Towers of San Gimignano
Towns in Tuscany picture - It is said that there were once 72 towers in San Gimignano. By 158 there were only 25 standing, and today there are 14. The first towers served as office, law court and prison. Many noble families built their own towers. They were fortress houses, some with holes in the sides so that they could use flying wooden bridges to join with friendly familes or attack unfriendly families.