Before my last trip to Italy, almost all of my friends who have visited Italy told me that I must visit the Tuscan city of Siena. I was a little concerned before I got there that I would be disappointed because they hyped it up so much. When I checked into our hotel and looked at the cityscape, I realized that they hadn’t hyped it enough. Located in the center of Tuscany, Siena is famous for its medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year. Settled sometime between 900 - 400 BC, its architecture screams history. Built on a Tuscan hill, the streets and alleyways seem to go in just about any direction. Walking around the city, you feel like you entered a time machine and were transported to a medieval time. While there are some cars present that tell you that you are still in the present, there is no doubt that Siena was built for its people and that, even today, that fact is still true.
From a photography standpoint, Siena really shines during the golden hours when the setting sun adds a glow to an already perfect scene to something even more amazing. The buildings just pop when the evening sun hits them and I sometimes just stood there and took it all in instead of shooting photos of the scene. On my previous visits to Italy, Venice has always been my favorite one. After visiting Siena, Venice has a new rival.