Photo spot in San Gimignano
Rocca di Montestaffoli
A ruined fourteenth-century fortress at the top of the town with a free public terrace over the roofs, the towers and the Val d'Elsa.
About Rocca di Montestaffoli
Get directionsThe Rocca is what is left of the fortress the Florentines built after taking the town: a pentagon of walls, one surviving tower, and a grassy enclosure planted with olives inside. Everyone comes for the walkway on top of the wall.
From there the whole skyline lines up — a dozen towers stacked against each other in the near ground and the Val d'Elsa opening out behind. It is the only place in San Gimignano where you can put the town and the countryside in one frame without leaving the walls.
It faces roughly west and south, so late afternoon and sunset are the hours: the towers catch the low sun on one face and go into shadow on the other, which is exactly the separation the view needs. Sunrise puts the towers in silhouette instead.
Entry is free and the gate stays open into the evening, so this is the one busy viewpoint that is still usable at sunset. The stairs up to the wall walk are steep and unrailed on one side — worth knowing before anyone arrives in heels.
Best time to shoot
The last hour before sunset, when the towers separate into light and shadow
Tips
The wall walk is narrow and busy at sunset, so get up there twenty minutes early. A short telephoto compresses the towers into a stack; a wide lens loses them.
Photographers who shoot at Rocca di Montestaffoli
Hand-picked professionals working in San Gimignano
Real reviews from San Gimignano photoshoots
Ann-Marie T.
My husband Ted and I started planning our elopement at the end of 2020. Planning a wedding, no matter how big or how small, still requires a lot of decisions and meticulous organisation. In our case it also took complete trust in our…
Stefano C.
Photographer
Martina E.
A heartfelt thank you for capturing our Venice dream. I can't believe it was August 21st and here we are still floating on air, and much of that magic is because of you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of our…
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Other spots in San Gimignano
Piazza della Cisterna
A sloping triangle of herringbone brick around a thirteenth-century well, walled in on all sides by tower houses.
Piazza del Duomo and the Torre Grossa
The upper square, ringed by seven towers, with the tallest of them climbable for the view straight down onto the roofs.
Via San Giovanni and the vineyard approach
The town's main street running down to Porta San Giovanni, and the road beyond it where all fourteen towers line up at once.
Ready to book?
Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know Rocca di Montestaffoli — free of charge.
