Siena: A 600-year-old utopia that rivals Florence

Siena is the most perfect medieval town in Italy. 1. The filming location of the movie "007: Quantum of Solace." The intense horse racing scene in the opening scene was filmed in Piazza del Campo. 2. It was one of the wealthiest cities in the world in the 13th century, and the first bank in Europe was established here. 3. Siena once made it to Serie A, so soccer fans should be familiar with it. 4. Tuscan cuisine originated in Siena, and the dessert tiramisu originated in Siena. 5. Siena's biggest horse racing festival: Palio. 6. The dialect of Siena is the standard Italian language. Compared to the prosperity of Florence, Siena is more peaceful, and the Italians living here are more simple and unworldly. Siena was founded in 29 BC at the intersection of three small hills in the Chianti Mountains. Legend has it that it was built by the son of Remus, the twin brother of Romulus. In the Middle Ages, the Roman road was under fierce attack by the Byzantine Empire, so a new road was opened through Siena, and Siena gradually prospered as a major city on the main road. It became a trading hub in the 12th to 15th centuries and began to pursue its Gothic dreams. The city's style was mainly influenced by the Eastern Byzantine Empire during the Crusades. If Florence is the representative city of the Renaissance, then Siena is the perfect example of a medieval Gothic city. Like a giant time machine, it takes you back to the 14th century with its churches, sculptures, streets, cafes, art galleries, and museums. There are many Italian literary works depicting this period, and I recommend "The Name of the Rose" by Italian semiotician and writer Umberto Eco. In a mountain monastery in 14th-century Italy, a person dies every day... This work is considered a precursor to novels like "The Da Vinci Code."