Return to Tuscan. San Gimignano

I say goodbye to the historic zone of Chianti, heading to the winemaking region, famous for the other famous and beloved many drink – White Vernaccha, in the vicinity of San Gimignano.

At the entrance to the city could not but stick out among the vineyards, such a pacifying picture appeared before our eyes. The weather finally cleared over us, and washed with multi-day rains neatly plowed hills and slender rows of grapes were pleased with the stopping pofotkat tourists with bright colors and freshness. How beautiful Spring in Tuscany!

It is believed that Vernacha Di San Gimignano is one of the most famous Tuscan wines. And one of the most ancient. It was produced here in the 13th century. It is believed that grape vine with such a name was brought in Tuscany from Liguria Winery Vieri de Bardi. By the way, one of the versions of this name just meant the birthplace of the noble plant to Rernazz, where it was done before. On the otherword, the name happened from the Latin word "Vernaculum", which means local. Whatever it was, but the production of wine at that time was a prosperous business and profitable. A numerous references speak about the quality and wonderful properties of wine. For example, Vernaccha is mentioned in the "Divine Comedy" Dante Aligiery as the sin of the curd, and the grandson of the famous Michelangelo – Michelangelo Buonarota Jr. – describes the wine: "kisses, licks, bites, plump, sting …" ("Bacia, Lecca, Morde, Picca, Punge "). Versatile properties yes?-:) Medici on the advice of doctors used this wine as a "remedy for overeating belly".

As in the case of any good wine, in our time for its production, the rules must strictly follow.You can use Vernacha Di San Gimignano Vernacha Vernacha Vernacha variety – 85% and more, the rest – White grapes – Malvasia, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon. Yield should not exceed 9000 kg with hectares, from which you can get no more than 6,300 liters of wine. Vinification of grapes, shutter speed of wine and bottling should be held only on the territory of production.

This wine we became welcome in our next place overnight stay – Wonderful villa on the outskirts of San Gimignano. In the city itself, you can also taste Vernaches, in San Gimignano there is even a museum of wine Vernaccha.

But it later, but for now, we just can’t tear the eyes from the beautiful panorama at the entrance to your favorite tourists from around the world. Specially made a hook to admire the view, it is here 43.455702, 11.047010.

As in the case of many Tuscan cities, there was a settlement on the site of San Gimignano, then the era of Rome also came here, then there was a turn of Langobards, and only in the X-time of the village received the city status and was named San Gimignano, Honor of St. Geminiano, Modensky Bishop, by legend defended the city from the Hun attack. In the Italian Wikipedia, however, the version is a bit different, it says that the ruler of Hunnov Attila was going to burn Modena, but Geminiano appealed to God, and he sent fog to the city, so the enemy’s troops could not find Modena and went further south. Nevertheless, it is this San San Jimignano and owes his name.

San Gimignano had a pretty good location, because he was just on the pilgrimage path – the famous Pilgrims of Via Francigena pilgrims, one of the roads, on which in the Middle Ages, the believers were sent to Christian religious centers: Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Along such roads were arranged seats, shelters and taverns were built, which, of course, could not do not benefit the developing city.

But the greatest income and prosperity of the city brought all the gracious fertile land, here it has long been known in the Vinogradar art, the production of olive oil and saffron.

Love of tourists from all over the world San Gimignano brought his unusual visual appearance, which has developed due to the history of the relationship of people who have ever.

Like many cities of modern Italy, San Gimignano in the era of the confrontation of the Guelphs and Dieselinov was divided into supporters of Pope and the emperor. Rich families were entrusted with each other, and especially those who exceeded the Salvucci family and Ardinelli family. For defensive purposes, as well as to demonstrate opponents of their power and influence, they began to build a fortified tower.

According to them, such a fortress towers began to appear in other influential surnames. And now in the city has grown more than 70 towers, and he began to look like the city of skyscrapers, only the case was in the Middle Ages! In fairness I must say that not only in San Gimignano such towers appeared, they met in different cities of Tuscany, because at that time their construction was distributed, taking into account the restless political situation.

But from the past painting in our time there is little left. Wars and earthquakes led to the disappearance of most of the towers, in many places they were simply demolished, as, for example, in Florence on the orders of Kozimo de Medici. Such a fate has suffered and San Gimignano Tower, only 14 has been preserved to our time.

Such fortified stone structures were owners and houses, and fortress. Many of the towers do not have a large number of windows, and those that are narrow and resemble more loopholes. So comfort and comfort in the house were then sacrificed. It was possible to get into the towers only on a rope or anxious staircase, which was removed after inside.

Returning to the hosts of Salvucci and Ardingelli families. These noble surnames rebuilt already in a pair of their own towers, and now they are called twin towers.

Salvucci towers appeared first, they are located on Piazza del Duomo right next to the cathedral. As it, alas, often happens in our time, money decreases. And the influential and rich salvochchi ignored the rules of the high-rise regulation of the city, which was forbidden to build private buildings higher than at that time, the main high-altitude focus of the city – the tower of the old town hall building (subsequently renamed Rockoz Tower after transferring the residence of the city’s festival to a new Town Hall).

In one of the towers, Salvucci can be spent the night, it turned into a hotel in which only one number. But what! All residential premises are located on different floors, and you need to be a very sporty person to live in such conditions, because the bedroom, for example, is located on the sixth floor, and the toilet is eighth, and the bathroom on the third. Breakfast – on the first, and enjoy the view of the city from the terrace – by eleventh. And all without elevator!-:)

Following Salvucci, the rules violated and Argintelli. True, their tower twins can be called very conditionally. One of them really looks like a fortress: an impregnable, with a minimum of windows, in such a long siege could be kept. But the neighboring looks more secular, with wide windows overlooking Piazza Della Cisterna. Subsequently, both pairs of towers, symbolizing the wealth and vanity of their former owners, still shortened- 🙂 Now their height is approximately half of the initial.

Vendetta between Salvucci and Ardingelli stopped only after the plague of the epidemic of the plague, many people died at the time, the economy suffered greatly, because due to terrible disease, pilgrimage stopped. The city lost its independence, finally hitting the influence of Florence, and in the 1500th year Kozimo I de Medici issued a decree prohibiting any costs of improving the state of the city, however, for the current generations, this will of the Duke of Tuscan brought undoubted benefits, because thanks to him, we We can see the city as he was in the Middle Ages. Moreover, in the XVII century, the city department of San Gimignano decided to take care of the old towers, guard them and restore in the original form in the event of a destruction, and all this "Per La Grandezza della Terra" ("In the name of the greatness of the Earth").

Even during the Great Patriotic War, when the city was subjected to a 10-day bombardment by the Americans, the city managed to save from complete destruction due to the courage of the local priest, who managed to cross the front line, get to the American troops and report that there is no need to destroy an old city, because there all the same dozen Germans are deployed. However, the destruction was still, the bell was injured on the highest tower of Gross. After the war, the city received a new bell as a gift from the Soviet Union.

It seemed very glorious to me located in the heart of Piazza Della Cisterna, which was named thanks to the public well, which appeared here in the XIII century.

Somehow it was immediately seen that it was she who is the center of attraction of San Gimignano, although the main Cathedral and the Town Hall are located at the main cathedral area. And here, this old well people stop to translate the spirit, feel the atmosphere of the city, eat a stunning local ice cream. So, the pilgrims of the century ago did, because here it was the intersection of the pilgrimage road Francigena with another important highway connecting the Siena with the Pisa. By the way, before that name, the area was called Piazza Delle Taverne, because there were many hotels on this crossing roads, there were horses in the way. Square surround houses of extraordinary beauty, well-preserved. In one of the houses there was a hospital for passing on the road to Rome pilgrims.

Another interesting place it seemed to me a new town hall or Palazzo del Sezeto from his tower of Torre Gross and a wonderful courtyard. The courtyard walls are decorated with coat of arms of numerous seats, standing by his steering wheel throughout history.

The most famous premises in Palazzo was the Hall of the Council meeting (Sala Del Consiglio), which is more famous as the Dante Hall, because here at the junction of the XIII and XIV centuries, Dante Aligiery took as ambassador of Florence, because he was not only a talented and respected poet, but also The famous politician, and here, in San Gimignano, he spoke to the residents of the city with a call to support the party of the Glev.

It can not, of course, do not impress the Chief Cathedral of the city – Collegiata Di Santa Maria Assunta, which was once a simple parish church, but in 1148, after its consecration, Yevgeny III of the Church was provided with privileges. Over time, it was turned into a basil, considerable efforts were made to give it the magnificence.

Needing the cathedral is decorated with a huge amount of frescoes on the themes of the Old and New Testament. In the right attack, for example, scenes are presented from the New Testament, written in the 1930s of the XIV century Lippo Memmi, although the opinions about the authorship disperse.

Fragments of the frescoes on the theme of a terrible court finished by the artist Taddeo di Bartolo depict the terrible flour of sinners.

And on this fresco, Benozzo Gozzoli is depicted visible in the city of Saint Sebastian, who has stopped the outbreak of plague in 1464.

Like the city layout, exposed in the San Gimignano 1300 Museum . On the scale of 1: 100 in the cool ceramics technique recreated streets, houses and towers of the old city, as he looked in the 1300th year, with his 72 tower. The project is made by hand with great love and attention to details after research and studying archival documents.

They said goodbye to San Gimignano, settling the famous ice cream in Dondoli Jelateria, what a variety of tastes!

And, glanced from the walls of the city surrounding his green spaces, headed for our cozy hotel, located near San Gimignano in a very picturesque place.

At this evening, I finally wanted to slow down the move, and sit in the midst of an incredible Tuscan beauty, slowly, with a glass of wine in hand. It was our last evening in Tuscany. The next day we planned to spend the night in Liguria, along the way to farewell to watch more Volterra. And this Tuscan evening did not bring frustration, we had a wonderful time, admiring the sunset over the hills and vineyards.

But it was possible to admire the silhouette of the city, not far from the hotel a couple of good shooting points. One very close, you just need to climb the hill, closing the view of the city. It is here 43.476357, 11.019081.

Another panorama is on the way to Volterra – 43.480454, 11.01327 6, on the Google map and is indicated – Belvedere San Giminiano).