09 Nov

The Romans, the Florentines, the Sienans. Which have you seen? Have you ever seen one? Identity in our time has become something of a mystery, an attribute questioned and unclear. A city is something more tangible, yet still, is defined by entities other than itself. One might say architecture is given its identity by the people which inhabit it, and in that sense, so is a city.

Siena is vivid through something unmistakably singular: the unique pride and passion of its people. The Piazza del Campo and the town hall with its fresco of the good and bad governments show the camaraderie and commitment of the people to each other and to Siena. The Palio in the Campo shows their inner rivalries, unfiltered emotions and vivid regional pride as well. The interwoven city fabric and neighborhoods bind together, with boundaries only distinguishable by small, unique tiles.

These people and places begin to explain the attempted expansion of the Duomo, rivalry with Rome’s founding, and pursuit of a place unique to any other. A city named Siena.