Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. The historic centre of the city has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Siena's first settlers were the Etruscans. Then, during the reign of the Emperor Augustus, a Roman town called Saena Julia was founded in the site of the Etruscan fort. Siena did not prosper under Roman rule since no major roads were associated to it and therefore there were no opportunities for trade. This position of the city caused Christianity to arrive only in the fourth century AD. With the Lombards invading Siena and the surrounding territory, the city began to prosper. During the early 12th century, a self-governing commune replaced the earlier aristocratic government of the city, and the consuls, who governed the republic, became more inclusive of the common people. Siena's republic represented a political opposition to Florence. However, after centuries of conflicts, Siena surrendered to Florence on April 17, 1555, marking the end of the Republic of Siena. The new Spanish King Philip ceded it to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, to which it belonged until the unification of Italy in the 19th century. Main sights of the city include the Siena's cathedral - the Duomo, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia, the Palazzo Salimbeni, the medieval headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in continuous existence.
