Architectural History of Siena, Tuscany, Italy

UNESCO Sites in Siena: Siena Historic Center

Must-See Sites in Siena: Siena Cathedral, Piazza Del Campo, Pubblico Palace

Overview

Although Siena isn’t one of the largest or grandest cities in Italy, it makes up for its smaller size with incredible buildings, squares, and streets. Siena is a great example of a Tuscan Hill Town. Although similar to many other towns in the surrounding area, Siena’s architecture stands out thanks to the many sites within the historic center. The vast majority of the buildings are from the 12th to 17th centuries, and today Siena has one of the best-preserved historic centers in all of Europe.

Etruscan and Roman architecture in Siena

According to legend, Siena was founded by two sons of Remus, the mythological founder of Rome. But there’s a good chance this is just a legend, in an attempt to try and connect Siena with Rome, the Italian Peninsula’s leading city. Archeological evidence shows that Siena was originally established as an Etruscan settlement around 900 BCE.

Although there is evidence of people living on the hilltop, no major architectural sites remain from the Etruscan times. There are a few underground tombs that still exist, but most have been repurposed by residential and commercial buildings.

Eventually, as the Roman Republic expanded to the rest of Italy, they took over the Etruscan Lands, including Siena. They named the hilltop town Saena Julia. Although the Roman Republic was expanding rapidly, Siena was more or less stagnant. Most of the major roads and trade routes were far from the city, so there was not a lot economic growth.

Lombard and Holy Roman Empire Period

Eventually, the Roman Empire fell, which left the entire region of Tuscany vulnerable to invaders. A Germanic tribe from north of the Danube River eventually migrated South with the plan to relocate to better lands.

These Lombards, quickly swept through most of northern Italy, establishing a kingdom that would last nearly three centuries. During this time frame from about the 5^th to 8^th centuries, Siena grew much more rapidly than it did during Roman times. Trade increased, and economic expansion drew more people to the city.

The Lombards eventually went to war with the great Charlemagne, a Frankish king who was rapidly growing his kingdom during the 8^th century. After a long conflict, Charlemagne took over the Lombard’s Kingdom and folded it into what would eventually become The Holy Roman Empire.

Architecture of the Republic of Siena

The Republic of Siena was formed when the region of Tuscany, which had been a province of the Holy Roman Empire, split into several smaller territories. Siena ended up controlling a large chunk of land that stretched from the Tuscan hill town all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.

It was during this phase of history, that Siena and it’s architecture really prospered into the medieval relic it is today. The wealthy families of Siena built large and opulent palaces throughout the historic center, which show that the city had finally become a strong economic power.

The people of Siena were predominantly Catholics, along with the rest of the Italian Peninsula. The Republic of Siena built many fantastic works of religious architecture during their cultural high point in the middle ages. One of the largest churches in Siena, The Basilica of San Domenico was built in the 13th century. Its exterior is the typical reddish color that can be found in most brick buildings within the city. It’s a great example of Gothic Architecture from this time period, although many of the signature gothic elements were destroyed in fires throughout history.

The Republic of Siena really embodied the idea of good government. Siena put a lot of its resources into helping the poor and building things that would benefit the many instead of the wealthy elite. Although there are still palaces owned by the upper class, the greatest architecture in Siena was built for the public.

The finest example of this is Piazza Del Campo. The Piazza is one of Italy’s greatest public piazzas. It’s a geometric work of art, with a gentle slope that’s just asking for people to take a seat and hang out. The Piazza has a herringbone pattern brick paved surface, made up of 9 triangles, symbolizing the 9 individuals that shared their power and governed Siena.

The piazza is surrounded by historic buildings all from the 12^th and 13^th centuries. The design is incredibly simple, but very harmonious and effective. In fact, many other architects throughout the ages have tried to replicate it in order to create successful public spaces. One example of this is in my home town of Boston Ma; here Government Center Plaza is loosely based on the Piazza Del Campo. (however, Boston’s plaza really does not live up to the original)

The majority of the city’s historic buildings are made from one particular type of brick. These bricks, which are a dark-reddish color, are the most unifying element of the architecture of Siena. Even the popular crayon company Crayola, includes a shade of red known as “Burnt Sienna” in certain packs of crayons.

The 9 triangles and the slope of the piazza all converge at one centralized point, the Palazzo Pubblico, or “town hall.” This building was the seat of the Sienese Government. In Siena (and other cities in Tuscany and also Scandinavia) it was often public buildings like town halls that were held to the highest regard. The town hall of Siena still stands as a testament to a government that was more focused on creating a prosperous nation, than anything else. The building contains different elements, but most of the features are of the Gothic Style of Architecture.

The Palazzo Pubblico also has a very distinct clock tower that overlooks the entire Piazza Del Campo. At the time of its completion in 1344, it was the tallest tower in all of Italy. Today, the Torre del Mangia is one of the most distinct landmarks in the entire city. In fact, the basis of its design has been replicated all over the world, in the UK and also again in Boston, MA, USA. (theres a tower at the Boston Fire House that is almost an exact copy of the Torre del Mangia)

Like any great power, Siena had a rival. But unfortunately for the Sienese people, their rival was much bigger and better connected. That of course, was Tuscany’s leading city Florence. In 1296 Florence laid the first stone for its cathedral, which they had planned on building into one of the largest in Italy.

Naturally, when the people of Siena got wind of this, they decided they must build an even larger, grander cathedral, to outdo their rivals to the north. But unfortunately for Siena, they would never complete their grand vision. In fact, today Siena’s cathedral can be seen as one of the greatest examples of construction budget cuts known to man. I guess the construction industry has always had problems with projects being behind in schedule, and ahead in budget.

Today you can see the beginnings of the incomplete main nave of the cathedral jutting outward, perpendicular to the actual cathedral. Although the Cathedral of Siena is just a fraction of what it was supposed to be, it’s still an extremely impressive building. It’s one of the finest examples of Italian Gothic Architecture anywhere in Italy. It has a magnificent striped marble façade, with a huge dome, and a massive bell tower that can be seen from all over the city. It does not have a separated baptistery, as is typical with Italian cathedrals, but instead, it has a lower baptistery that is located beneath the floor of the church.

But why was the cathedral never completed? Unfortunately, Siena suffered a series of tragic events that lead to its downfall. A devastating outburst of the black plague killed a huge percentage of the population. And of course, it was constantly battling its arch-enemy Florence. Florence had allied itself with the Spanish Crown. Together they defeated the armies of Siena at The Battle of Marciano and took control of the city. Without the ability to govern themselves, the city’s growth stagnated, and not a lot of significant architecture in Siena was constructed after the fall of the Sienese Republic.

Siena today

Today Siena is one of the most well preserved medieval cities in the entire world. Because of the economic stagnation that happened after Siena’s defeat at the hands of Florence, not a lot of modern development has occurred. In fact, the population of the city has not greatly fluctuated since the 16^th century.

There is one event that is held twice a year, that draws huge crowds and turns the city into a busy bustling place, the Palio di Siena. The Palio is a massive horse race that takes place in the Piazza del Campo. Horse riders circle a huge crowd within the center of the plaza. Each rider represents a different neighborhood within the city and wins for the glory of their neighborhood. It’s a spectacle unlike any other on earth.

Conclusion

To me, I kind of wish things had gone differently for Siena. They were a quiet city with stagnant growth pretty much whenever they were controlled by another nation. But, when Siena governed itself, it was truly able to prosper. The Medieval Kingdom of Siena was ambitious by trying to build the largest cathedral around, and it was extremely well-governed. This ambition and forward-thinking governance influenced the architecture of Siena in a huge way.

Siena created some of the greatest works of architecture in the entire region of Tuscany. Had they won the Battle of Marciano, and had never fallen to their Florentine rivals, I think they would have continued to build one of the greatest cities in all of Italy. But, I guess, on the other hand, maybe if Siena’s fortune had been different, it wouldn’t be a beautifully preserved medieval gem anymore, which would be a tragic loss. I think although small and quiet, Siena is still one of the top sites for any Tuscan Adventure.

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