Private tours
Chianti Siena and Tuscany

................... San Gimignano, a bit of history

New Testament by Barna da Siena. At the back. of the
aisle is the Chapel of Santa Fina (patron saint of the
city), with terra cottas by Giuliano and Benedetto da
Maiano; the frescoes on the side walls with Episodes
from the Life of the Saint are by Ghirlandaio (1475), the
fine altar piece is by Giuliano da Maiano. On the wall
of the left aisle there is another fresco cycle of Stories
of the Old Testament. Note the fine ciborium (1475) by
Benedetto da Maiano on the high altar and an Annuncia-
tion by Ghirlandaio in the loggia of the Baptistery. The
Palazzo del Popolo (now Town Hall) stands to the left
of the Collegiata. It was built in the second haif of the
l3th century and enlarged in the early decades of the
next century. The fine facade is spangled with the coats
of arms of the podestà. Inside are the Museo Civico and
the Pinacoteca Civica. The former is installed on the
top floor and exhibits extremely interesting works in-
cluding a fresco of the Maestà by Lippo Memmi. The
latter contains a valuable collection of paintings of the
schools of Siena and Florence from the 13th to the 15th


centuries, including works by Filippino Lippi, Coppo di
Marcovaldo, Pinturicchio and Benozzo Gozzoli. Near the
Piazza del Duomo is the Piazza Pecori with the fine
Palazzo della Propositura, seat of the Museum of Reli-
gious Art with its rich collection of paintings, precious
church furnishings and minor arts. Near the square is the
Rocca, built by the Florentines in 1353. This solid bas-
tion is pentagonal in plan and has small towers and the
remains of walis. Other historical buildings of note in-
clude the Church of San Bartolomeo (13th cent.), with
a brick facade decorated with two orders of blind arches;
the Church of Sant’Agostino (late l3th cent.), with an
extremely simple facade and works by Benozzo Gozzoli,
Lippo Memmi and Bartolo di Fredi inside; the Church
of San Pietro (11th cent.); the Church of San Jacopo
(13th cent.), with a nave only and unusual elements in
the vaults which spring from transverse arches on en-
gaged piers with haif columns; and finaily the former
Church of San Francesco (now used as a wine cellar)
with a lovely white facade.

Mercedes S car

Mercedes Van

Mercedes E class

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