#6 Florence and Siena: the rivals of beauty.

Much has been said about the beauty of Florence and Siena, the two towns in Tuscany that rose up to significant status in the medieval time through Renaissance. For many decades, the two towns were engaged in horrendous war fares to gain the domination of the region. Their rival has largely shaped the landscape of Tuscany by adding or erasing, along the time, the strategic garrison towns as well as numerous roads on the map. Naturally they also competed in displaying their wealth through impressive public buildings and art. But in the end, Florence won the battles and its glory simply eclipsed Siena.
Today for visitors, this history background is evident from just the size of the two towns. For us, what struck us was that how different the beauty the two towns irradiated.
Florence is located in Po valley along the river. It is low-laying, flat and surrounded by gentle hills. Siena, by contrast, is located on a high plateau, and is literally a walled city. The geography of Florence suggests a confidence while the topography of Siena betrays a paranoia. We could feel how much pressure Siena was under at the possible sieges of Florence by simply looking at its massive walls and outlying small hilltop towns that were built for one purpose only: military protection.
The beauty of Florence has been hailed by so many. The city is indeed exuberant and lavish with art, art and more art. We can't think of any other city in the world displays precious art in unprotected public space following a tradition of 400 years. Art is not just in Ufizi or Palazzo Pitti, it is literally everywhere in town. Florence also has that intimate feeling because the glorious Duomo still dominates the whole city like a giant sentinel. Nothing higher than the dome was ever allowed to be built. The Piazza life was ferocious and the focus of the town. The window of our hotel overlooked the Piazza della Signora where day and night, congregations of people lingered and wandered as if they were permanently lost in the city.
The beauty of Siena, on the other hand, has a tone of somberness and bleakness. The town was full of gems by all means. In our opinion, it possesses the most beauty Piazza in Italy El Campo. With its slope topography and shell-like layout, it's like a smooth amphitheater surrounded by cafes and shops. The town is much smaller nowadays compared to Florence, and still largely remains the original layout. One major road goes through the town from an impressive gate. It is just like an enlarged version of a small village, clearly due to the thwart of growth after the defeat by Florence.
After spending days in both places, one thing we couldn't help wondering was that what would happen if Siena ended up winning the wars. Would Michelangelo still be commissioned to sculpt the David for Florence? or perhaps Siena would commission him instead? But then what piece would he end up producing? By this logic, some of the icons of Renaissance art might never be created while some others might be hailed as the treasures of our time? If so what would they be?