Siena (pronounced see-EN-ə; in Italian, [ˈsjɛːna, ˈsjeːna]; sometimes spelled Sienna in English; in Latin, Saena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, a region in central Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena and has a population of 52,991. As of 2025, it is the 12th-largest city in the region.

Siena has a long history of business and banking work. It was a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuries. The city is also home to the oldest bank in the world, the Monte dei Paschi, which has been working nonstop since 1472. Many important painters from the Medieval and Renaissance periods were born and worked in Siena. These artists include Duccio di Buoninsegna, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone Martini, and Sassetta. Their work helped shape the development of art in Italy and Europe. The University of Siena, originally called Studium Senese, was founded in 1240. This makes it one of the oldest universities in the world that has been operating continuously.

Siena was an important city in medieval Europe. Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes many buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries. The city is known for its food, art, museums, old city buildings, 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

Siena, like other towns in Tuscany, was first settled by the Etruscans around 900 to 400 BC. The people living there were called the Saina. A Roman town named Saena Iulia was built at the same location during the time of 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. After their father was killed by Romulus, they fled Rome and took with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants, known as the Capitoline Wolf. This symbol became associated with Siena. They also rode white and black horses, which led to the creation of the Balzana, or the coat of arms of Siena, showing a white band above a dark band. Some believe the name "Siena" comes from Senius. Others suggest it is linked to the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex, meaning "old."

The earliest known record about Siena dates back to 70 AD. A Roman senator named Manlio Patruito reported to Rome that he was mocked with a fake funeral during his visit to Saena Iulia, a small military colony in Tuscany. The Roman Senate punished the people of Siena and reminded them to respect Roman authority.

At the end of the third century, the city became Christian due to the efforts of Sant'Ansano, known as the "Baptist of the Sienese." He was punished by Roman authorities with tests of fire and boiling oil, imprisonment, and finally beheading. Later, during the Middle Ages, he was named the patron saint of Siena. The day of his anniversary marked the start of the "Contrada Year."

Feudal power decreased, and by the time Countess Matilda died in 1115, the March of Tuscany, which had been controlled by her family, the Canossa, broke into several independent regions. This led to the creation of the Republic of Siena.

The Republic of Siena, formed in the 12th century, was a powerful and influential city-state during the medieval and Renaissance periods. It grew wealthy through its wool industry, which was famous across Europe. Its location along major trade routes helped Siena build trade networks that reached throughout Europe. This success was supported by a strong banking system and guilds that managed different trades and professions.

Politically, the Republic was governed by councils and magistrates, with powerful noble families competing for influence. Over time, the political system changed, with reforms aimed at balancing power and keeping the city stable. However, conflicts between groups often caused unrest, a common issue for many Italian city-states.

Culturally, Siena thrived during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, producing famous artists like Duccio di Buoninsegna and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Their work, along with that of architects and scholars, helped shape Siena's artistic and intellectual legacy. Siena's Gothic architecture, such as the Duomo di Siena and the Palazzo Pubblico, reflects its achievements. In the 1330s, Lorenzetti painted The City at Peace in the Sala dei Nove, showing human activities in the foreground and buildings surrounding the city. Before the Black Death in 1348, Siena had a population of about 50,000.

Despite its success, the Republic faced challenges, especially from its rival Florence. Their rivalry grew in the 14th and 15th centuries, leading to wars known as the Italian Wars. These conflicts weakened Siena's power. From 1547 to 1552, the Spanish governor Diego Hurtado de Mendoza ruled Siena until he was driven out by a revolt. In the Italian War of 1551–1559, Siena was defeated by Florence and Spain. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on April 17, 1555, ending the Republic.

After the Republic fell, some Sienese, led by Piero Strozzi, a Florentine exile, fled to Montalcino and created a new Republic of Siena there. This lasted until May 31, 1559, when it was betrayed by French allies. The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559 handed control of Siena to the Medici.

The Medici family, except for Ferdinando I, who tried to create a strong state, did not bring stability to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. They kept the old and new states separate, with different laws and taxes. When Gian Gastone de' Medici died in 1737 without children, the Medici dynasty ended, and the Grand Duchy passed to the Habsburg-Lorraine family, who ruled until 1799.

After the Napoleonic period and the Risorgimento uprisings, Siena was the first city in Tuscany to vote in favor of joining the Kingdom of Italy in 1859.

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, surrounded by a large area with hills and valleys. It is positioned between the Arbia river valley (south), the Merse valley (south-west), the Elsa valley (north), the Chianti hills (north-east), the Montagnola Senese (west), and the Crete Senesi (south-east). The city is at an elevation of 322 meters (1,056 feet) above sea level.

Siena has a type of climate common in inland Mediterranean regions. The average yearly rainfall is 823 millimeters (32.4 inches), with the most rain falling in November and the least in July. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 24.4°C (75.9°F), and January is the coldest, with an average temperature of 6.4°C (43.5°F).

The highest temperature ever recorded in Siena was 39.6°C (103.3°F) in August 2017. On average, 10 days each year have temperatures above 34°C (93.2°F).

Government

In the historic center of Siena, there are three main districts called Terzi. These are named Terzo di Città, Terzo di San Martino, and Terzo di Camollia. Each Terzo is divided into smaller areas called Contrade. There are 17 Contrade in total, and they compete against each other during the Palio di Siena.

Outside the city walls, new suburbs and neighborhoods started to grow from the early 20th century. At first, areas outside the walls developed naturally without a plan. Later, neighborhoods were created using organized urban planning methods. The main neighborhoods are:

Demographics

As of 2025, Siena has a population of 52,991 people. Of these, 46.7% are male and 53.3% are female. Children under the age of 18 make up 13.3% of the population, while people aged 65 and older account for 28.3%. These percentages are higher than the Italian average, which is 14.9% for children and 24.7% for seniors.

As of 2024, 7,099 people living in Siena were born in other countries, which is 13.4% of the total population. The five largest groups of foreign-born residents are Albanians (769 people), Romanians (676 people), Ukrainians (368 people), Peruvians (312 people), and Pakistanis (277 people).

Economy

The main activities in the area include tourism, services, agriculture, handicrafts, and light industry.

In 2009, agriculture involved 919 companies and covered a total area of 10,755 square kilometers. Of this, 6,954 square kilometers were used for farming, which is about 1/30 of the total area of the city (data from ISTAT for the 2000 Agriculture Census).

There is not much manufacturing in the city. However, one example is the seasonal candy-making industry, which makes local treats such as panforte, ricciarelli, and cavallucci around Christmas, and pane co' santi for the holidays of I Santi on November 1 and I Morti on the next day.

The area has also seen an increase in biotechnology. The Centenary Institute Sieroterapico Achille Sclavo was once owned by a Swiss company called Novartis Vaccines. Novartis created and made vaccines and employed about 1,000 people. In 2015, the research facility in Siena became part of Glaxo Smith Kline as part of a business agreement between Novartis and this company.

Culture

Siena has kept a culture centered around its wards since medieval times. Each ward, called a contrada, is represented by an animal or symbol and has its own area and unique identity. Rivalries between wards are most common during the annual horse race, called the Palio, held in the Piazza del Campo. There are 17 wards: Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre, and Valdimontone.

The Palio di Siena is a traditional horse race that takes place twice a year, on July 2 and August 16. Many people attend the event, and it is shown on television. Ten of the 17 contrade compete for a prize: a painted banner called the Palio, which features an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Siena has a long history of art and artists. Artists from the Sienese School include Duccio, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, and Martino di Bartolomeo. Many Renaissance and High Renaissance artworks remain in Siena’s galleries and churches. In 2024 and 2025, an exhibit titled Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery in London.

The Church of San Domenico contains artwork by Guido da Siena, created in the mid-13th century. Duccio’s Maestà, commissioned by the city of Siena in 1308, helped shift Italian painting from the stiff styles of Byzantine art to more realistic depictions. His Madonna and Child with Saints polyptych, painted between 1311 and 1318, is displayed at the city’s Pinacoteca Nazionale.

The Pinacoteca Nazionale also includes works by Domenico Beccafumi, as well as art by Lorenzo Lotto, Domenico di Bartolo, and Fra Bartolomeo.

Main sights

The Siena Cathedral (Duomo), started in the 12th century, is a famous example of Italian Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Its main front was completed in 1380, with the church's main hall facing northeast to southwest. A plan to expand the eastern part of the church would have made it the largest church in the world at that time, with a hall stretching east to west. However, a lack of money, partly because of war and the Black Death, stopped the project. Two walls from this planned expansion still remain. Visitors can climb an internal staircase to see a view of the city from above.

The Siena Cathedral Pulpit is an octagonal sculpture from the 13th century, created by Nicola Pisano. It includes lion-shaped bases and panels showing stories from the Bible. The cathedral's marble floor, made by many artists, is one of the most detailed in Italy. The Sacristy and Piccolomini Library have well-preserved Renaissance paintings by Ghirlandaio and Pinturicchio. Other artists who worked on the church and its underground baptistry include Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Jacopo della Quercia. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo holds Duccio's famous Maestà (1308–11) and other works by Sienese artists. More paintings from Siena can be found in the Pinacoteca, such as 13th-century pieces by Dietisalvi di Speme.

The Piazza del Campo, a shell-shaped town square, is located in front of the Palazzo Pubblico, which has a tall tower called Torre del Mangia. This square is where the Palio horse race takes place. The Palazzo Pubblico itself is an important building and houses an art museum. Inside the museum are frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti showing the effects of good and bad government, as well as some of the finest works by Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti.

The Palazzo Salimbeni, found in a square with the same name, was originally the headquarters of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in Europe that has been continuously operating.

The Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Siena's music school, is located in the Gothic Palazzo Chigi-Saracini on Via di Città.

Other churches in the city include:
• Basilica dell'Osservanza
• San Domenico
• San Francesco
• San Giacinto
• San Martino
• Santa Maria dei Servi
• Santa Petronilla
• Santi Niccolo e Lucia
• Santo Spirito
• Santuccio Church
• Sant'Andrea Apostolo
• Sanctuary of Santa Caterina, which includes the old home of St. Catherine of Siena. This place holds a 12th-century Crucifix, from which St. Catherine received her stigmata, and a 15th-century statue of St. Catherine.

The historic Siena synagogue is also preserved and open to visitors.

The city has gardens, including the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Siena, a botanical garden managed by the University of Siena.

The Medicean Fortress houses the Siena Jazz School, offering classes and concerts throughout the year, as well as a festival during the International Siena Jazz Masterclasses.

In the neighborhood, there are many patrician villas, some designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi:
• Villa Chigi
• Castle of Belcaro
• Villa Celsa
• Villa Cetinale
• Villa Volte Alte

Medieval public fountains, part of the Bottini of Siena aqueduct system, are found throughout the city:
• Fontana di Pantaneto
• Fountain of San Maurizio

Sports

Siena is where the Strade Bianche, a professional cycling race, begins and ends. The race is known for its historic white gravel roads, called strade bianche or sterrati in Italian. More than 50 kilometers (31 miles) of the race takes place on dirt roads, such as country lanes and farm tracks, that wind through the hills and vineyards of the Chianti region. The race finishes at Piazza del Campo, following a steep and narrow climb up Via Santa Caterina, which is roughly paved and leads into the center of the medieval city.

Transport

Siena Mobilità was a group formed in 2005 by Tiemme Toscana Mobilità, Busitalia Sita Nord, and ByBus. This group managed local public transportation in Siena, as well as services in the surrounding province and areas connected to Florence and Arezzo. Starting January 1, 2018, Siena Mobilità operated under a special agreement between the Regione Toscana and the company ONE Scarl.

Beginning November 1, 2021, local public transport in the city was managed by Autolinee Toscane.

The nearest airports to Siena are Florence Airport, located 81 kilometers (50 miles) to the north, and Rome Fiumicino Airport, located 265 kilometers (165 miles) to the southeast.

Twin towns

Siena is twinned with:

• Avignon, France
• Concord, North Carolina , US, since 2016
• Weimar, Germany, since 1994
• Wetzlar, Germany, since 1987

Gallery

• Torre del Mangia (Palazzo Pubblico)
• Siena Cathedral (Duomo)
• The interior of the dome in Siena Cathedral
• Panorama of Siena
• Piazza del Campo
• Basilica of San Domenico
• View from the Campanile del Mangia