From Cathedral to City Hall:The Spatial Transformation of Siena in the Late Middle Ages

Author(s): Zhu Ming

Abstract: The 13-14th centuries saw leapfrog economic development in the Italian city of Siena.As a result,the emerging poblani,or common people,rose rapidly to challenge the dominant aristocratic families,eventually surpassing the latter and establishing a republic under the Government of the Nine.These political and economic changes brought about a major transformation in the layout of the city.Before the republic,it consisted mainly of scattered and separate aristocratic residences and towers.When the political struggle of the poblani against the aristocracy achieved a decisive victory,the republican regime dominated by the poblani started the construction of the City Hall and the City Square and invited artists to draw frescoes with political content in the City Hall in order to show their legitimacy and political authority.The spatial transformation of Siena actually reflects the significant transition of power in Italian cities during this period.