Siena

Siena is one of Italy's most visited tourist attractions famous for it's cuisine, art, museums, and the Palio, a twice a year medieval horse race held in the town square, the Piazza del Campo, wherein 10 of the city's 17 wards (or Cantrade) host a horse and bareback jockey in the hopes of winning the Palio, a painted banner bearing the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  According to legend the town was founded by Remus, brother of Romulus, who founded Rome.  The brothers were said to have been found and raised by a she-wolf and images of the brothers suckling the she-wolf can be found all over town.

Here is the Piazza del Campo,

 

and our guide, Donatello (she mentioned she shares her name with a sculpter and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle).

Here is the striking Siena cathedral.

Here a view of the quaint walkways.

A view of Siena from a high point.  I did not manage to take a picture of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena one of the oldest banks in continuous existence (since 1472) and a major player in the Sienese economy.

This is the birthplace of Saint Catherine of Siena, mystic and doctorate of the Catholic church, and patron saint of our church,

and a statue of Saint Catherine,

Siena owes it's longevity to banking and the Medici family who's family crest is captured on the corner of their fortress, still standing.  The Medici, however, concentrated their power in Florence creating a rivalry between Siena and Florence that still exists and explains our guide's indifference to this vestige of Medici power.