the faithful in medieval times, for the
town lay on the main pilgrim route from northern Europe
to Rome. This gave rise to its great prosperity at that time,
when its population was twice what it is today. The plague
of 1348, and later the diversion of the pilgrim route, led to
its economic decline. Following World War II there was a
rapid recovery thanks to tourism and local wine produc-
tion. For a small town, San Gimignano is rich in works
of art, and good shops and restaurants.
Sant'Agostino
Here Bartolo di Fredi
painted
Christ,
Man of Sorrows
.
To Sant'Agostino
Via San Matteo
, in contrast with
the more commercial Via San
Giovanni, caters mainly for the
local residents, selling food and
wine, clothes and other typical
Tuscan products.
Rocca
(1353)
La Buca, Via San Giovanni, selling
local wine and wild boar ham
6 8
.
Collegiata
This 11th-century church is covered in
delightful frescoes, including
The
Creation
(1367) by Bartolo di Fredi.
Museo
Ornitologico
Museo d'Arte Sacra
The museum contains
religious paintings,
sculpture and liturgical
objects from the Collegiata.
STAR SIGHTS
. Collegiata
.
KEY
Piazza del Duomo
. Palazzo del
Popolo
Suggested route
0 metres
250
0 yards
250
