HISTORY: Although Siena was settled in the time of the Etruscans, the city flourished only after the Lombard occupation, starting with the 6th century AD, and for the next few hundreds years continued to develop into a prosperous trading center. Read More [...]
In the 12th century, Siena became a Republic, which existed for over 400 years, until the middle of the 16th century, when it was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence, in alliance with the Spanish Crown. Subsequently, the city was ceded by the Spanish King Felipe II to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the 19th century, when the unification of Italy occurred.
GEOGRAPHY: Today, Siena is a city of about 54,000 inhabitants in the Italian region of Tuscany, and capital of the homonymous province. The city is located in the central part of Tuscany, in the middle of a vast hilly landscape between the Arbia river valley, the Elsa valley, the Merse valley, the Chianti hills, the Montagnola Senese hills and the Crete Senesi hills.
Siena is located 59 kilometers west of Arezzo, 63 kilometers south of Florence, 105 kilometers southeast of Pisa, 165 kilometers south of Bologna, 225 kilometers northwest of Rome, 317 kilometers southwest of Venice, 370 kilometers southeast of Milan, and about 445 kilometers northwest of Naples.
TRANSPORT: You can get to Siena by plane, arriving at the Amerigo Vespucci Airport, in Florence, or at the Galileo Galilei Airport, in Pisa. There are regular trains and buses to and from Florence, and also from the nearby cities. A train ticket from Florence to Siena costs 9.50€ and the trip takes about one hour and a half, while a train ticket from Pisa costs 10.90€ and the trip takes about 2 hours.
LANDMARKS: With a historical center that has been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site, Siena is one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany and, at the same time, one of the most visited cities in Italy. The main attractions are the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo di Siena), Piazza del Campo with Palazzo Pubblico and its slender Torre del Mangia, medieval palaces like Palazzo Salimbeni, Palazzo Sansedoni, or Palazzo Tolomei, and beautiful churches like the Basilica of San Domenico and the Basilica of San Francesco.
EVENTS: The most important event in Siena is, of course, the Palio, which is held twice a year, on July 2, under the title of Palio di Provenzano, dedicated to the Madonna of Provenzano, and on August 16, known as Palio dell’Assunta, in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
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