Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c.900-400 BC) and in the Middle Ages, and competed with Florence for regional supremacy. Today it remains one of Italy's most enchanting medieval towns, with an exceptional Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval landscape and the Palio, a famous horse race held twice a year.

Siena Cathedral, rising majestically in the eponymous city square, is one of Italy’s most illustrious Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. According to tradition, the present Cathedral replaces an earlier church dedicated to the Virgin Mary erected in the 9th century or thereabouts on the site of a temple serving the cult of Minerva

Located in Piazza del Campo, also known as the symbol of Siena, the tower was built between 1338 and 1348, constructed in brick with a stone cornice and belfry, boasting a light and elegant structure that takes its name from its first bell ringer. Giovanni di Balduccio was famous because he wasted his money, especially on good food, and was nicknamed Mangiaquisti, literally Earnings Eater, abbreviated to 'Mangia': his role didn't last long because in 1360, the first mechanic clock was installed, but the nickname was forever associated with the tower.

The imposing bulk of the Basilica of San Domenico offers a visual image of the influence of the Dominican friars in Saint Catherine’s Siena. Saint Francis and Saint Dominic had created an original way of living the religious life, well-suited to the new commercial cities.

The medieval town of San Gimignano developed from being located in a strategic geographical point that made it a popular route for pilgrims, especially from France, travelling to Rome.