01 May 2024

Siena is a profoundly medieval city. The narrow, winding streets enclosed by walls and gates remain somewhat suspended in time—and protected by UNESCO status. Yes, Etruscans thrived here first, and Romans established a military colony. But Siena’s celebrated years occurred from the 11th century to 1555 when the city flourished as a commercial and banking center. Monte dei Paschi of Siena, founded in 1492, is the oldest operating bank in the world. It is still headquartered in the medieval fortress just around two corners from our apartment.

The city’s wealth was channeled into buildings, such as the enormous black-and-white striped Duomo, as well as into Sienese art, including the work by the painters Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers, and Simone Martini. These painters continued using gold backgrounds and stylized figures, inherited from Byzantine art, long after Renaissance naturalism suffused the rest of Europe.

For centuries Siena battled Florence, a city just thirty miles north. In 1260 Siena crushed the Florentines at Montaperti, killing 10,000 enemy troops. An astonishing number. But beginning in 1348 when the Black Death claimed one-third of Siena’s citizens, the city’s economy began to slow. After centuries of rivalry and battles, Florence finally won decisively in 1555. By this time, Florence had eclipsed Siena in economic, political, and artistic power.

The Piazza del Campo, the famous large, sloping, shell-shaped central plaza, lies at the center of the city. Siena was not ruled by a king or despot, and this space in front of the city hall was designed as the center of civic life, large enough to hold all 50,000 residents. The population is only slightly larger today, at 54,000, which includes 16,000 university students. The Campo is the site of the famous Palio horse race held every year, in which the seventeen historic neighborhoods compete. We have seen photographs of the enormous crowds in the Campo and decided we’ll pass.

Next post—Sketches Secondo