Siena [antikvár]

An overall picture To the tourist arriving here either by the ancient road of Francigena or Romea, or else via the modernday route from Florence, Siena appears in a gradual shading of brick-red buildings with their rooftiles in ascending layers, the city branches and spreads out over the hills, with elongated houses, slim church steeples that suddenly go uphill and downdale; all in a lively and uneven landscape that is dominated by the contours of the monumental buildings. Situated on the heights and practically in the centre of southern Tuscany, the city of Siena rises up on the ridge of three hills that extend from Croce del travaglio, the topographic centre of the built up area. Also branching out from here are the three ridgeways which go to make up the city's road network, namely Via di Citta, Banchi di Sopra and Banchi di Sotto. These roads continue along the ridge leading into other roads until they arrive at the most important gates (or Porte) of the last of the city walls to be constructed and which still stand to this very day.