39/50.- Tuscany, Siena Palace

For the tourist driving northwards from Orvieto into Tuscany, the bustling city of Siena is worth a long visit. Siena is a much larger fortified city, whose streets are lined with palaces witnessing to the city’s wealth gathered by its merchants and bankers, mainly in the 13th and 14th centuries. The elegant 13th-century Palazzo Pubblico shown here overlooks the Piazza del Campo (more about which in pictrure 40). The Torre del Mangia offers a staggering view over the medieval square and over the city as it sprawls over three hills. The palace, originally the seat of the successive governments of the Siena Republic, contains a wealth of art.

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