Sant’Agostino – for magical frescoes

Every church in San Gimignano offers some reward but perhaps the best is Sant’Agostino. Set in the northern end of town, close to Porta San Matteo, this church is a tribute to St Augustine. The barnlike church is unadorned on the outside but is anything but on the inside. Designed in Romanesque style with Gothic elements, the church was begun in 1280 and finished in 1298. The highlights are Benozzo Gozzoli’s faded frescoes on the Life of St Augustine (1465) around the chancel. You will find the same love of colour, rich clothing and exact portraiture as in Gozzoli’s other frescoes, notably in The Journey of the Magi in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. Bring coins to activate the lights to see the frescoes behind the high altar. The church is still an integral part of life in San Gimignano, with both Mass and concerts held here.


Address: Piazza Sant’Agostino,
San Gimignano
Tel: 0577 940008
Web: www.sangimignano.com