Siena Surrenders to Florence: An Italian Republic Dies
They drank rainwater from cracked cisterns for a year and a half while the walls crumbled. When the gates finally opened in April 1555, the starving defenders didn't fight; they just wept as Cosimo I's troops marched into their beloved city-state. This wasn't just a new map; it was the moment Siena lost its soul to Florence forever. Now, every time you see those striped flags on a church roof, remember: that pattern is a ghost of a republic that died in silence.
April 17, 1555
471 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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