Siena is a wonderful Tuscan town to visit, and is not too far from Florence. While being surrounded by yellow & green hills of olive groves and vineyards, Siena is an extremely well-preserved medieval city and was a major city in the 1100's & 1200's, controlling most of southern Tuscany, dominating the trade routes between France and Rome and had Italy's richest banks before the Medici's.

However, after 1260, a defeat against the Florentine army made Siena succomb down to Florence with the battle of Montaperti. But the city still continued to be expanded upon several years after that. However, when the city fell under the hand of Cosimo de' Medici, the city had a huge decline in its development. That is why its medieval atmosphere is so well preserved - nothing was destroyed with wars, but nothing was built up around the Renaissance time either.

A great place to visit, whether to visit each church and museum, or just stroll by and find a nice restaurant in a quiet corner of the street, or to just wander and admire the old buildings ...