Siena, Italy – Appleby Photography

Once upon a time, Siena had wanted to be bigger and grander than it was. It actually rivaled Florence for power and prestige, but then in 1348, the Black Plague hit and Siena never recovered.

We had just a few hours to check out the old walled city, as Siena was just a side-stop for us as we traveled through on our way to Montepulciano. Siena is an old city with a newer, modern city wrapped around it and is the biggest of the Tuscan region.

With a population of about 50,000 (only 18,000 inside the walled section), it’s the same size it was before the plague. Travel agents and tourists gravitate to Siena, with so many claiming to love this city. I’m sure this is because it offers both the history of the past and the conveniences of the 21st century. For me, it was too big and commercial to really enjoy.

The jewel of the city is the 13th century Gothic cathedral. As grand as it looks, it’s really the back side of the much larger failed vision they had. This church was supposed to be the largest church ever built (because they were trying to outdo Florence), but the plan was abandoned after the Black Plague because they thought God was punishing them for being vain and greedy. Plus, the city was just too hilly and they ran out of money.

After a quick look around and some lunch, we had to move on.

siena italy gothic duomo church