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siena

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san Domenico church

santa caterina

ghotic palazzo pubblico

the dome

unesco world heritage

The historic center of siena have been added in the world heritage list the 22 september 1994 by the unesco. You can have the motivation document  just clicking here.

Siena: Medieval Siena is often seen as the female counterfoil to Renaissance Florence. At her heart lies the magnificent shell-like piazza, Il Campo, scene of the famous bareback horse race, Il Palio, which whips the town into a frenzy twice a year. One day is not long enough to appreciate all that the tiny walled city has to offer. Must-sees include the humbug-striped Cathedral decried by Ruskin as 'a piece of costly confectionery' and the majestic Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) topped by the soaring Torre del Mangia. Named after the medieval bell-ringer, the tower should be climbed for magnificent views of the city and hills beyond. Inside the town hall is the Museo Civico where tourists flock to see Simone Martini's Guidoriccio - the famous Sienese captain and standard-bearer of the city, and Lorenzetti's Effects of Good and Bad Government - a vivid allegory painted against the backdrop of fourteenth-century Siena. The city's best-loved work, Duccio's Maesta, lies in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The devotional picture of the Madonna, enthroned among saints and angels, once graced the Cathedral altar, her blue robes setting off the church's starry vaults. No visit is complete without a wander through Siena's cool, warren-like streets which wind around Il Campo, like arteries feeding the city's pulsating heart. Visitors can drop into one of the city's pasticceria for a slice of Sienese panforte or mingle with the students seeping up the sun in the Campo over a slice of freshly baked pizza.

From Florence, Siena is best reached by bus. No cars are allowed in the city and the Siena's train station is on a branch line, making it necessary to change. sita or train bus depart from the station on Via Santa Caterina every hour. The journey takes approximately one hour. The tourist office is located at Piazza del Campo 56 (tel: (0577) 280 551; fax: (0577) 270 676; e-mail: aptsiena@siena.turismo.toscana.it; web site: www.siena.turismo.toscana.it). For more on transportation visit this link.

Localization

Siena, the capital city of Siena province in the Tuscany region of north central italy, is situated about 55 km (35 mi) south of Florence in the heart of a region known for its marble quarries and Chianti wine. Siena has a population of 57,745 (1990 est.). The city produces wine, fertilizer, and chemicals. Siena has largely retained the appearance of a large, prosperous medieval city and for this reason is a popular tourist center. Among the city's most notable landmarks are the 13th- and 14th-century Gothic Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic-Romanesque cathedral, and the 14th-century Gothic Baptistery of San Giovanni. Many medieval and Renaissance palaces also survive. The University of Siena dates from the 13th century. Founded by Etruscans and later ruled by Rome and the Lombards, Siena became a free commune in the 12th century. In the 13th century it became a flourishing banking center rivaling Florence. The 13th- to 14th-century Sienese school of painting, which produced artists such as DUCCIO DI BUONINSEGNA, ended when the Black Plague began (1348). Emperor Charles V halted Siena's four centuries of republican autonomy in 1555. In 1569 the city came under the Medici dukes of Tuscany, and Siena thereafter shared the history of Tuscany, joining united Italy in 1860.

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