Must-SeeSiena
Tuscany
About 18 miles away
A medieval brick city around the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, home of the Palio.
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San Gimignano
A walled medieval hill town whose stone towers rise like a skyline above the vineyards.
- Open
- Always; towers and churches keep their own hours
- Price
- Free; paid for the Torre Grossa and the Collegiata
- Time Needed
- Half a day
- Address
- Piazza della Cisterna, 53037 San GimignanoDirections
- Getting There
- About an hour by car from Florence or 40 minutes from Siena; buses via Poggibonsi.
Why Go
Rival families built some 70 tower houses here in the Middle Ages to show off their wealth; about a dozen still stand. Climb the tallest, the Torre Grossa, for the view over the hills, and see the frescoed walls of the Collegiata church, covered in Bible stories.
The town's white wine, Vernaccia, has been made here since the 13th century.
Tips
- Stay the night or come early: day-trippers crowd the lanes from late morning.
Go Next
1–3 of 6
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