Siena


Siena is a city in Tuscany, in Central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. With a population of 52,991, it is the 12th-largest city in the region as of 2025.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking centre until the 13th and 14th centuries. Siena is also home to the oldest bank in the world, the Monte dei Paschi, which has been operating continuously since. Several significant Mediaeval and Renaissance painters were born and worked in Siena, among them Duccio di Buoninsegna, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Sassetta, and influenced the course of Italian and European art. The University of Siena, originally called Studium Senese, was founded in 1240, making it one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world.
Siena was an important city in medieval Europe, and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which contains several buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries. The city is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year in Piazza del Campo.
In October 2025, Siena won the European Green Leaf Award for 2027.

History

Antiquity

Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. A Roman town called Saena Iulia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus.
According to local legend, Siena was founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus and thus nephews of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants, thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old".
The first known document of the Sienese community dates back to 70 AD: the Roman Senator Manlio Patruito reported to Rome that he had been ridiculed with a fake funeral during his official visit to Saena Iulia, a small military colony in Tuscia. The Roman Senate decided to punish the main culprits and to severely call the Sienese to greater respect for Roman authority.
At the end of the third century the city was Christianised by Sant'Ansano, known as the "Baptist of the Sienese", who was punished by the Roman authorities governing Siena with the test of fire and boiling oil, imprisonment and finally beheading. During the Middle Ages he was therefore named patron saint of Siena, and the day of his liturgical anniversary came to mark the beginning of the "Contrada Year".

Middle Ages

power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena.
The Republic of Siena, established in the 12th century, was a vibrant and influential city-state during the medieval and Renaissance periods. Founded on principles of commerce and governance, Siena quickly became a significant player in the region's political landscape. Siena's economy thrived primarily through its wool industry, which was renowned throughout Europe. The city's strategic location along major trade routes further bolstered its prosperity, allowing Siena to establish trade networks that extended across Europe. This economic success was supported by a well-developed banking system and a strong guild structure that regulated various trades and professions.
Politically, the Republic of Siena was governed by a complex system of councils and magistrates, dominated by powerful noble families who competed for influence and control. The city's political structure evolved over time, with periodic reforms aimed at balancing power and maintaining stability. However, internal rivalries often led to factionalism and occasional civil unrest, one of the main challenges faced by many Italian city-states of that period.
Culturally, Siena flourished during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, producing notable artists such as Duccio di Buoninsegna and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. These artists, along with architects and scholars, contributed to the city's rich artistic and intellectual heritage. Siena's distinctive Gothic architecture, exemplified by the iconic Duomo di Siena and the Palazzo Pubblico, remains a testament to its cultural achievements during this period. In the 1330s Lorenzetti painted the fresco The City at Peace in the local government chamber Sala dei Nove, placing human activities in the foreground while buildings frame and protect the city of Siena. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people.
Despite its cultural and economic prowess, the Republic faced external threats and conflicts, particularly from its rival Florence. The rivalry between Siena and Florence intensified throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, culminating in a series of wars known as the Italian Wars. These conflicts ultimately weakened Siena's political and economic position. From 1547 to 1552, the Spanish-installed governor of Siena was Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, until he was ousted by a Sienese revolt, which re-established the Sienese Republic. In the Italian War of 1551–1559, the republic was defeated by the rival Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.

Medicean period

After the fall of the Republic, a few Sienese led by the Florentine exile Piero Strozzi, not wanting to accept the fall of the Republic, took refuge in Montalcino, creating the Republic of Siena sheltered in Montalcino. It survived until 31 May 1559 when it was betrayed by the French allies, whom Siena had always supported, concluding with the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis with Charles V, which effectively ceded the Republic to the Medici.
The House of Medici, apart from the brief parenthesis of Ferdinando I, who tried to create an organised state, were not able to give a stable structure to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, keeping almost unchanged the division between the so-called Old State, i.e. Florence, and the New State, i.e. Siena and the southern part up to Pitigliano, with different laws and taxes. With the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici,, who had no children, the Medici dynasty ended and the Grand Duchy passed into the hands of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty who kept it until 1799.

Late modern period

After the Napoleonic period and the Risorgimento uprisings, Siena was the first city in Tuscany, in 1859, to vote in favor of annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.
In 1966, Siena became the first European city to ban cars from its main square.

Geography

Siena is located in the central part of Tuscany, in the middle of a vast hilly landscape between the Arbia river valley, the Merse valley, the Elsa valley, the Chianti hills, the Montagnola Senese and the Crete Senesi. The city lies at above sea level.

Climate

Siena has a typical inland Mediterranean climate. Average rainfall is, with the maximum in November and the minimum in July. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of, and January the coldest, with an average temperature of.
The hottest temperature ever recorded was in August 2017. On average, 10 days per year exceed.

Government

Subdivisions

Within Siena's historic center, three main districts, known as the Terzi, can be identified: Terzo di Città, Terzo di San Martino, and Terzo di Camollia. These Terzi are further divided into Contrade, totaling 17, which compete against each other during the Palio di Siena.
Outside the city walls, new suburbs and neighborhoods began to develop from the early 20th century onward. Initially, extramural suburbs grew spontaneously just beyond the walls, later followed by neighborhoods designed according to rational urban planning principles. The main neighborhoods are:
  • Acquacalda
  • Bottega Nuova
  • Camollia
  • Cappuccini
  • Coroncina
  • Due Ponti
  • Fontegiusta
  • Marciano
  • Petriccio
  • Pispini
  • Ravacciano
  • Romana
  • Ruffolo
  • San Marco
  • San Miniato
  • San Prospero
  • Scacciapensieri
  • Tufi
  • Valli
  • Vico Alto

    Demographics

As of 2025, Siena has a population of 52,991, of whom 46.7% are male and 53.3% are female. Minors make up 13.3% of the population, and seniors make up 28.3%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 7,099, equal to 13.4% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities are Albanians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Peruvians and Pakistanis.
Country of birthPopulation
Albania

Economy

The main activities are tourism, services, agriculture, handicrafts and light industry.
In 2009 agricultural activity comprised 919 companies with a total area of for a usable agricultural area of or about of the total municipal area.
There is little manufacturing in the city. One exception is the seasonal confectionery industry, which produces local specialities including panforte, ricciarelli and cavallucci at Christmas, and pane co' santi for I Santi on 1 November and I Morti on the following day.
The area has also seen a growth in biotechnology. The Centenary Institute Sieroterapico Achille Sclavo used to be Swiss-owned, operating under the company name, Novartis Vaccines. Novartis developed and produced vaccines and employed about a thousand people. In 2015, the research plant in Siena became part of Glaxo Smith Kline, as part of a deal between Novartis and this firm.