<Tr> <Th> Inscription </Th> <Td> 1990 (14th Session) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Area </Th> <Td> 13.88 ha </Td> </Tr> <P> San Gimignano (Italian pronunciation: (san dʒimiɲˈɲaːno)) is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north - central Italy . Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form "an unforgettable skyline". Within the walls, the well - preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with outstanding examples of secular buildings as well as churches . The Palazzo Comunale, the Collegiate Church and Church of Sant' Agostino contain frescos, including cycles dating from the 14th and 15th centuries . The "Historic Centre of San Gimignano" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The town also is known for saffron, the Golden Ham, and its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area . </P> <P> In the 3rd century BC a small Etruscan village stood on the site of San Gimignano . Chroniclers Lupi, Coppi and Pecori relate that during the Catiline conspiracy against the Roman Republic in the 1st century, two patrician brothers, Muzio and Silvio, fled Rome for Valdelsa and built two castles, Mucchio and Silvia (now San Gimignano). The name of Silvia was changed to San Gimignano in 450 AD after Bishop Geminianus, the Saint of Modena, intervened to spare the castle from destruction by the followers of Attila the Hun . As a result, a church was dedicated to the saint, and in the 6th and 7th centuries a walled village grew up around it, subsequently called the "Castle of San Gimignano" or Castle of the Forest because of the extensive woodland surrounding it . From 929 the town was ruled by the bishops of Volterra . </P>

Like many northern italian medieval towns s. gimignano is distinctive for its