They were mortal enemies for 300 years. The Battle of Montaperti (1260) was so bloody Dante put it in the Inferno.
Plan your trip →Florence: Renaissance capital. Uffizi, David, Duomo. The motherlode. Siena: Gothic counter-school. Duccio, Lorenzetti, the Duomo’s inlaid floor. Smaller but with its own artistic identity.
Florence: bigger, busier, more international, more restaurants, more nightlife. Siena: more intimate, more Italian, Piazza del Campo (the most beautiful square in Italy), contrade culture.
Siena is 20–30% cheaper than Florence on everything.
Florence: 3–4 days, art pilgrimage. Siena: 1–2 days, or a longer stay as a Tuscan base (less crowded, cheaper, more authentic).
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