Siena is one of Italy's best-preserved medieval towns. Set beautifully on three hills, Siena was one of the major cities of Europe during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries when it had a flourishing wool industry, dominated the trade routes from France to Rome and ran the richest banks. The Black Death of May, 1348, ended this prosperity. Their population fell from 100,000 to 30,000 and it never fully recovered. Now with a population of 60,000, it remains a city with a majestic Gothic look behind its medieval ... (more)