During the 12th and 13th centuries, the hilltop town of San Gimignano was an important and prosperous stopping place on the pilgrimage route to Rome. The Black Death (bubonic plague) that swept Europe in 1348-49 decimated this town as well. Today, it is a pleasant tourist destination with a population of about 7000 residents and umpteen million visitors. The town's claim to fame is that it has retained so much of its medieval appearance: narrow winding lanes, a wide piazza with a cistern and well, and many picturesque shops and restaurants. The Collegiata church is a beautiful 12th-century Romanesque building the walls of which are totally covered with well-preserved medieval frescoes. (No pictures permitted, but I can show you the book I bought.) During its heyday, noble families built fortress-like palaces inside the city walls, each of which was crowned by a massive watchtower. Thirteen of the towers survive, giving San Gimignano its distinctive skyline.https://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/SanGimignano?authkey=Gv1sRgCNze3P3awa60Fg#
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