The Towers of San Gimignano

At one time as many as 72 towers adorned the hilltop. Now only 14 remain in spite of  political pressure in the past to reduce them to the height of the other houses.

The next stop on our bus tour is at the top of the hill.

Imagine a sunnier day

After leaving the bus, we were lead up to the castle courtyard. There were lots of picture opportunities while we waited for the crowds to leave the courtyard.

In the past some of the towers were homes for the nobles. The height of the tower was an indication of the owners wealth or power. Some of the towers were left empty. They were called vanity towers. Two of these still stand and are called the twin towers (sisters).

When they were built, about 700 years ago, there was a restriction that vanity towers could not be built taller than the city hall at 170 feet; so the Salvucci family built two towers to 130 feet each.

Now we can move into the courtyard.

You will find a lot more information with a Google search.

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