Piazza della Cisterna – essence of San Gimignano

The Piazza della Cisterna is a medieval time capsule, best appreciated after the hordes have gone home. This charming triangular square boasts a 13th-century well, which gives the square its name. The piazza is now just moody spot for a photo but once marked the junction between the Via Francigena pilgrimage route and the road leading from Pisa to Siena. This is still the prettiest piazza in town, paved with bricks in a herringbone design and flanked by medieval mansions and tower-houses dating from the 13th century. On one side stands the so-called `devil’s tower’ and the twin towers marking the residence of the Ardinghelli, the main Guelph family in the town.


Address: Piazza della Cisterna,
San Gimignano