Sunny San Gimignano
The medieval town of San Gimignano is a kind of place that you can fall in love with at first sight. It is not of the same grand sophistication as Florence, the city of culture. Yet San Gimignano has a long history of its own. As a UNESCO heritage known as the “city of towers,” San Gimignano is a lot more idyllic and rustic. It shows the glory of its days in a down-to-earth wholesomeness. For the colors of San Gimignano are much more earthy than that of Florence, Lucca or Siena. Its buildings are relatively plain as compared to the elaborate architecture in Florence and Siena, but nonetheless stately in their stature.
The ancient town glimmers under the Tuscan sun. We came upon the view of the Tuscan fields afar. It reminds me of the many intangible treasures that makes Italy’s world-famous heritage. Indeed, San Gimignano is known for its Vernaccia grapes. And these grapes make great white wine.
At the Piazza della Cisterna we came across the old well that used to be the main source of fresh water for the ancient town. The well is dated to the year 1346. However, much of the restoration took place during the 20th century.
It was clear that the Piazza della Cisterna was the very center of communal life for San Gimignano. Pedestrians, musicians, pets, tourists, businesses all gravitated toward it. It was in this square that we felt the spirit of San Gimignano, a cheerful buzz matching the vibe of a perfectly sunny afternoon. The Piazza radiated charm upon the uniformly archaic character of the town.
In most other parts of the town, however, the streets were quiet. Anyone could feel the ease in a leisurely, solitary walk. This encouraged a measured appreciation of the town’s beauty. Known for its medieval towers, San Gimignano’s beauty was, first and foremost, seen as one looked up to marvel at the town’s Romanesque and gothic architecture.
Yet the common beauty that meets the eyes was in fact what stayed in my mind years after. It could be a simple pot of flowers adorning the ground or the windowsill. It could be the careful arrangement of the products by vendors, who may not care so much about earning the tourists’ money as their wish to showcase the best products of their time and their place. At some unknown residence there was a line of white shirts hanging, to us a sign of privilege—how wonderful it must have been to be a native of San Gimignano.
Even the wild flowers on the sloped edges of the city wall pleased us. I caught sight of a common bird fluttering its feathers. All commonalities seem to become memorable by merely existing in this wonderful Tuscan town.
Source
The Wikipedia on San Gimignano.
