Vescovi, Comune ed élites cittadine. Spazi e luoghi del potere nella Siena medievale

Abstract

The article deals with the 'spaces of power' in Siena between the 11th and the first decades of the 14th century. In this context, the buildings that represent the "protagonists" of urban development (bishops, municipalities and city elites) have been selected and analyzed from the archaeological, historical, architectural and topographic point of view: the episcopal complex for its religious power, the squares and the town hall for their administrative authority, the private residences for the lay elites. The transition of the antique city to the municipal urban area under a constant expansion resulted in new political and institutional equilibrium that affected both the forms and the meaning of architecture within the urban area. The formation of new spaces witnesses a power (religious, political and socio-economical) that shaped the architectural panorama of Siena in less than two centuries. In numerous cases, it favors the "public" dimension of the construction, becoming a new form of expression and the symbol of power.