Siena Tuscany

Siena is a city of steep medieval alleys surrounding Piazza del Campo. The buildings around the square symbolize the golden age of the city, between 1260 and 1348, when wealthy citizen contributed to a major programme of civic building. Siena's decline began in 1348 when the Black Death arrived, killing a third of the population; 200 years later, many more died when the Florentines sieged and eventually won the city. The victors repressed all further development in Siena, and the city largely remains frozen in time, crammed with renovated medieval buildings.