Torre dei Cugnanesi, San Gimignano

The Cugnanesi Tower is one of the fourteen surviving towers of San Gimignano. It is located between Via San Giovanni and Via del Quercecchio, close to the Arco dei Becci.

Together with the massive Cugnanesi palace, it was part of the defensive apparatus of the Becci Arch.

The tower dates from the 13th century and is one of the tallest in the city. The palace is from the same period and is recognizable by the series of exterior corbels that support the projecting gallery on the upper level. At the back, from the road going up to the Montestaffoli Rock, you can see the massive corner of the palace that resembles a bastion, and in fact was part of the city's first city wall.