.San Gimignano - the story

Almost on top of the hill called Montestaffoli (or mount Astolfo: this name probably takes us back to facts and personages pertain­ing to barbarian invasions), we find a church dedicated to St. Nic-colo, and remains of other habitations and activities Almost they date back to the beginning of the sevenhundred, the century of Charlemagne. The contours of the apse, later incorporated to the present Basilica, have recently been brought to light. They show that the ancient Church, built on a lower level, had also a different orientation, as it had the back to another village, built quite near to it, but on a lower level, on a steep hill over the country. It was a tow­ered castle, erected on the palace where at present is the prison. On the 30 of August 929, the King of Italy Hugh of Provence gave this castle to the Bishop of Volterra, Adelardo.

The castle, called in the donation act «Mount of the Tower», included the house of the Bi­shop as well as a Church dedicated to St. Stephen, called St. Ste­phen in the Castle, or St. Stephen in «canova». (The «canova» was a warehouse used for corn storage). We had thus a village and a ca­stle (castrum in mediaeval Latin) linked by a transverse road to Via Francigena (presently Via del Castello) having at the beginning a draw-bridge. (This is the reason why a Church built in the 13th cen­tury at the end of the bridge is still called St. Lawrence on the bridge).
Little by little the two villages became larger and joined each other reaching the first ring of walls enclosing the castle in the group of houses and palaces from Porta dei Becci and Cugnanesi to the Arch of the Chancery. The first ring was built at the end of the 10th century.

From the very beginning San Gimignano was under the jurisdic­tion of the Bishop of Volterra. This latter ancient powerful town sin­ce the Etruscan period (6th century B.C.) had power over the large territory running from the chalk cliffs of its. hills to the beginning of Mount Maggio in the green Elsa valley. King Hugh's donation sanc­tioned politically the presence of Volterra in the history of San Gi­mignano, a history of wars and revenges until San Gimignano ca­me under the power of Florence. These events happened in 1352 but at San Gimignano there is today a Church belonging to the Bi­shop's See of Volterra