Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Torri dei Salvucci

Torri dei Salvucci, Piazza delle Erbe, San Gimignano

Torri dei Salvucci
Piazza delle Erbe
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Torri dei Salvucci, in Piazza del Duomo in San Gimignano are also called the ‘Torri Gemelle.’ They belonged to the most important Ghibelline family in the city, the Salvucci. They had become rich through usury and commerce. Their massive and powerful appearance is no accident: the towers were meant to show the supremacy of the family to the entire city. When they were built, they were taller than the 51 meters of the Rognosa Tower, but after a regulation in 1255 expressly forbade buildings higher than Rognosa, they were lowered. Both towers have a square base and, like all medieval buildings, are designed for defence with very few openings. Even the entrance doors are extremely narrow.” (Two Towers, ItalyGuides.it)

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