looking north into the city
Ramparts - just one of the many vestiges of the city's medieval prime - still crown the hills that surround gentle Siena. Its many reddish-brown buildings gave the world 'burnt sienna,' and a thriving cultural scene was dubbed the Sienese school in the 13th and 14th centuries. Plague and autocrats from the Viscontis to the Medicis brought urban growth and cultural finesse to a screaming halt, the rot setting in with the plague of 1348, which killed 65,000 of the city's 100,000 people. Fortunately, Italy's finest medieval square - the Piazza del Campo - was finished just in time, with the graceful town hall and emblemic tower nearby. Siena's duomo is a stunner, with black and white stripes of marble on the facade. Palazzos, piazzas, art collections, museums and churches are scattered throughout the easily walkable old town, making Siena a great destination for visitors who like to see things from the pavement up.
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looking north into the city
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