made by AccaPi Studio |
San Gimignano |
| stands |
surrounded |
by |
a |
13th-c. |
wall |
among |
the |
sunny |
hills |
of |
Val |
d’Elsa |
| and |
age-old |
Vernaccia |
vineyards. |
The |
wall |
encircles |
a |
medieval |
centre |
of |
| unspoilt |
splendour, |
now |
an |
open-air |
gallery |
for |
numerous |
art |
exhibitions. |
| Tombs |
found |
in |
the |
area |
reveal |
the |
town |
to |
be |
of |
Etruscan |
origin. |
It |
| expanded |
considerably |
throughout |
the |
11th-c., |
when |
it |
became |
an |
| important |
trading |
centre. |
Made |
a |
free |
city |
in |
the |
12th |
c., |
San |
Gimignano |
| was |
initially |
a |
bystander |
to |
the |
fierce |
conflict |
between |
Guelphs |
and |
| Ghibellines |
but |
finally |
lost |
its |
independence |
and |
became |
annexed |
to |
| Florence in |
1351. |
By then, |
the |
town’s wealthy |
aristocratic |
merchants |
had |
| already |
built |
the |
present-day |
old |
town |
centre. |
The |
many |
towers |
that |
| enthral |
tourists |
today |
were |
built |
by |
the |
town’s |
merchants |
as |
they |
vied |
to |
outdo one another in prestige and magnificence. |
