The medieval hilltop town of San Gimignano, acclaimed as one of the jewels of Tuscany, is under such attack from tourism that local authorities are considering restricting the numbers of people allowed into the city at any one time. Three million tourists descend on the town, famed for its art-filled churches and picturesque skyline of towers, every year, surging through a cramped historical centre that measures only 900 metres by 500 metres. The influx has led to congested roads full of buses and cars and fears of environmental damage. It has also provoked complaints that traditional craftsmen are being edged out in favour of tacky souvenir shops. In an attempt to reverse the trend, town elders are to offer incentives to tourists to stay away during the busy summer period by promoting winter as an ideal time to visit, and offering discounted museum and gallery tickets. However, they have not ruled out a plan to limit the number of tourists allowed inside the city walls on the busiest days, which are usually public holidays. "We may be obliged to do this," said Daniele Cappellini, transport supremo on the local council. "We have to think of some way to manage this torrent of people and to protect San Gimignano, which is a small and delicate place." He said overcrowding meant that sometimes there were two tourists to every square metre. "Some days, if I even put my nose outside the door of my house, the press of the crowd will practically take me off my feet," he added. San Gimignano's problems have come about because it is attracting the wrong kind of tourist, according to research by the local authority. "We have too many people who come here for an hour or two hours and then they leave, without understanding anything about our culture and our history," said Mr Cappellini. "There is too much of a trend these days of doing everything too quickly. The Japanese are the worst. They arrive here at 8am and they're back on their buses at 8.45." The controversy erupted after an Italian tourist magazine, Bell'Italia, hailed the large number of visitors who are attracted to the town, called a Renaissance Manhattan because of its towers silhouetted against the skyline. The magazine said the rise in tourism was good news but many local people countered that mass tourism is making their lives a misery. San Gimignano's mayor, Marco Lisi, attempted to quell the controversy yesterday. "When you see 100 tour buses a day, it's not nice," he said. "We want to welcome everyone but like many other tourists towns, we suffer from the fact that people come here for a short time and then leave." Author Dario Castagno, whose book Too Much Tuscan Sun talked about his experiences as a tour guide, says he refuses to take clients to San Gimignano because of overcrowding. "The people of San Gimignano make a lot of money from tourists and it would be better if they spent some of it by building better car parks and offering nicer facilities."