Piazza della Cisterna

Piazza della Cisterna is San Gimignano's triangular square enclosed by medieval houses and towers. The wellhead above its water cistern gives the space its name and a focal point among the surrounding facades.

Why it matters

The square's history is closely connected with trade, taverns and urban gathering. Its houses and towers show how commerce and family representation occupied the same public space.

What to notice

The octagonal travertine wellhead carries the heraldry associated with the podestà Guccio dei Malavolti. The Ardinghelli towers and the Torre del Diavolo distinguish the skyline. The latter's name is explained by a local legend in which an owner returned to find his tower mysteriously taller. Different window forms and building heights give the square's perimeter its varied medieval character.

Context and history

The cistern was built in 1273 and enlarged in 1346 under Guccio dei Malavolti. Earlier names, Piazza delle Taverne and Piazza dell'Olmo, recall other features of the space. Its relationship with neighbouring civic and religious buildings places it within the wider urban fabric of medieval San Gimignano, while the water structure preserves a practical function at the centre of the monumental setting.