Piazza della Cisterna
Piazza della Cisterna historical timeline
Last updated on October 14, 2026- the high Middle Ages — the arco dei Becci is built as a gate in the first circuit of the town walls. It still stands at the southern end of the square, which means the square was later laid out around an existing gate.
- the 12th century onward — the site becomes important because of where it is: the crossing of the via Francigena, running north to south, with the Pisa–Siena road running east to west. San Gimignano sits on the medieval Via Francigena, and this is where its traffic met.
- 13th century — the present arrangement of the square is laid out, under the dispositions of the Ghibelline Comune, with a clear division of function from Piazza del Duomo: the Duomo square took the religious and political buildings, this one took the market and served as the stage for festivals and tournaments. Parts of the paving survive from this period.
- — the water cistern beneath the square is constructed. It is what the square is named after.
- — the monumental travertine well-head is enlarged under the podestà Guccio Malavolti, reaching the form it has today on its octagonal pedestal.
- the 13th and 14th centuries — the towers and noble houses around the square go up, among them the Becci and Cugnanesi towers over the old gate, the twin Ardinghelli towers, the torre del Diavolo, palazzo dei Cortesi, palazzo Razzi, palazzo Tortoli and Casa Salvestrini, then a hospital.
- at some point after that — the tower of the capitano del popolo beside palazzo Tortoli is truncated, and survives cut off part-way up.
- — the Historic Centre of San Gimignano, this square included, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 14th Session under cultural criteria (i), (iii) and (iv), across 13.88 hectares.
Verified against Wikipedia, October 2026.