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San Gimignano is a Tuscan town of 7105 inhabitants located in the province of Siena.
For the typical medieval architecture of its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The site of San Gimignano, despite some reversals of the last century, is largely intact in its two-fourteenth century and is one of the best examples in Europe of the age urban municipal organization.
San Gimignano is especially famous for about fifteen medieval towers still rising on its landscape, which have earned it the nickname of the Manhattan of the Middle Ages.
Between the 72 towers and tower houses existing in the golden age of the Comune, remained twenty-five in 1580. The tower was a symbol of power of a Family, especially as it was high time it had more prestige. Often families were dominant cutted the towers of the families in their opponents.
Today there still remain some fourteen more with other cut glimpse into the urban fabric. The oldest is the Torre del Podestà, said the Rognosa, which is 51 meters high, while the highest is the Torre Grossa, of 54 meters. A regulation of 1255 forbade private individuals to erect towers highest than Rognosa, although the two most important families, and Salvucci Ardinghelli not comply.

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Additional Photos by Antonio D'Amico (diomed) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1270 W: 32 N: 2491] (13926)
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