Italy | Florence's archenemy | Siena

Florence's neighbor Siena, developed at the same time as Florence, and the two city-states were equally matched. However, Siena has always supported the Holy Roman Empire, while Florence firmly supports the Pope in Rome. Over the centuries from the 13th to the 16th century, the people of the two city-states fought several brutal wars for territory and faith. When Siena built the most beautiful church in Europe at that time (picture). From the 5th to the 7th century, Florence followed suit and created the larger and more magnificent Santa Maria Novella, which looks like twin sisters; Florence has the Giotto Bell Tower, while Siena has the taller Mangia Tower (Figure 8); Siena has the gorgeous Campo Square (Figure 3), which is actually a very large square that cannot be captured without a wide-angle lens, while Florence continues to expand its municipal square. Even today, when these two cities meet in a football match, there is always a lot of tension. In 1348, the Black Death that spread throughout Europe took away two-thirds of the population in Siena. In addition, due to the tusha of the residents by the Roman Emperor, Siena was finally ruled by the Medici family of Florence and incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the second half of the 16th century. From Florence, it takes just over an hour by bus to reach the old town of Siena, where the attractions are right at the bus stop, very convenient.