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Siena is one of Italy's best
preserved medieval towns, located in the heart
of
Tuscany.
Siena, built on three hills and surrounded by well preserved walls, is filled with fine examples of Gothic architecture and has one of the world's most unique piazzas - il Campo. The world-famous Palio, which takes place in the Campo,
is an important part of Sienese identity, history and culture.
To fully discover and appreciate all that Siena offers, one
should visit the city for more than a just a few days.
CiE 2007 takes
place just 6 days before the start of the Palio on 29 June, 2007.
Siena makes an excellent base for other excursions in Tuscany, as it is not far
from charming towns such as
San Gimignano,
Pienza,
and towns world famous for wine, such as
Montalcino
and
Montepulciano.
Florence
and Pisa too are
within easy reach.
Siena's university, founded in 1203 and famed for its faculties of law and medicine, is still among the most important Italian universities. Siena rivalled Florence in the arts through the 13th and 14th centuries: the important late medieval painter
Duccio (1253 - 1319) was a Senese, and
the mural of "Good Government" by
Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the Palazzo Pubblico, or
town hall, is a magnificent example of late-Medieval/early Renaissance art.
Siena's cathedral,
the Duomo,
begun in the 12th century, is one of the great examples of Italian romanesque architecture. Its main facade was completed in 1380. Its campanile and baptistry make a fine group.
Inside is the famous Gothic octagonal pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1266 - 1268)
supported on lions.
Beneath the Duomo, in the baptistry is the marvelous baptismal font with bas-reliefs by Donatello, Ghiberti, Jacopo della Quercia and other 15th-century sculptors.
The historic center of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a
World Heritage Site. For more information on Siena visit the excellent
Wikipedia Siena
webpage.
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