Draped across three hills, Siena—often called the most beautiful city in Tuscany—is a flamboyant medieval collection of palaces and towers cast in warm brown brick. Its soaring skyline is dominated by the fantastical Gothic-style Duomo and the taut needle of the Torre di Mangia. Just beyond the 13th-century Palazzo Pubblico, olive groves and orchards stretch into the countryside—a vivid contrast that defines Siena’s enduring charm.
In the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, Siena developed an artistic identity distinct from that of nearby Florence. While Florentine art embraced humanism and realism, Sienese painting remained more spiritual, decorative, and mystical. The Sienese School—led by Duccio, Simone Martini, and the Lorenzetti brothers—produced works celebrated for their graceful lines, luminous color, and deep devotion, especially to the Virgin Mary.
From her home in Tuscany, art historian Elaine Ruffolo examines how this art-filled cityscape and a fierce sense of civic pride combined to make Siena a world of its own.
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