.San Gimignano - Cisterna Square

From the Cathedral Square, beyond the People Loggia we reach the Cistern Square. Once here was the trade and bank centre. The square derives its name from an artistic travertine cistern dating back to 1237. Its real name is Caves Square or Elm Square (because of an elm tree once existing at a side of the square near the passage leading to Porta dei Cugnanesi. In middle ages the elm was a symbol of fidelity).
. The square is delimited by interesting palaces and towers among which the «twin towers» belonging to Ardinghellis. A little farther there is the Devil's tower: a legend tells that its owner, when back from a trip, found it higher than when he had left and believed that such elevation had been made by the devil. At foot of the tower is Vicolo dell'Oro (Gold Lane) so called because once gold-beaters had here their shops.
. At the centre of the square there is the Cistern with the coat of arms of the Podesta Guccio Malvolti who had it enlarged in 1346. People think that the visitor who turns around the cistern sooner or later will come back to San Gimignano. Going on towards Via del Castello (in front of the Cistern) we find at its end the Church of St. Lawrence dating back to the 13th century. Inside there are interesting paintings which represent the various cycles of trans-mundane worlds.The Paradise and Christ with the twelve Apostles are well preserved. All around some ancient frescoes irreparably lost.
. Close to the Church, in the Oratory, is a wonderful Madonna surrouned by small heads of angels. The work is ascribed to Cenno di Francesco Cenni, a 15th century Florentine painter. The other paintings are also ascribed to him.
. Coming out of the Church, the gloomy big building beyond Via del Castello is the Penitentiary; once it was a Domini can Convent and Girolamo Savonarola was among the friars who lived in.