Draped across three hills, Siena—the most beautiful city in Tuscany—is a flamboyant medieval ensemble of palaces and towers cast in warm brown brick. Its hallmark is a soaring skyline dominated by the Duomo of Siena with its fantastical Gothic exterior and tower—the taut needle of the Torre di Mangia. The 13th-century Palazzo Publico is in the very center of Siena, but just a few streets away, olive groves and orchards grow. The contrast is part of the city’s charm: densely built-up urbanity linked to a fine, long stretch of Tuscan farmland.

From her home in Tuscany, art historian Elaine Ruffolo examines how a great art-filled cityscape and fierce civic pride made Siena a world of its own.

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*

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*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.