History of Siena2019
From Its Origins to the Modern Day
by Mario Ascheri
"A History of Siena provides a concise and up-to-date biography of the city, from its medieval development through to the present day, and makes Siena's history, culture and traditions accessible to anyone studying or visiting the city. Well-informed by archival research and recent scholarship on medieval Siena and the Italian city-states, this book places Siena's development in its larger context, both temporally and geographically. In the process, this book offers new interpretations of Siena's artistic, political, and economic development, highlighting in particular the role of pilgrimage, banking, and class conflict. The second half of the book provides an important analysis of the historical development of Siena's nobility, its unique system of neighborhood associations (contrade) and...