Siena

Siena is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, capital of the Province of Siena, with about 53,180 residents. Before the Black Death of 1348 it had 50,000 people and was a major banking and commercial center; its historic centre, containing 13th- and 14th-century buildings, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is home to the University of Siena, founded in 1240, and the Monte dei Paschi, the oldest bank in the world, operating since 1472, and it hosts the Palio horse race twice a year in the Piazza del Campo.