Gelateria di Piazza (Dondoli)

The Gelateria di Piazza has been on the Piazza della Cisterna since 1969, run by Sergio Dondoli and now something of a pilgrimage destination for anyone who takes gelato seriously. The queues in summer are real but move quickly. The flavours rotate by season, with a handful of house signatures that never leave the list — the crema di Santa Fina (saffron and pine nuts, inspired by the chapel nearby) is the one to try if it's available.

The quality is consistently high: proper custard bases, intense fruit sorbets, and a texture that comes from working by hand rather than overloading the machine. Gelateria Dondoli is on the Piazza della Cisterna, impossible to miss.

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A story
Sergio Dondoli has won the World Gelato Championship in Rimini multiple times, most notably in 2006 and 2008 when his team from San Gimignano took first place. The championships are judged on flavour, texture, presentation, and creativity; Dondoli's winning flavours have included a Vernaccia-and-saffron gelato that deliberately incorporated the town's two most famous products into a single scoop.