SAN GIMIGNANO

Return in Piazza del Duomo.

At the angle where is the Loggia opens the passage between the Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna. This last public square, of triangular shape, owe its name to the reservior of 13th century that still today is found in its center. The square is still all surrounded from interesting medieval buildings and beautiful towers, that make another evocative angle of San Gimignano (among other things during the last few years some spot advertising have been filmed in this square).

The magical atmosphere that breathes filler the visitors behind in the time. Palaces and towers, alternating themselves, irregularly encircle the triangular space of the public square that is shrunk towards via del Castello. On the right, watching via del Castello, are show: the Razzi House, the Tortoli Palace, with its elegant four mullioned windows (14th century), the truncated Tower of the Pucci from the name of the family that possessed it between the 19th and 20th century, the Albergo della Cisterna, the Ridolfi Palace and the towers and the houses of the Becci and Cugnanesi; the Pellari palace and, with its two towers, the Ardinghelli palace. From the other side of the square the Lupi palace with the tower of the Diavolo and after the vicolo dell’Oro, where in past the goldsmith had their rich jeweller's shops, the 15th century Cortesi-Lolli palace. On the western side of the square (that it watches towards the Palazzo del Popolo) are the Semplici and Magazzini houses and the towers of the Ardinghelli.

Continuing in descent towards via San Giovanni, the Arch of the Becci is crossed, it's an ancient door of the first town walls (to right is the evocative Vicolo dei Becci). From here it's reached the piazza dei Cugnanesi with the homonymous palace and tower, that offer to the visitor another wonderful scene, on the right is via Quercecchio from which is beautiful sight on the Torre Grossa. Continuing in light descent along via San Giovanni are others interesting medieval palaces like Palazzo Pratellesi, more ahead is reached on the left the church of San Francesco (13th century), or better that remains of it, infact closed between two bricks houses, remains only the beautiful Romanesque-pisan facade in white travertine, furrowed horizontally from dark lines of serpentine, with the doorway surmonted from a double arch with the symbol of the Knights Hospitaler.