Torre dei Cugnanesi - San Gimignano - Tuscany

The Torre dei Cugnanesi is one of the fourteen remaining towers of San Gimignano. It is located between Via San Giovanni and Via del Quercecchio, close to the Arco dei Becci.

Together with the enormous Palazzo dei Cugnanesi, it was part of the defensive apparatus of the Arco dei Becci.

The tower dates from the 13th century and is one of the tallest in the city. The palace dates from the same period and is recognizable by the series of external corbels that support the projecting gallery on the upper floor. At the back, from the road leading to the fortress of Montestaffoli, one can see the massive corner of the palace that resembles a bastion and was in fact part of the city's first city wall.

Willem Vandenameele