Oh, the things I could do with a set a wings, a pedestal and good lighting!
Siena, Italy OK, picture any one of a hundred movies where young-girl-meets-new-city. (Or substitute young girl for boy, woman, man, you.) He/she/you hits the streets for the first time, after dreaming of this moment for years and absolutely years! You/she/he look up, burst into a brilliant smile and spins, giggling, round and round - watching the tall buildings whirl and spin like a merry-go-round. You do this because it's fun. You do this because your kid inside is over-the-moon thrilled and astounded and jump-up-and-down ecstatic to at long last be standing in a place you have dreamed of your. entire. life. This is a still shot from that movie.
I'm sure housing was expensive back in the day, just like it is now. But when you consider there was a 9th century church with bishop's palace in this spot... and that the Duomo di Siena here was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263... you can't help thinking that at our current construction standards, housing prices really ought to top out at about a buck-fifty. Just sayin'.
