Gelateria Dondoli — Piazza della Cisterna
Sergio Dondoli is a two-time World Gelato Champion, and his gelateria on Piazza della Cisterna is the reason travellers plan return trips to San Gimignano. The queue outside is real, the flavours are inventive, and every scoop is made fresh on the premises using local ingredients.
Flavours Worth the Queue
Do not leave without trying Crema di Santa Fina — a saffron-and-pine-nut gelato named after San Gimignano's patron saint, made with the town's own DOP saffron — it is floral, golden and unlike anything you have tasted before.
Champelmo, a Campari-and-pink-grapefruit sorbet, is the ideal palate cleanser on a hot afternoon, while Vernaccia sorbet made with the local white wine is a sophisticated adult option that showcases the town's most famous agricultural product in frozen form.
Visiting Strategically
The gelateria gets genuinely crowded between 11:00 and 16:00 in summer; go at opening (around 09:00 in high season) or after 19:00 when the day-trippers have left and the evening passeggiata crowd takes over the piazza.
Ask for a cono (cone) rather than a cup — the freshly made waffle cones add a warm, caramelised crunch that elevates the whole experience. Two generous scoops cost around €3.50.
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