Engel & Völkers
  • 2 min read

The 72 towers city

San Gimignano

Medieval town with numerous stone towers, surrounded by lush vineyards and greenery, under a dramatic, cloudy sky at sunset.

San Gimignano is one of the most beautiful Tuscan city in province of Siena. It is often defined as "Medieval Manhattan". This is due to the fact that in the past, city residents built houses with high towers which served as a defence. In the case of an attack on the city, the owners of the houses enter the higher floors, cutting off the way to the enemies; most often it consisted in dragging long ladders up. Only well-off residents could afford such security. Often, they competed among themselves for who would build a higher tower. The highest permissible level was determined by the town hall tower. In the past, there were 72 defence towers. Only 14 of them have remained until today. The most important and the highest is Torre Grossa, which is 52 metres high.

The next reason why you should visit San Gimignano is that the city is famous for its ice creams. Gelateria Dondoli which is located in the central Piazza della Cisterna is known all over the world and visited by a large number of celebrities. You can find there very healthy and delicious ice cream, because they are prepared with milk, fruit, yogurt and cream of Organic Agriculture Farm Camporbiano, even the cups and spoons are environmentally friendly. Sergio with his ice creams won the prestigious MAM (Master of Art and Craft) award in 2016 and the Ice Cream World Championship in 2006/07 and 2008/2009 editions.

Properties in San Gimignano

Engel & Völkers Siena

When visiting this amazing city in June you should take part in "Nottilucente", which is held every year since 2012. It is an event promoted and organized by the City of San Gimignano with the collaboration of Culture Attive association. The streets and the squares of the historical centre are crossed by a festival that starts in the afternoon until the sunrise. Each edition is dedicated to the different topics.

For instance in 2018 the topic was “Our Common Future”. The aim was to expose and raise awareness on the protection of our planet by achieving the 17 sustainable development goals described in Global Agenda 2030, drawn up by the countries adhering to the United Nations and approved in September 2015. During this event, there will be many attractions such as shows and workshop for children, DJ set, guided tours, concerts, performances, art exhibition, poetry, cinema and food stands.

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