City of towers

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Spent the day walking around the beautiful ancient 'city of towers' San Gimignano. The highest tower was owned by the mayor (one year terms), it being ordained that no other citizen could build any tower higher than the mayor's. In this city of competition, one of the families decided that they would then build twin towers both of which would be just slightly lower than the mayoral tower: two showing they were definitely wealthy enough to build a higher tower had they been given permission.

There have been many stories of rivalry culminating in a beheading, family eviction, tower slicing and vindictive retribution. We will share today's photos with you: no meals bought (sorry lee) but a few little mementos purchased.

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Photos

Courtyard from our room
All these old palazzos or 'big houses' had interior courtyards

Our room
Seems it was a produce space at the back of the shop which fronts the walkway

Fresco in mayors courtyard
Sadly much of the murals are faded or ruined by German bombing

Courtyard of museum civico
We were not allowed to take photos of the photo galleries inside the museums

saint Michael
There you go!

View from mayoral tower
Note the other 'lower' and truncated twin towers

S. G. And district
No wonder they all wanted to build tall towers

City streets (old sector)
Inside the walls

The fort
Far corner of the city surrounded by second wall which was built to encircle the expanded city

Symbolic ornaments??
Must have some function - the dragon with the tower Tis in its claws seems to symbolise the slicing if the tops owned by the 'warring' families

Ancient doorway
Into polizia yard

Ancient baths
Washing and bathing were conducted in separate sections of the baths (upstream for bathing, downstream for washing clothes)