Torri degli Ardinghelli, San Gimignano

The two towers of the Ardinghelli are among the fourteen medieval towers of San Gimignano and are located in Piazza della Cisterna, at the corner of Piazza del Duomo.

The Ardinghelli were the most important Ghibelline family in San Gimignano, fighting against the Guelph Salvucci. They had grown rich through trade and finance and had trade relations with Lombardy and the East.

Their two towers date back to San Gimignano's golden age of building, the 13th century, and specifically to the end of the century. Despite an express prohibition in 1255, anciently these two towers were taller than the nearly 52 meters of the Torre Rognosa, the tower of the town hall, in response to the height, also "outlawed," of the nearby twin towers of the Salvucci. Because of this they were later scapitalized and today stand about half the height of the original building.

The two towers, although both with a four-sided base, are quite different: the right one is narrower and possesses a more severely medieval appearance: covered with regular exposed drafts, there are a few narrow single-lancet windows and a slit.

The left tower, on the other hand, has a larger surface area, with very large arched windows that seem to suggest an even structural use of the arches to relieve the weight of the masonry. These openings are now scaled down by brick infill, but still clearly visible. There are pontaie holes at regular heights, while the portal on the ground floor is architraved.