Torre e Casa Campatelli

San Gimignano


Protected and opened to the public by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), the Italian National Trust equivalent, this art- and antique-filled tower house was the home of the wealthy Campatelli family and has been preserved exactly as it was when its last resident, Lydia Campatelli, bequeathed it to the FAI in 2005. The main – and extremely compelling – reason for a visit is the 'Thousand Years of San Gimignano' audiovisual presentation about the history of the city (in English and Italian).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Gimignano attractions

1. San Gimignano del 1300

0.03 MILES

Youngsters love this handmade ceramic re-creation of the medieval city, complete with houses, streets, towers and people as they would have looked in 1300…

2. Museo d'Arte Sacra

0.06 MILES

Works of medieval religious art from San Gimignano's key churches are on display in this modest museum. Particularly beautiful items made from precious…

3. Palazzo Comunale

0.06 MILES

The 13th-century Palazzo Comunale has always been the centre of San Gimignano's local government; its magnificently frescoed Sala di Dante is where the…

4. Collegiata

0.08 MILES

Parts of San Gimignano's Romanesque cathedral were built in the second half of the 11th century, but its remarkably vivid frescoes, depicting episodes…

6. Museo Ornitologico

0.09 MILES

Occupying a decommissioned 16th-century church, this modest museum has a mournful collection of stuffed birds that dates back to 1886 and looks it.

7. Galleria Continua

0.1 MILES

It may seem strange to highlight contemporary art in this medieval time capsule of a town, but there's good reason to do so. This is one of the best…