View allAll Photos Tagged Saina,
Bento Mesh Head: LeLutka Avalon EVO-X
Bento Mesh Body: Maitreya Lara BOM
Face: Bloom by { Pity Party }
Body: Rose Kiss by Velour
Body Tatt: Wonderer Metallic Tattoo by Purple Moon
Hair: Alvilde by Magika
Elven Dream Crown: Cosmos
Dragonsilk shoes: Eliavah
Erika Eyes Applier: .euphoric
Elf Earrings E04: ^^Swallow^^
Ear Blushing - Hue 19 by VENGE
Ensemble: Saina by a collaboration of Petrichor & Ersch now @ The Fantasy Faire 2023
Titania Bento Wings by Les Encantades now @ the Fantasy Faire 2023
Artemis Arm Bangles by EXIA now @ The Fantasy Faire 2023
Mr. Drago (w/ animations & texture HUD) by MoonRabbit
POSE: AO-F001-ground_sit by Freedom Amiot
SIM: Lost Unicorn Weddings Sim @ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lost%20Unicorn/26/216/22
Aerth | Stasha Body Tattoos @ Aerth Mainstore
Petrichor | Markalis sect horns @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Varkele Femme @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor & Ersch | Saina @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Lunavara chains @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Mirinyth @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Synnergy Tavis | Cotton Candy Backdrop [360] @ Synnergy Tavis Mainstore
Also wearing:
Aii | Demonic Touch fingers; Avarice Tail; Nefarious wings
Hazel | Magic Crystals
Doux | Medarda
────────── F E A T U R E D ──────────
FANTASY FAIRE April 20th - May 8th
Picture taken in Dingir - Visit the forgotten city that exists somewhere between our dreams and reality.
• AMBIX // Geode Horns
• AMBIX // Geode Wings
• AMBIX // Geode Tail
♥ Petrichor & ERSCH - Saina // Fungalmire
♥ .:Soul:. - Tattoo Agamidae // WooHoo! Bay
♥ -Birth- - 'Kinetic Crystals' // Giggenwhirl
♥ Aii & Ego // Szystrum Synod
• + Bleeding Heart Cuff Set
• + Demonic Touch
• + Draconis Legs
• + Imp Ears
─────── O T H E R ─ C R E D I T S ────────
➤ SKIN.
• VELOUR: Kyong Fantasy (Ghost)
• VELOUR: Ipanema (Ghost)
➤ HAIR. . Doe . Regina
➤ EYES. Gloom. - Dragon Collection
──────────────────────────────
.rosaceae | unedited
idoliza
Petrichor | Markalis Sect Horns @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Varkele Femme @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Lunavara chains @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor & Ersch | Saina @ Fantasy Faire 2023
dannika
Petrichor | Markalis Horns [Bangles, earrings, bindi] @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Arvylinde Cuffs @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Lunavara chains @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor & Ersch | Awylinde @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Fantasy Faire 2023 opens on April 20th and runs till May 7th.
Glam Affair | Erika skin [velour icy] @ Uber
Petrichor | Markalis Horns [Bangles, earrings, bindi] @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Arvylinde Cuffs @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Lunavara chains @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor & Ersch | Arvylinde @ Fantasy Faire 2023
SAPA Poses | Pack #228 [Pose 228.4] @ SAPA Mainstore
SAPA Poses | Pack #237 [Pose 237.9] @ SAPA Mainstore
Synnergy Tavis | Cotton Candy Backdrop [360] @ Synnergy Tavis Mainstor
On Idoliza ♥:
Petrichor | Markalis Sect Horns @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Varkele Femme @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor | Lunavara chains @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Petrichor & Ersch | Saina @ Fantasy Faire 2023
Sponsors
Wings - Psycho Byts Pixie Bento Wings
Top & Skirt - Petrichor & Ersch Saina
Rigged for Maitreya & Petite, Legacy & Perky, Kupra, Reborn & Mounds
Nails - Petrichor Vaera
Rigged for Maitreya, Legacy M&F, Kupra, Reborn, Slink M&F, Belleza M&F, Signature
Lamp - Una Lamp Belt
Rigged for Maitreya, Legacy, Reborn & Unrigged
Pose - Babyboo Blair
Taken @ Luanes Magical World
...Sponsored Items...
- Saina Dress
Previously at FF now at mainstore
- Fallen Warrior Wings
Previously at Enchantment now at mainstore
- Oni Curve Horns
Previously at Abstrakt now at mainstore
- Mutant Body Carvings
- Edgerunner Makeup
Both Available at mainstore
...Other Items...
-Hair
Truth. Twist
-Glow Effects
::Static:: Fae Embers
-Hands and Feet
Aii & Ego. Demonic Touch & Demonic Step
-Eyes
Avi-Glam. Magical Eyes
Outfit:
♥Clover - Rope Harness ♥
♥:[P&E]:- Saina♥
Face:
♥Knife Party - Lipgloss♥
Accessories:
♥Demonic Touch by Aii & Ego♥
♥*Tentacio* Osiris♥
♥Magika Artisan Hair♥
Outfit:
♥:[P&E]:- Saina♥
Face:
♥Knife Party - Lipgloss♥
♥AviGlam - Vitality pack♥
Accessories:
♥Demonic Touch by Aii & Ego♥
♥Magika Morgana Hair♥
Pose:
♥[piXit] Dead X♥
Fly away, pretty moth, to the shade Of the leaf where you slumbered all day; Be content with the moon and the stars, pretty moth, And make use of your wings while you may. . . . . ♫
• ZOOM FOR DETAILS •
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
♡ S.P.O.N.S.O.R ♡
• Abnormality •
The event is NOW OPEN until May 28th! Let's get WIIILD ○ TAXI ○
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
♡ S.P.O.N.S.O.R ♡
• Petrichor •
![:[P&E]: - Makri Headress](https://members.blogotex.com/assets/img/products/WASZD7/VU61681524168.jpg){kind=link}
![:[P&E]: - Saina Dress](https://members.blogotex.com/assets/img/products/WASZD7/K2H1681522706.jpg){kind=link}
Available at ○ Mainstore ○
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
• Other Details •
✗ Face: Lelutka - Avalon
✗ Skin: .MILA. Rosie
✗ Face Tattoo: Maktub - Draka
✗ Body: eBody - Reborn
✗ Hair: DOUX - Ara
✗ Heart Scales: Misteria - Amorie
✗ Wings: -FAS- LUNAR MOTH
✗ Arms: {Aii & Ego} + Lunar Moth Extra Arms
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
For me one of the most beautiful towns I've ever seen, with a very special aura hard to describe, and an amazing history...
Transcription from wiki:
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. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Barzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old".
...Credits...
- Saina Dress
Previously at FF now at mainstore
- Fallen Warrior Wings
- Oni Curve Horns
- Mutant Body Carvings
- Edgerunner Makeup
-Hair
Truth. Twist
-Glow Effects
::Static:: Fae Embers
-Hands and Feet
Aii & Ego. Demonic Touch & Demonic Step
-Eyes
Avi-Glam. Magical Eyes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
youtu.be/9bFHsd3o1w0?si=ZL8luAhA4KZ0Xs-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bento Mesh Head: LeLutka Avalon EVO-X
Bento Mesh Body: Maitreya Lara BOM
Face/Body: Wyld's Dryad (Vintage) by {GHOSTED}
Briar Ears & Tail: {GHOSTED}
Hair: Halo by Tableau Vivant
Ensemble: Saina (w/ texture HUDs) by Petrichor & Ersch
Fae Queen Butterfly Mask: Clover
1313 Kamira Sandals
*OAL* Butterfly Bracers & Pauldrons
Elisa Nails: Absolut Vendetta
POSE: Bentonville_S2 (tweaked) by Ana Poses
DragonCat Animesh (Companion): [Rezz Room]
SIM: Lost Unicorn @ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lost%20Unicorn/100/54/26
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Blog Post #46
┊┊┊☆
┊┊🌙 *
┊┊
┊☆ °
🌙*
Sponsored items...
.✾.➺ [AERTH] Creature Genetics V2 @ We <3 Roleplay
.✾.➺ [AERTH] River Scalies
.✾.➺ :[Petrichor & Ersch]:- Aryvlinde Cuffs
.✾.➺ :[Petrichor & Ersch]:- Saina Outfit
Check out these amazing items in world at the mainstores!
taxi:
~ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aii%20and%20Ego/123/214/1526
~ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lune/130/129/1515
~ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/We%20Love%20RolePlay/128/1...
⊱∘════════════════☽◯☾════════════════∘⊰
This small Italian town in Tuscany was first settled as a hill fort somewhere between 900 and 400BC by the Etruscan tribe 'Saina'. Siena was allegdley founded by the two sons of Remus, the nephews of Romulus who was the namesake of Rome. The famous wolf suckling statue brought by the founders is the symbol for the town.
Siena is now a UNESCO world heritage site due to the incredible medieval cityscape. (source wikipedia)
Handheld panorama at sunset.
Special Mentions and Thanks to:
Broken Columns by sleep @ WLRP until the end of the month
Crescent Throne by Tirrany Designs @ WLRP until the end of the month
Aurephora Tattoo by Nefekalum @ WLRP until the end of the month
Asol- head gear by .AngelicUs. @ WLRP until the end of the month
WLRP is a monthly shopping event in Second Life which offers a 15%-30% designers discount. Each month there are so many amazing, magical goodies for sale. Please pop over to check it out ♥
TP to WLRP: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/We%20Love%20RolePlay/128/1...
Other Items:
Starlight Villa by Tirrany Designs
Night Bindi by Fantasy World
Starfall Cape by Quills and Curiosities
Miriam Belly Ring by Valuxia
Serenwe Hair by Moon Salon
Maria Cloth by Ersch
Saina (Long) Skirt only by Petrichor
Pixie Skinin Ghost Tone by Utopia
Butterflies Garters and Armlets by Avaway
Credits :
Featuring Fantasy Fair right now ➸ TP
➸ .Petrichor. - Saina dress FF
➸ :DOBS: Dry Grass Cloak and Witch Doctor's Mask Witch Doctor's Staff /super amazing animation of the stuff/ FF
➸ [AERTH] - River dots
➸Bliensen + MaiTai - Anteater - Tarnwhistle - gold FF
➸ PFC - Patrician sandals and Wrapage
➸ UNA - Travel Leg belt FF
➸CKit Falconry eagle FF
➸ [Floro] Ila Hand Paint FF
➸(The Olde Attic) - Woodland Paradise, Spring Gathering FF
:[P&E]:- Saina Dress
:[P&E]:- Makri Headdress
Compatible
♥ Maitreya Lara/Petit
♥ Kupra
♥ Legacy/Perky/mounds
♥ Reborn
Version long or Short
Mainstore Ersch
───────────────────────
Body Maitreya 5.3
───────────────────────
Head Raven 3.1
───────────────────────
Backdrop Queen Sunny Studio
Maitreya Mesh Body
Lelutka Vivian
TRUTH Collective / Seri - Grayscale
.:Cerebus:. + ::BP:: - Light Grove Owl Mask - Fantasy Faire 2023
.:Cerebus:.+::BP:: - Lavish Imp Tail - v1.0 - Fantasy Faire 2023
.:Soul:. Tattoo: Agamidae: Peacock [FF2023 Exclusive] - Fantasy Faire 2023
:[Petrichor&Ersch]:- Saina - Pack - Leather - Fantasy Faire 2023
Banana Banshee - Marienne - Fantasy Faire 2023
_-FAS-_ BENTO FAERY WINGS - Fantasy Faire 2023
Moth&Moon : Bom Body Skins - MAITREYA - ASTRAL
Moth&Moon : LeLutka Evo X - Aria - ASTRAL- Fantasy Faire 2023
Trap & Pretrichor - Ginkgo Fae Horns_ FF - Fantasy Faire 2023
[Aelithe] Confidence - Pose - Text You Want
Dragon, fierce with fire and might,
Seeking gentleness, oh so bright,
Butterfly, fragile and light,
Captivating dragon's sight.
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Check The Magic of Dragons Quest at FF23.
Hunt down all gifts !!!!
Quest huds can be found at every landing point on every region.
It will take you on a mission across the Fairelands, to help the young Dragonets that were born at the Faire last year reawaken the land of Nova Nadiya, the Wintery region that is right next to Fairelands Junction. (Thank you Terra)
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Visit the Fantasy Faire 2023 until May 8, 2023:
- Moth&Moon: LeLutka Evo X - Aria Fantasy skin - GHOST tone skin + body skin cleavage 1 + freckles
- Arttoo's Ink: Mystical Dreams Tattoo, bom L and R leg separate, 4 tones
- Petrichor&Ersch - Saina Outfit Short and Long versions
- Schelm - Fantasy Crystal Tiara with hud
- FAS- : LUNAR MOTH : Wings [Large Animesh]- 16 different textures + glow, 3 sizes
- Air - TefuTefu hairpins L and R with color hud
- :: ANTAYA :: Choker with butterflies many colours
- DreamLand Designs - Magical Tree Scene
- =Mirage= Fairy Flower Path Lamp
- Swank & Co. - Crescent Moon Purple Crackle Glass Lamp Silver
Find out how many ways the American Cancer Society is there to help. Visit cancer.org or call (US) 800-227-2345.
Website: fantasyfaireSL.wordpress.com/
Flickr: www.flickr.com/groups/fantasyfairesl/
Plurk: www.plurk.com/FantasyFaireSL
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FantasyFaireSL
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/fantasyfairesl/
Twitter: twitter.com/FantasyFaireSL
Discord: discord.gg/cxN5NEzBe5
RFL in SL: www.relayforlife.org/secondlife
Email: FantasyFaireSL@gmail.com
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- YOSHI - Oiwa Dark Eyes - Pack @ Sabbath Event
- Black Cats Creations Dragon props from Dragon poses
- Tulssy - Sakura Ballerina nails
- Stealthic - Cascade
Siena, Italy
Tuscany Region
Click here to Enlarge Image-
www.flickr.com/photos/42964440@N08/24081428386/in/photost...
Siena (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsjɛːna] in English sometimes spelled Sienna) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologist assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta (Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption).
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena..
From Wikipedia
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. Siena has a long history with many different architectural influences. Throughout the centuries, the city has preserved its Go
"Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
It was the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, and from the 15th century that of the Archdiocese of Siena. It is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral was designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The dome was completed in 1264. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The bell tower has six bells, where the oldest one was cast in 1149. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with the addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius. There are thirty-five statues of prophets and patriarchs grouped around the virgin. The finest Italy artists, during that time, completed works in the Cathedral. These artists were Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Pinturicchio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Bernini.
Siena (/siˈɛnə/ see-EN-ə, Italian: [ˈsjɛːna]; in English sometimes spelled Sienna; Latin: Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were a tribe of advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
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. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena.
The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until the year 1555. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people.
In the Italian War of 1551–59, the republic was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.
The new Spanish King Felipe II, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart from a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.
Tuscany (/ˈtʌskəni/ TUSK-ə-nee; Italian: Toscana [tosˈkaːna]) is a region in central Italy with an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 square miles) and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants (2013). The regional capital is Florence (Firenze).
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, and contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace. Tuscany produces wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered "a nation within a nation".
Tuscany is a popular destination in Italy. The main tourist spots are Florence, Pisa, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto and Siena. The town of Castiglione della Pescaia is the most visited seaside destination in the region, with seaside tourism accounting for approximately 40% of tourist arrivals. Additionally, the Maremma region, Siena, Lucca, the Chianti region, Versilia and Val d'Orcia are also internationally renowned and particularly popular spots among travellers.
Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence (1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), and the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013). Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations that attract millions of tourists every year. In 2012, the city of Florence was the world's 89th most visited city, with 1.834 million arrivals." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.
«Open mind leads to open doors» ― Saina Doors
Gray day off season beach walk. Grado (GO), Italy. © Michele Marcolin, 2022.
"Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
It was the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Siena, and from the 15th century that of the Archdiocese of Siena. It is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral was designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The dome was completed in 1264. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The bell tower has six bells, where the oldest one was cast in 1149. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with the addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius. There are thirty-five statues of prophets and patriarchs grouped around the virgin. The finest Italy artists, during that time, completed works in the Cathedral. These artists were Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Pinturicchio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Bernini.
Siena (/siˈɛnə/ see-EN-ə, Italian: [ˈsjɛːna]; in English sometimes spelled Sienna; Latin: Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were a tribe of advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
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. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena.
The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until the year 1555. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people.
In the Italian War of 1551–59, the republic was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.
The new Spanish King Felipe II, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart from a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.
Tuscany (/ˈtʌskəni/ TUSK-ə-nee; Italian: Toscana [tosˈkaːna]) is a region in central Italy with an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 square miles) and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants (2013). The regional capital is Florence (Firenze).
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, and contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace. Tuscany produces wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered "a nation within a nation".
Tuscany is a popular destination in Italy. The main tourist spots are Florence, Pisa, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto and Siena. The town of Castiglione della Pescaia is the most visited seaside destination in the region, with seaside tourism accounting for approximately 40% of tourist arrivals. Additionally, the Maremma region, Siena, Lucca, the Chianti region, Versilia and Val d'Orcia are also internationally renowned and particularly popular spots among travellers.
Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence (1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), and the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013). Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations that attract millions of tourists every year. In 2012, the city of Florence was the world's 89th most visited city, with 1.834 million arrivals." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.
ملكني هـواك وقادني بامر تدبيـرك
..
أمـانة معك روحي من البــعد ملتاعة
تغزلت بك والشعر من بعض تعبيـرك..
كلامك ســحــر يخلف موازين سماعة
*Missy Qatar ولاتسوىحياتي بعد منك
Happy birthday MISSY ;*
Kella 3am o inty b5aaair o 3gbaal il 1000000 saina inshallah!
Photographed by MM © 2008. All rights reserved.
Siena (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsjɛːna] ( listen); in English sometimes spelled Sienna) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a
horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
The Roman origin accounts for the town's emblem: a she-wolf suckling infants Romulus and Remus. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, who was in turn the brother of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Statues and other artwork depicting a she-wolf suckling the young twins Romulus and Remus can be seen all over the city of Siena. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name "Saina," the Roman family name of the "Saenii," or the Latin word "senex" ("old") or the derived form "seneo", "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the Mark of Tuscia which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted into the creation of the Republic of Siena.
It existed for over four hundreds years, from the late 11th century until the year 1555. At the Italian War, the republic was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Republic of Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.
The new Spanish King Philip, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.
The picturesque city remains an important cultural centre, especially for humanist disciplines.
make up by malin karlsson
photograph by hanna källebo neikter
styling by mattias pettersson
model saina behdadi
for the shop Prickig Katt in Gothenburg
Siena was one of my favorite towns. I stood on top of a high wall to get this wide view of part of the town. The huge architectural phenomenon in the middle of the image is the Siena cathedral. It has such a marvelous amount of sculpture on the building and has a massive round window which reflects the blue of the sky and the beautiful clouds. I will be uploading an image of the cathedral and also a closeup of the beautiful window area. The Palio, a horse race held twice a year takes place in the center plaza of the town. The riders ride bareback. The race was used as an opening for the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solice. I have an image of this plaza.
Siena (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsjɛːna] in English sometimes spelled Sienna) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologist assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
More info - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta (Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption).
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
From Wikipedia
Siena (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsjɛːna] ( listen); in English sometimes spelled Sienna) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
The Roman origin accounts for the town's emblem: a she-wolf suckling infants Romulus and Remus. According to legend, Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus, who was in turn the brother of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Statues and other artwork depicting a she-wolf suckling the young twins Romulus and Remus can be seen all over the city of Siena. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name "Saina," the Roman family name of the "Saenii," or the Latin word "senex" ("old") or the derived form "seneo", "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the Mark of Tuscia which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted into the creation of the Republic of Siena.
It existed for over four hundreds years, from the late 11th century until the year 1555. At the Italian War, the republic was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Republic of Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.
The new Spanish King Philip, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.
The picturesque city remains an important cultural centre, especially for humanist disciplines.
I have been enjoying some time between Sambeaubee (Sponsored by The Akipelago) and Giraphoria (Sponsored by The Lost Unicorn Galler)
I can't chose a favourite region in the Fantasy Faire lands. Can you?
Style info;
* Body Fades - K9nnor - Celestial Marks {SLUV/EVOX} FF Exclusive
* Face Markings - K9nnor - Royale de Perles - Gold
* Fur and Markings for the sweet things Nara legs - K9nnor - Nara Set - Fantasy Faun FF Exclusive
* Outfit - :[P&E]:(Petrichor and Ersch collab) - Saina - Pack - Leather
* [Drunken Brokkr]
- Arm and Chest piece - Fithril Chest Jewelry (les encantades)
- Vonnika hand jewelry - FF special
* Butterfly Hair sticks - Air_TefuTefu K fatpack
* Horns - Schelm :) FF005 - fantasy sheep horn
* Forehead jewels - Schelm :) FF006 - Fantasy Crystal Tiara
* Butterfly Wisps - 3rd Eye_ Shine Whisps ( Light Fantasy )
All the above mentioned are out now at their stores at the Fantasy Faire.
You can find the full list of stores and a direct taxi here;
fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com/store-list-2023/
Ersch Mainstore;
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lyrics/22/74/33
Petrichor Mainstore;
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lune/131/127/1515
Other style info;
* Flower bouquet and headpiece - TENTACIO
* Skin - Heaux/Velour
* Hair - Magika
* Legs, Ears & Tail - Sweet Things
Picture taken here;
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sambeaubee/231/206/68
*** PLEASE ZOOM FOR PRETTY DETAILS ***
Upward view in the inner courtyard of the Palazzo Pubblico with the Torre del Mangia in the historic city of Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Some background information:
The Palazzo Pubblico was constructed as from 1297. The impressive building with its bell tower Torre del Mangia (built between 1325 and 1344) served as the seat of the Republic of Siena’s government and naturally became the focal point of Piazza del Campo. The outside of the structure is an example of Italian medieval architecture with Gothic influences. The lower story is stone while the upper crenellated stories are made of brick. The facade of the palace is curved slightly inwards to reflect the outwards curve of Piazza del Campo, where it is located.
Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of Siena. It is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares and renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The twice-a-year horse-race, Palio di Siena, is held around the edges of the piazza. At this race ten horses and riders compete with each other, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, representing ten of the town's seventeen contrade resp. city wards. In 1169, a market place was established at the site. Until 1270, it was used for holding markets and fairs, while it subsequently evolved into the city’s second centre after Piazza del Duomo, Siena’s cathedral square.
With its about 54,000 residents, the city of Siena is the capital of the province of Siena in Tuscany. Siena is located about 70 km (44 miles) south of the city of Florence and about 180 km (112 miles) north of the Italian capital Rome. The town is situated in the central part of Tuscany, in the middle of a vast hilly landscape between the Arbia river valley (south), the Elsa valley (north), the Chianti hills (north-east), the Montagnola Senese (west) and the Crete Senesi (south-east). The city lies at 322 m above sea level.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (from 900 to 400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an ethnic group of advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. In the time of the Emperor Augustus a Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site.
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. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants, thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan tribe name Saina.
Under Roman rule Siena did not prosper. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that the town experienced prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the foundation of the Republic of Siena.
The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until the year 1555. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people. In the Italian War that lasted from 1551 to 1559, the republic was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17th April 1555, marking the end of the republic. However, a republican government of 700 Sienese families in the nearby town of Montalcino resisted until 1559. The new Spanish King Felipe II, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
In 1798, Siena was shaken by an 8.5 magnitude earthquake and several private as well as public buildings (such as churches) were damaged heavily. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces occupied the town. Not before 1814, the French troops left. However, in World War II, Siena suffered only minor damage. Only the Basilika dell’Osservanza was almost completely destroyed during a US bomb attack on 23rd January 1944.
In 1995, its historic city centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Siena is also one of the Italy’s most visited tourist attractions as it is considered to be one of Tuscany’s and also Italy’s most beautiful towns. Unlike Florence that is regarded as a prime example of Renaissance architecture, Siena has preserved its medieval appearance and hence, is considered a treasure of Italien Gothic architecture.
Siena’s 17 urban districts, the so-called contrade, are named after animals and do each have an animal symbol. The streets of the particular districts have unique street lamps with the amulets of that particular animal on the street crossings — indicating the boundaries of a contrada. These districts were historically set up to supply troops when Siena fought to defend itself from Florence between the 13th and 15th century. Today, the urban districts are still kept alive by sentiments and a great mutual rivalry that finds its expression in the horse race Palio di Siena. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Italy’s third biggest bank and also the oldest still existing bank around the world, has still its headquarters in Siena.
Italien / Toskana - Siena
seen from Torre del Mangia
gesehen vom Torre del Mangia
Siena (/siˈɛnə/ see-EN-ə, Italian: [ˈsjɛːna, ˈsjeːna] (listen); Latin: Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. Siena is the 12th largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 53,062 as of 2022.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuries. Siena is also home to the oldest bank in the world, the Monte dei Paschi bank, which has been operating continuously since 1472. Several significant Renaissance painters were born and worked in Siena, among them Duccio, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Sassetta, and influenced the course of Italian and European art. The University of Siena, originally called Studium Senese, was founded in 1240, making it one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world.
Siena was one of the most important cities in medieval Europe, and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which contains several buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries. The city is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year in Piazza del Campo.
History
Antiquity
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the 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. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity.[citation needed] After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
Middle Ages
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout the Sienese territory. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena.
The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until 1555. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people. A major economic centre and among the most important cities in Europe, as well as the main political, economic, and artistic rival of its neighboring city of Florence.
In the Italian War of 1551–59, the republic was defeated by the rival Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.
Late modern period
After the Napoleonic period and the Risorgimento uprisings, Siena was the first city in Tuscany, in 1859, to vote in favour of annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.
Geography
Siena is located in the central part of Tuscany, in the middle of a vast hilly landscape 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 lies at 322 m (1,056 ft) above sea level.
Economy
The main activities are tourism, services, agriculture, handicrafts and light industry.
In 2009 agricultural activity comprised 919 companies with a total area of 10.755 square kilometres (4.153 sq mi) for a usable agricultural area of 6.954 square kilometres (2.685 sq mi) or about 1⁄30 of the total municipal area (data ISTAT for the 2000 Agriculture Census V).
There is little manufacturing in the city. One exception is the seasonal confectionery industry, which produces local specialities including panforte, ricciarelli and cavallucci at Christmas, and pane co' santi for I Santi on 1 November and I Morti on the following day.
The area has also seen a growth in biotechnology. The Centenary Institute Sieroterapico Achille Sclavo used to be Swiss-owned, operating under the company name, Novartis Vaccines. Novartis developed and produced vaccines and employed about a thousand people. In 2015, the research plant in Siena became part of Glaxo Smith Kline, as part of a deal between Novartis and this firm.
Culture
Contrade
Siena retains a ward-centric culture from medieval times. Each ward (contrada) is represented by an animal or mascot and has its own boundary and distinct identity. Ward rivalries are most rampant during the annual horse race (Palio) in the Piazza del Campo. There are 17 wards (contrada): Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre, Valdimontone.
The Palio
The Palio di Siena is a traditional medieval horse race run around the Piazza del Campo twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August. The event is attended by large crowds, and is widely televised. Ten randomly selected from 17 Contrade (which are city neighbourhoods originally formed as battalions for the city's defence) vie for the trophy: a painted banner, or Palio bearing an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Art
Over the centuries, Siena has had a rich tradition of arts and artists. The list of artists from the Sienese School include Duccio and his student Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and Martino di Bartolomeo. A number of well-known works of Renaissance and High Renaissance art still remain in galleries or churches in Siena.
The Church of San Domenico contains art by Guido da Siena, dating to the mid-13th century. Duccio's Maestà, which was commissioned by the City of Siena in 1308, was instrumental in leading Italian painting away from the hieratic representations of Byzantine art and directing it towards more direct presentations of reality. And his Madonna and Child with Saints polyptych, painted between 1311 and 1318, remains at the city's Pinacoteca Nazionale.
The Pinacoteca also includes several works by Domenico Beccafumi, as well as art by Lorenzo Lotto, Domenico di Bartolo and Fra Bartolomeo.
Main sights
The Siena Cathedral (Duomo), begun in the 12th century, is a masterpiece of Italian Romanesque–Gothic architecture. Its main façade was completed in 1380 with a nave oriented northeast–southwest. A proposed expansion of the eastern transept would have transformed the church into an ambitiously massive basilica, the largest then in the world, with an east–west nave. However, the scarcity of funds, in part due to war and the Black Death, truncated the project. Two walls of this expanded eastern transept remain; through an internal staircase, visitors can climb for a grand view of the city.
The Siena Cathedral Pulpit is an octagonal 13th-century masterpiece sculpted by Nicola Pisano with lion pedestals and biblical bas-relief panels. The inlaid marble mosaic floor of the cathedral, designed and laboured on by many artists, is among the most elaborate in Italy. The Sacristy and Piccolomini library have well-preserved Renaissance frescos by Ghirlandaio and Pinturicchio respectively. Other sculptors active in the church and in the subterranean baptistry are Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Jacopo della Quercia and others. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo contains Duccio's famous Maestà (1308–11) and various other works by Sienese masters. More Sienese paintings are to be found in the Pinacoteca, e.g. 13th-century works by Dietisalvi di Speme.
The Piazza del Campo, the shell-shaped town square, unfurls before the Palazzo Pubblico with its tall Torre del Mangia. This is part of the site for the Palio horse race. The Palazzo Pubblico, itself a great work of architecture, houses yet another important art museum. Included within the museum is Ambrogio Lorenzetti's frescoes depicting the Allegory and Effects of Good and Bad Government and also some of the finest frescoes of Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti.
The Palazzo Salimbeni, located in a piazza of the same name, was the original headquarters and remains in possession of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in continuous existence in Europe.
Housed in the notable Gothic Palazzo Chigi-Saracini on Via di Città is the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Siena's conservatory of music.
Other churches in the city include:
Basilica dell'Osservanza
San Domenico
San Francesco
San Martino
Santa Maria dei Servi
Santa Petronilla
Santi Niccolo e Lucia
Santo Spirito
Sant'Andrea Apostolo
Sanctuary of Santa Caterina, incorporating the old house of St. Catherine of Siena. It houses the miraculous Crucifix (late 12th century) from which the saint received her stigmata, and a 15th-century statue of St. Catherine.
The historic Siena synagogue is also preserved and open to visitors.
The city's gardens include the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Siena, a botanical garden maintained by the University of Siena.
The Medicean Fortress houses the Siena Jazz School, with courses and concerts throughout the year, and a festival during the International Siena Jazz Masterclasses.
In the neighbourhood are numerous patrician villas, some of which are attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi:
Villa Chigi
Castle of Belcaro
Villa Celsa
Villa Cetinale
Villa Volte Alte
(Wikipedia)
Siena (italienische Aussprache [ˈsjɛːna]) ist der Name einer italienischen Stadt mit 53.922 Einwohnern (Stand 31. Dezember 2019) und eines früheren Stadtstaates im Zentrum der Toskana.
Siena ist Hauptstadt der Provinz Siena und gilt als eine der schönsten Städte der Toskana und Italiens. Schon von jeher befindet sie sich in Rivalität mit Florenz, in politischer, wirtschaftlicher oder künstlerischer Hinsicht. Während Florenz als Paradebeispiel einer Renaissance-Stadt vor allem durch die schiere Masse und Größe seiner Bauwerke und Kunstwerke beeindruckt, hat Siena den mittelalterlichen Charakter der italienischen Gotik erhalten. Die historische Altstadt gehört seit 1995 zum UNESCO-Welterbe. Die Universität Siena, gegründet 1240, gehört zu den ältesten Universitäten Italiens und wird heute von etwa 16.000 Studenten besucht. Aus Siena stammt die Heilige Katharina von Siena.
Siena ist auch bekannt für den Palio di Siena, ein Pferderennen, das am zentralen Platz Piazza del Campo ausgetragen wird. Bei dem Rennen, das seit dem Mittelalter eine sehr große Bedeutung für Siena hat, treten zweimal im Jahr jeweils zehn der 17 Bezirke (Contrade) der Stadt gegeneinander an.
Siena ist Sitz der Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, der ältesten noch existierenden Bank der Welt, die gleichzeitig drittgrößte Bank Italiens ist.
Geografie
Siena liegt etwa 50 km südlich der Regionalhauptstadt Florenz und rund 185 km nordwestlich von Rom. Sie liegt in der klimatischen Einordnung italienischer Gemeinden in der Zone D, 1943 GR/G. Sie grenzt nördlich an den Chianti, südöstlich an die Crete Senesi, südwestlich an die Maremma und nordwestlich an die Montagnola Senese.
Zu den wichtigsten Flüssen im Gemeindegebiet gehören der Tressa (13 km im Gemeindegebiet), der Bozzone (11 km), der Arbia (9 km) und der Sorra (9 km). Keiner der Flüsse durchquert das Stadtzentrum, wobei der Tressa der dem Stadtzentrum am nächsten gelegene Fluss ist. Die Flüsse Sorra und Tressa entspringen im Gemeindegebiet von Siena, der Arbia und der Bozzone quellen nördlich von Siena im Chiantigebiet.
Die bevölkerungsstärksten Ortsteile (Frazioni) von Siena sind Taverne d’Arbia (ca. 2350 Einwohner, 185 m), Isola d’Arbia (ca. 900 Einwohner, 176 m) und Sant’Andrea a Montecchio (ca. 900 Einwohner, 273 m). Weitere Ortsteile sind Le Scotte (ca. 60 Einwohner, 319 m, Standort des Krankenhauses) und Monteliscai.
Die Nachbargemeinden sind Asciano, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Monteriggioni, Monteroni d’Arbia und Sovicille.
Stadtgliederung
Die historische Altstadt ist gegliedert in drei Terzi (Drittel), in denen mehrere Contrade (Stadtteile) zusammengefasst sind (insgesamt 17) und die alle innerhalb der Stadtmauern von Siena liegen. Die Contraden sind nach ihren Wappen (meist Tieren) benannt und sind Gegner beim berühmten Pferderennen Palio, das jährlich einmal im Juli und einmal im August stattfindet. Die Organisationsform der Contraden als demokratisch und sozial verfasste überschaubare Wohnviertel wurde als Grund für die sehr niedrige Kriminalitätsrate in Siena angeführt. Finanziert wurde das System vor allem von der ortsansässigen Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena und ihrer Stiftung, die allerdings im Zuge der Eurokrise ab 2011 die jährlichen Zahlungen in dreistelliger Millionenhöhe einstellte.
Zum Terzo di Città zählen die Contrade Aquila (Adler), Chiocciola (Schnecke), Onda (Welle), Pantera (Panther), Selva (Wald) und Tartuca (Schildkröte).
Zum Terzo di San Martino gehören die Contrade Civetta (Eule), Leocorno (Einhorn), Nicchio (Muschel), Valdimontone (Widder) und Torre (Turm).
Zum Terzo di Camollia gehören die Contrade Bruco (Raupe), Drago (Drache), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Stachelschwein), Lupa (Wölfin) und Oca (Gans).
Geschichte
Siena geht vermutlich auf eine etruskische Siedlung mit Namen Saena zurück und wurde unter römischer Herrschaft eine Kolonie mit dem Namen Saena Iulia. Ihre eigentliche Bedeutung erlangte die Stadt aber erst im Mittelalter. Wie andere italienische Städte wurde sie allmählich unabhängig und hatte im 12. Jahrhundert eine Konsularregierung.
Im Streit zwischen Kaiser und Papsttum stand Siena – im Gegensatz zu Florenz – auf ghibellinischer Seite und erhielt dadurch verschiedene Privilegien. Im Wesentlichen verbarg sich aber hinter diesem Konflikt eine wirtschaftliche Rivalität zwischen den beiden Handelsstädten. In der Schlacht von Montaperti 1260 wurden die Florentiner geschlagen. Die folgenden Jahre brachten aber einen Niedergang der Ghibellinen mit sich. Im Inneren kam es immer wieder zu politischen Machtkämpfen, die aber eine wirtschaftliche Blüte der Stadt nicht verhinderten.
1389 schlossen die Senesen ein Bündnis mit Gian Galeazzo Visconti, das sie für einige Jahre in Abhängigkeit von Mailand brachte.
1487 ergriff Pandolfo Petrucci die Macht und regierte despotisch, wenn er auch formell die Regierungsformen nicht antastete. Anders als den auf ähnliche Weise in Florenz herrschenden Medici gelang es ihm aber nicht, eine Dynastie zu gründen, und nach seinem Tod 1512 stellte sich die Stadt bald unter den Schutz Karls V. Die Bürger lehnten sich gegen die zunehmende Tyrannei der Spanier auf, aber 1555 wurde Siena nach langer Belagerung eingenommen und zwei Jahre später als Lehen an Cosimo I. de’ Medici gegeben, unter dem es Teil des Großherzogtums Toskana wurde.
Sehenswürdigkeiten
Dom
Der Dom aus schwarzem und weißem Marmor, heute eines der bedeutendsten Beispiele der gotischen Architektur in Italien, entstand aus einer dreischiffigen romanischen Basilika. Heute präsentiert sich der Bau immer noch als solche, jedoch mit gotisch erhöhtem und eingewölbtem Mittelschiff, kompliziertem, mehrschiffigen Querhaus und einem gotischen Chor. Romanisch blieb die unregelmäßig sechseckige Kuppel über der Vierung, die für viele der Unregelmäßigkeiten des Baues verantwortlich ist. Der Bau wurde Anfang des 13. Jahrhunderts begonnen und zog sich bis in das 14. Jahrhundert hinein.
Eine letzte Vergrößerung wurde 1339 begonnen, aber wegen Geldmangels und Problemen mit der Statik nie zu Ende geführt; heute sind nur Nordseitenschiff und Fassade des sog. „Duomo Nuovo“ zu sehen, die die Großartigkeit des unvollendeten Plans andeuten. Die Kirche, die den heutigen Dom als Querhaus weitergenutzt hätte, sollte in den Dimensionen Alt St. Peter, damals eine der größten Kirchen der Welt, übertreffen. Zu dem Baukörper gehört auch das Baptisterium San Giovanni, das in den Substruktionen des Domchores eingerichtet ist.
Weitere Kirchen
Basilica dell’Osservanza, einzige der vier Basiliken, die außerhalb der Stadtmauern liegt.
Basilica di San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi im Ortsdrittel Terzo di San Martino.
Basilica di San Domenico im Ortsdrittel Terzo di Camollia.
Basilica di San Francesco im Ortsdrittel Terzo di Camollia.
Sant’Agostino, Kirche im Ortsdrittel Terzo di Città.
San Martino, Kirche im Ortsdrittel Terzo di San Martino.
Santuario di Santa Caterina, Geburtshaus, Oratorium und Kirche zu Ehren der hl. Katharina von Siena im Ortsdrittel Terzo di Camollia.
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
Die Opera del Duomo enthält neben dem Fenster des Domchores auch Duccios berühmte Madonna, die 1308–1311 für die Kathedrale gemalt wurde, sowie andere Kunstwerke, die aus dem Kontext der Kathedrale stammen. Durch das Museum kann man die Fassade (facciatone) des „Duomo Nuovo“ betreten, der nie vollendet wurde (s. o.).
Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala
Gegenüber dem Dom befindet sich dieses schon kurz nach 1000 gegründete Pilgerhospiz, das etwa das vierfache Bauvolumen der Kathedrale besitzt. Im Obergeschoss sind verschiedene Säle und Kapellen von Interesse: neben dem Eingang blickt man in die Kapelle der SS. Annunziata, die im 15. Jh. errichtet und im 18. Jh. durch ein grandioses Fresko in der Apsis ausgeschmückt wurde. Daran schließt die sog. Sagrestia an, die von Vecchietta ausgemalt wurde. Der große Saal im Zentrum des Hospizes (Pellegrinaio) ist vollständig ausgemalt, die meisten der Fresken stammen von Domenico di Bartolo, aber auch Vecchietta und Priamo della Quercia führten einzelne Szenen aus. Von hohem Interesse sind die beiden Untergeschosse, die höhlenähnlichen Charakter besitzen. Sie sind zum Teil in verschiedenen Epochen ausgestattet worden, beherbergen heute außerdem viele Kunstwerke, darunter eine große Sammlung antiker Urnen und ein Altarretabel von Taddeo di Bartolo.
Palazzo Pubblico (Palazzo Comunale)
Der Palazzo Pubblico (das Rathaus) ist ein Palast, dessen Bau im Jahre 1297 begann, als Sitz der republikanischen Regierung, der Podestà und des Konzils der Neun.
Der Palast liegt zentral an Sienas Hauptplatz, der Piazza del Campo; der Platz wurde im 14. Jahrhundert am Ort eines antiken Theaters angelegt; 1347 erhielt er seine charakteristische rote Backstein-Pflasterung, die von hellen Streifen aus Travertin segmentiert wird. Hier findet auch der Palio di Siena statt, ein alljährliches lokales Pferderennen.
Im Palast selbst befinden sich zahlreiche berühmte Fresken wie zum Beispiel dasjenige, das Guidoriccio da Fogliano im Saal der Landkarten (Sala del Mappamondo) zeigt. Das Fresko stammt wahrscheinlich von Simone Martini. Die Wand des Saals zeigt außerdem Reste der Zeichnung einer Weltkarte von Pietro Lorenzetti. Eines der berühmtesten Werke im Palast ist die Darstellung der Guten und der Schlechten Regierung im Saal der Neun (Sala della Pace) von Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
Der 102 Meter hohe Turm des Palastes (Torre del Mangia) wurde zwischen 1325 und 1344 errichtet, seine Spitze wurde von Lippo Memmi entworfen. Er ist der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich und bietet von seiner Spitze einen sehr guten Rundblick über die Stadt und ihre Umgebung.
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Die Institution ist eine angesehene Musik- und Kunstakademie aus dem ersten Viertel des 20. Jahrhunderts. Sie veranstaltet u. a. im September die Musikwoche Siena und weitere Kurse zur Weiterbildung junger Musiker. Ihr Sitz ist der historische Palazzo Chigi-Saracini.
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena
Das 1932 eingeweihte Kunstmuseum enthält Werke aus dem 13. bis zum 16. Jahrhundert bedeutender seneser Künstler.
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena
Die 1472 gegründete Bank mit der Zentrale in Siena im Palazzo Salimbeni gilt als älteste Bank der Welt.
Palazzo Tolomei
Der Palazzo Tolomei in der Straße Banchi di Sopra wurde um 1205 gebaut und ist der älteste Stadtpalast von Siena. Er wurde später aufgestockt und umgebaut. Die Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze hat hier heute ihren Sitz.
Palazzo Piccolomini-Clementini
Bottini di Siena
Unterirdisches Tunnelsystem zur (ehemaligen) Wasserversorgung von Siena.
Canale del Granduca
Unterirdisches Tunnelsystem zur Entwässerung des Pian del Lago.
Sport
Das bekannteste Sportereignis der Stadt ist der Palio di Siena, ein Pferderennen, das seit dem Mittelalter veranstaltet wird.
Siena ist Ziel des Radklassikers Strade Bianche, welcher auf dem Piazza del Campo endet.
(Wikipedia)
"The Corteo Storico is a historical costume parade in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. It takes place before the famous horse race known as the Palio on the 2nd of July and on August 16, each year.
A contrada (plural: contrade) is a district, or a ward, within an Italian city. The most well-known contrade are probably the 17 contrade of Siena, whose representatives race on horseback in the Palio di Siena, run twice every year in July and August. Each is named after an animal or symbol, with a long history and complicated heraldic and semi-mythological associations.
Torre is situated just to the south-east of the Piazza del Campo in the centre of the city, and encompasses Siena's Jewish quarter and synagogue. Traditionally, its residents worked as woolcombers.
Torre's symbol is an elephant (the contrada's original name was Liofante or Lionfante) with a tower on its back. Its colours are crimson, striped with white and blue.
Torre is the adversary of both Onda (wave) and of Oca (goose). It is the only contrada to have two rivalries, making it the most contentious contrada in Siena. Torre’s unique ally is Bruco.
Siena (/siˈɛnə/ see-EN-ə, Italian: [ˈsjɛːna]; in English sometimes spelled Sienna; Latin: Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.
Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were a tribe of advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.
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. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana, or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive the name from the Etruscan family name Saina, the Roman family name Saenii, or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old".
Siena did not prosper under Roman rule. It was not sited near any major roads and lacked opportunities for trade. Its insular status meant that Christianity did not penetrate until the 4th century AD, and it was not until the Lombards invaded Siena and the surrounding territory that it knew prosperity. After the Lombard occupation, the old Roman roads of Via Aurelia and the Via Cassia passed through areas exposed to Byzantine raids, so the Lombards rerouted much of their trade between the Lombards' northern possessions and Rome along a more secure road through Siena. Siena prospered as a trading post, and the constant streams of pilgrims passing to and from Rome provided a valuable source of income in the centuries to come.
The oldest aristocratic families in Siena date their line to the Lombards' surrender in 774 to Charlemagne. At this point, the city was inundated with a swarm of Frankish overseers who married into the existing Sienese nobility and left a legacy that can be seen in the abbeys they founded throughout Sienese territory. Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena.
The Republic existed for over four hundred years, from the 12th century until the year 1555. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people.
In the Italian War of 1551–59, the republic was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic.
The new Spanish King Felipe II, owing huge sums to the Medici, ceded it (apart from a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of Presidi) to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
A Republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino resisted until 1559.
Tuscany (/ˈtʌskəni/ TUSK-ə-nee; Italian: Toscana [tosˈkaːna]) is a region in central Italy with an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 square miles) and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants (2013). The regional capital is Florence (Firenze).
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, and contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace. Tuscany produces wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered "a nation within a nation".
Tuscany is a popular destination in Italy. The main tourist spots are Florence, Pisa, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto and Siena. The town of Castiglione della Pescaia is the most visited seaside destination in the region, with seaside tourism accounting for approximately 40% of tourist arrivals. Additionally, the Maremma region, Siena, Lucca, the Chianti region, Versilia and Val d'Orcia are also internationally renowned and particularly popular spots among travellers.
Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence (1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), and the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013). Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations that attract millions of tourists every year. In 2012, the city of Florence was the world's 89th most visited city, with 1.834 million arrivals." - info from Wikipedia.
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