!!!Siena

by Stas Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

9 October 2014

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Italy is an amazing country with a relatively small territory that hosts
an incredible number of ancient historical, cultural, and architectural
monuments. However, not all of them are equally famous.

Our virtual tour will show you a picturesque Italy, with its ancient
history and rich heritage, based on 3 cities: Orvieto, Cortona, and
Siena. Today we offer you one of three virtual tours of the city of
Siena.

[{Image src='01_Siena Cathedral.jpg' caption='Siena Cathedral' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='669'}]

According to legend, Siena came into existence thanks to the twin
nephews of the legendary Romlus, the founder of Rome. The brothers
Senius and Aschius found refuge on top of the Tuscan hill, where later a
city was built bearing the name of one of the brothers.

Today Siena occupies three hills, as it is one of the most popular
travel destinations in Italy. The city owes its international fame to
its medieval heritage: UNESCO protects unique monuments of the
historical period.

[{Image src='02_Siena, Italy.jpg' caption='Siena, Italy' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='321'}]

Siena is not a typical Italian city. Its grim medieval atmosphere sets
it aside from other cities. The unique architectural ensemble of Siena
includes the brown walls of the gothic Pinacoteca, with paintings dating
back to the 13th — 17th centuries; the arched gallery of the old St.
Catherine of Siena house; the austere-looking Church of San Domenico;
the 88-meter-high Torre del Mangia tower, which is a symbol of the city
of Siena; and the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo.

Historians believe that the harmonious look of the city was made
possible due to the ongoing competition with nearby (50 kilometers
north) Florence. Both cities have constantly fought for superiority in
the Tuscany region. The city of Florence won the "battle", and Siena
seemed to freeze in time, retreating into the shadows of history.

[{Image src='03_Siena Cathedral.jpg' caption='Siena Cathedral' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='952'}]

The most important and famous landmark of the city is Siena Cathedral
(Duomo di Siena). It was built in the middle of the 13th century on the
site of the Goddess Minerva's sanctuary. The story of the cathedral
illustrates the competition between Siena and Florence. In 1339, a
century after construction was finished, the citizens of Siena decided
that their cathedral must surpass in size not only the Basilica di Santa
Maria del Fiore in Florence, but also St. Peter's Basilica, located
within the Vatican City. They put together a plan for a massive
expansion of the Duomo di Siena. However, in 1348 the Black Death took
the lives of most of the city's population, which halted the
construction work at an early stage. Although a fragment of one of the
"new" walls has survived till the modern times, the ambitious plan never
really came to life. The wall now serves as an observation point for
tourists.

[{Image src='04_Torre del Mangia, Siena, Italy.jpg' caption='Torre del Mangia, Siena, Italy' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='593'}]

\\ \\
[8 Panoramas of Siena|Geography/Europe/Italy/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Siena]










[{SET customtitle='Siena (AP)'}] 

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