La Collegiata – a church frescoed to perfection

Confusingly also known as the Duomo, the ¬Collegiata is the most impressive church in town.  This gorgeous Romanesque church will also detain you longest as every patch of wall space is covered in frescoes. The mysticism of the spot is rivalled by its sense of intimacy, from the Tuscan banded arches to the graceful columns that support them. The north aisle displays Bartolo di Fredi’s dramatic scenes from the Old Testament (1367), while the opposite aisle shows Lippo Memmi’s Life of Christ (1333–41). The nave is devoted to The Last Judgement by Taddeo di ¬Bartolo (1393–6). Contrast these Gothic-style narrative paintings with Ghirlan¬daio’s lyrical Renaissance frescoes (1475) on the life of a local saint, in the chapel of Santa Fina. This beloved saint is remembered every March, with the blossoming of yellow violets, flowers said to symbolise Santa Fina, in the local countryside.

Address: Piazza del Duomo,
San Gimignano
Tel: 0577 286300
Web: www.duomosangimignano.it