Walking tour of San Gimignano in one day

Today i suggest you a one day itinerary to visit San Gimignano, one of my favorite places in Tuscany.

First of all: how to get to San Gimignano? If you have a car you can use the Firenze Siena road, then take the Poggibonsi Nord exit, then follow the signs to San Gimignano. Outside the wall of the city there is a big parking lot.

If you travel by train you can catch the train for Siena and stop at the Poggibonsi station. Outside the train station there are lots of buses that will take you to San Gimignano.

When you arrive to San Gimignano go to Via dei Fossi and it will lead you to the most important gate of the Porta San Giovanni, finished in 1262. Go ahead and enjoy all the little shops in there. In this same street there is the Museo della Tortura a museum displaying all the torture methods used from the Inquisition to our days. Its a bit creepy but it's very interesting and i like it. The ticket is 12 euros and I think it's worth visit it.

Follow the narrow street than go to Via San Matteo and you'll reach Piazza della Cisterna with its 13th century well. In this square you absolutely have to have a gelato in the Gelateria di Piazza, where i have tasted one of the best ice cream ever. Now you can see the nearby Duomo (collegiate church of San Gimignano), built in 1056. The façade has a Romanic style and inside you can admire frescoes, canvas and wood statues from the 14th century.

This walled city is famous for its towers. Of the 72 medieval towers, only 16 lasted 'till present day. I recommend you to climb up the 218 steps of the Torre Grossa to enjoy a wonderful view of the Tuscany hills. It was built between 1300 and 1311 and it is 54 mt tall (177 feet).

In the Duomo square, there also is the municipality palace (Palazzo Comunale). It was built in 1288 and it has been hosting the municipality since 1337 to present days. On the first floor of the palace there is the Civic Museum, which has the Dante hall, named after the great Florentine poet who spent some time in San Gimignano, and the Adunanze segrete hall (secret meetings hall). On the second floor there is the gallery with art works by famous artists such as Pinturicchio or Benozzo Gozzoli and finally the Camera del Podestà where there are frescoes and canvas.
There are two others museums not so known in San Gimignano that maybe you want to visit. The first one is a bit far from the center, in Via Folgore 11, called Spezieria di Santa fina which hosts an Etruscan museum. In via Querecchio, near the tower there is a little ornithological museum with 372 species of bird exposed, a former private collection. For more information on the museum opening hours and tickets visit the official page of the comune of San Gimignano.

In the city there are plenty of restaurants and bars so you can have lunch or dinner there and buy some souvenirs in the many shops of the streets. It's a unique place, so spend the rest of the day visiting all the little streets and enjoy this unique medieval atmosphere.

Hope you enjoy this itinerary!