Medieval skyscrapers

JANARDHAN ROYE

Necessitated by lack of space, the structures built in the 11th century at San Gimignano were unique in the medieval world.

Photos: Janardhan Roye

Grandeur in stone: The towers of San Gimignano and the Tuscan countryside (top left). The black Alfa Romeo hugged the winding road as we whipped past misty grey-blue hills, meadows ablaze with yellow flowers, and clusters of grapes from rows and rows of espaliered vines. Olive groves, trees clothed in silver leaves and brimming with luscious fruit whizzed by. A delicate scent of pine and cypress lingered in the air. Around us trees formed lines on the horizon like tall, dark sentinels — very Tuscan, very Italian.

In the midst of so much beauty, a sound like a gunshot pierced the warm September morning stillness.

We were heading in the direction of San Gimignano (pronounced, “san jimmi-nan-o”) from Pisa, on a route that went back to Paleolithic times. In medieval times, it was a well-traversed pilgrim route connecting the mighty Rome at one end and holy Canterbury in the North. The crossroad that we had passed was where the Tuscan heartland connects with the bustling maritime city of Pisa and the Adriatic Sea coast.

In the Middle Ages, the route, known as Via Francigena or Via Roma, saw pious men undertaking the long journey by foot, and some, on donkeys. The bigger rush though was on the road westward where traders and farmers on animal-drawn carts took the local produce — olives, maize, wine, and saffron — to ship them to lucrative overseas markets.

Interrupting the thought was a second shot. It was gunfire from somewhere down below in the valley. Was someone trying to warn us? Were we in danger?

For, in times past, the area was notorious for bandits, rough terrain, feral creatures, sword of barbarians, and the crossfire of feuding factions. So much so that travellers in medieval times generally performed a series of rituals before setting out — clearing debts, preparing wills, obtaining consent from priests, asking forgiveness of anyone whom they might have offended before bidding ciao! to family and neighbours.

Little has changed

Today the Tuscan countryside does not pose such challenges to life and limb even though life has changed little over many hundreds of years. The ancient art of cultivating saffron, for instance, continues even if it is on a modest scale. Connoisseurs painstakingly and lovingly hand-fertilize the flowers to gather the precious stigmas.

The mainstay of the local economy is the ancient white grape, Renaissance Vernaccia. Organic flowers, grapes, wheat, cereals, beans, saffron, figs, sunflower, olive, herbs, cheese, and Chianina meat are other items that contribute to the region’s prosperity.

In earlier times, residents flush with money from this merchandise gave generously to community projects. This spurred a flurry of development activities — aqua ducts and fountains, elaborately paved squares and city streets, magnificent churches, exquisite buildings, and a walled city.

As we neared San Gimignano, one such sight on a hill left us breathless. Where we actually seeing skyscrapers? If it amazed us now, we wondered how the sight must have affected ancient visitors and passers-by. For sure, at that time there was nothing like it elsewhere in the region or for that matter anywhere in the world.

Noble families of the 11th century helped in ushering this feat of engineering and ingenuity. Pressed by a space constraint, business families set up palazzos designed by leading architects of the day. The boom in trade necessitated larger vertical warehousing and storage spaces in the walled city. This set in motion a competitive spirit. Each family tried to outshine their neighbour with taller, bigger towers — resulting in what writer D.H. Lawrence referred to as “an angry porcupine” on the hill.

The high-rises are remarkable for their elaborate style, elegant brickwork and pointed windows. The architecture — civil, religious and military — carried the distinct style and influence of the surrounding areas: exuberant Pisan Romanesque, Florentine early Renaissance, and medieval Sienese Gothic.

Clearly, the phalanx of medieval towers is the precursor of today’s Manhattan. At the height of San Gimignano’s glory, there were 70 of them. Today, with the passage of time and slipping fortune — the Black Death of 1348, Renaissance warfare and turmoil — only 13 towers remain. Their reduced numbers however doesn’t for a minute detract from their grandeur. A long line of princes, poets, painters, Popes and visitors has waxed eloquent on this cityscape. The Tuscan town may be tiny but it invariably floors the most sophisticated of tourists. The UNESCO has declared it a part of World’s Architectural Heritage

Inside the fortress city, there is a maze of medieval cobbled streets and granite structures. The main thoroughfare has restaurants, art galleries, patisseries that retain traditional pastry, panforte, cantucci, nocini and such in their pristine glory, hand-painted pottery kiosks, up-market food shops such as La Buca with its trademark stuffed wild boar at the entrance, and fashion boutiques. At the top of the street, in the main square, is a charming hangout named after a well in its central point, Piazza della Cisterna.

Residents and visitors sit beside the well, enjoying the sun with a gelato made as per local tradition, or in pavement cafes, raising a salut with a glass of the famed Vernaccia. The wine, experts say is “powerful and full-bodied, with a rich, heady bouquet and a crisp clean taste that lingers long on the palate, a golden-hued wine that both warms and inspires”.

Nearby is the main cathedral, Piazza del Duomo with its exquisite frescoes, statues and sculptures. Of the towers, three stand out: Palazzo del Popolo, Torre Grossa, the tallest tower and open to the public, and Torre della Rognosa, the oldest tower. From the ramparts of the fortress, there are awesome views of the towers and the surrounding hills and valleys, made more spectacular by sunrise and sunset.

Mystery solved

At the end of our first day in Tuscany, at dinner, the mystery of the morning gunshots was resolved. Our charming hostess, Cledy, said that residents shoot wild boar that raid their vegetable patches and maize fields. That game meat, in turn, becomes central to many Tuscan dishes. “Chingiale, for one, is prepared with white wine, chopped garlic, sage leaves and olive oil”, she explained with a gleam in her eye. Our fears of locals taking pot-shots at pesky visitors put to rest, we enjoyed our exquisite meal beginning with the antipasti.

The tiny place and its exquisite offerings have legions of admirers from Percy Bysshe Shelley and E.M. Forster to generations of moviemakers, artists, writers, and visitors. Everyone, it seems, comes under the Tuscan spell at San Gimignano.

Fact file

Getting there: Public buses or rental cars from Florence or Pisa take 45-minutes via Poggibonsi. Daily trains run between Rome and Florence/Pisa.

The Tourist Information centre at Piazza del Duomo offers free maps, accommodation bookings in nearby castles such as Fortessa del Cortessi, farmhouses and other B&B services, information on restaurants and wine tasting trails, transport, and other services. Two-hour audio guides cost €5. A walk tour starts daily from March to October at 3 p.m. except on Sundays, for €15.

Website: www.sangimignano.com