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S. Gimignano, historic town, province
of Siena |
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| San Gimignano rises
on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers.
Once the seat of a small Etruscan village
of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as
a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop
of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village
from the barbarian hordes. |
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The town increased in wealth and developed
greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena"
the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Such prosperity
lead to the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches
and monasteries. In 1199 it became a free municipality and fought
against the Bishops of Volterra and the surrounding municipalities.
Due to internal power struggles it eventually divided into two
factions one headed by the Ardinghelli family (Guelphs) and
the other by the Salvucci family (Ghibellines). On the 8th May
1300 Dante Alighieri came to San Gimignano as the Ambassador
of the Guelph League in Tuscany. In 1348 San Gimignano's population
was drastically reduced by the Black Death Plague throwing the
city into a serious crisis which eventually led to its submission
to Florence in 1353. |
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In the following centuries San Gimignano overcame its decline
and isolation when its beauty and cultural
importance together with its agricultural heritage
were rediscovered.
The construction of the towers dates back to the 11th and
13th centuries. The architecture of the city was influenced
by Pisa, Siena and Florence. There are 14th century paintings
of the Sienese School to be seen and 15th century paintings
of the Florentine School.
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The Duomo or Collegiate Church,
was consecrated in 1148 and is adorned with valuable Sienese
School frescoes: "The Old and the New Testament"
(Bartolo di Fredi and the "Bottega dei Memmi" or
Barna da Siena); "The Last Judgement" (Taddeo di
Bartolo) works of art by the Florentine school: "Stories
of St. Fina" (Ghirlandaio), "St. Sebastiano"
(Benozzo Gozzoli), wooden statues (Jacopo della Quercia) and
the Sculptures (Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano).
Frescoes, statues and sculptures make the Collegiate Church
of San Gimignano a very prestigious museum.
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The People's Palace: The People's
Palace courtyard and Dante's Hall with "The Maestà"
by Lippo Memmi. The Civic Museum and the Picture Gallery with
works by Filippino Lippi, Pinturicchio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Domenico
di Michelino, Pier Francesco Fiorentino, Sebastiano Mainardi,
Lorenzo di Niccolò di Martino, Coppo di Marcovaldo
etc... Entering from the Civic Museum the 54 metre high "Great
Tower" or Podesta's tower built in 1311 can be visited.
The Museum of Sacred Art: Canvases,
tablets, works in stone which come from former churches and
monasteries, sacred silverware, vestements and psalm books.
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The Archeological Museum, features
Etruscan, Roman and Medieval findings from the city and the
surrounding area. The Spezieria dello Spedale di Santa Fina
,reveals the techniques of the antique pharmacy, featuring
ceramic and glass containers and medications.The Raffaele
De Grada Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, is an important
exhibition space for the city.
The Church of St. Agostino: Stories
of St. Agostino (Benozzo Gozzoli), remains of frescoes dating
from the 14th century, tablets and canvases by different artists
(Benozzo Gozzoli, Piero del Pollaiolo, Pier Francesco Fiorentino,
Vincenzo Tamagni and Sebastiano Mainardi). The Chapel of St.
Bartolo (Benedetto da Maiano).
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