San Gimignano By Nightfall

San Gimignano By Nightfall

A big thank you to everyone who voted and making my picture to the gallery!


San Gimignano rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Such prosperity lead to the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches and monasteries. In 1199 it became a free municipality and fought against the Bishops of Volterra and the surrounding municipalities. Due to internal power struggles it eventually divided into two factions one headed by the Ardinghelli family (Guelphs) and the other by the Salvucci family (Ghibellines). On the 8th May 1300 Dante Alighieri came to San Gimignano as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. In 1348 San Gimignano's population was drastically reduced by the Black Death Plague throwing the city into a serious crisis which eventually led to its submission to Florence in 1353. In the following centuries San Gimignano overcame its decline and isolation when its beauty and cultural importance together with its agricultural heritage were rediscovered. The construction of the towers dates back to the 11th and 13th centuries. The architecture of the city was influenced by Pisa, Siena and Florence. There are 14th century paintings of the Sienese School to be seen and 15th century paintings of the Florentine School.

The first version of this picture was also with the moon rising, however it was just a white dot. So I decided to ad the moon from a close up I did.

Thilo W., 11.06.2009 at 23:08h
+++ Top. fg thilo

SusjeBerlin, 11.06.2009 at 23:15h
+++excellent+++

VG Susje

Sorin Lipenschi, 12.06.2009 at 5:06h
I like it!

LeBrun, 12.06.2009 at 8:57h
very nice. and a beautiful town too, i've been there last year... +++

bombamo, 12.06.2009 at 10:51h
this one looks so perfect , a charming , typical Italian town !
michele

Michael Grotkamp, 12.06.2009 at 11:43h
towers of fighting dynastys in neighbourhood,
fantastic panorma, excellent capture.
Michael

Ilidio Fernandes, 13.06.2009 at 0:02h
This is stunning , well done and presented.

Tad Kanazaki, 13.06.2009 at 1:52h
+++ Excellent!!!!

DRAGA PUC, 13.06.2009 at 19:09h
grat psotcard!
regards
d

Jeanette42, 13.06.2009 at 20:49h
wow, i like this Photo, very nice.
Bye
Jeanette

Berthold Klammer, 18.06.2009 at 12:45h
...Blue hour....
really good mood you have captured here!

Jacky Kobelt, 23.06.2009 at 20:22h
fantastic
cheers
Jacky