Siena

Surrounded by a marvelous territory, one of a kind, and characterized by unique monuments of Medieval and Renaissance art, Siena is one of the most beautiful and noble cities of art in all of Italy and perhaps in the world. Situated in the Elsa Valley and not far from the surreal scenery of the Crete, in an area that has kept the aesthetic and economic values of the rural landscape mostly intact, Siena is second only to Florence and Pisa in fame and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.
Heir of an ancient Etruscan settlement, the actual town was born in the Lombard era by the fusion of the indigenous centers, for which a "walled center" was created and developed on a complex system of mounds and ridges. Crossed by a large part of Via Francigena (which faces the most important commercial activities of the city), in the Middle Ages the city lived its moment of maximum splendor, which lead to the formation of the Florentine republic.
The lively history Siena has been characterized, since the beginning, by a proud local spirit and a strong attachment to its land. It was as such that schools and traditions of all kinds developed here, creating a sort of cultural microcosm: for example, for many centuries Siena actually had its own calendar. Even Gothic art, also imported from France, was diffused with completely specified traces, giving life to the so-called "Sienese Gothic" (or "Sienese School"). This kind of extreme local pride, typical of the major centers of Tuscany, marked the relations with nearby Florence, which were of profound reciprocal hostility and served as the basis for continuous wars of unprecedented ferocity.
The lively history Siena has been characterized, since the beginning, by a proud local spirit and a strong attachment to its land. It was as such that schools and traditions of all kinds developed here, creating a sort of cultural microcosm: for example, for many centuries Siena actually had its own calendar. Even Gothic art, also imported from France, was diffused with completely specified traces, giving life to the so-called "Sienese Gothic" (or "Sienese School"). This kind of extreme local pride, typical of the major centers of Tuscany, marked the relations with nearby Florence, which were of profound reciprocal hostility and served as the basis for continuous wars of unprecedented ferocity.
The tendency to exalt the difference and the specificity is met again in the social life of the city. In fact, Siena is entirely subdivided in "terzi" ("Terzo di Città”, “Terzo di Camollìa” and “Terzo di San Martino”), those subdivided in 17 districts, which with their unusual names "Chiocciola” -snail-, “Giraffa” -giraffe-, “Drago” -dragon-, “Onda” -wave-, “Bruco” -caterpillar-, etc…) reproduce a fantastic medieval bestiary. Such cultural complexity even denotes the appearance of the historic center, in which every district is immediately distinguishable to the visitor for its flags of different colors and of the decorations on the picturesque streets. The Sienese distinctiveness is also reflected on the table: in fact, this land of famous wines and fine sweet foods, among which the excellent product "Panforte", which has become a specialty in all of Italy especially during the Christmas period. The monuments to describe in this city are numerous: palazzi, churches, historic streets and doors, but also small houses and popular alleyways are plentiful in Siena, and it takes more than a few whole days to admire everything in detail. We will try to select only the major city attractions, leaving the reader the enjoyment of "losing himself" in a free, instinctive visit, free from a fixed itinerary.