MONTALCINO
The imposing fortress stands out unchanged against the skyline of the town. It was built in 1361 by the people of Siena to defend the lands towards the Maremma, and the Second Republic of Siena was founded here as the final bastion against the army of Charles V of Angiò, whom they were able to resist until 1559. The resplendent palaces, that once represented the centre of power, tower over the narrow streets and their beauty is reflected in the exceptional collections held in the Diocesan, Municipal and Archaeological Museum. Even more art can be found in the churches of St. Egidio and St. Francis, together with a mystery in the church of St. Peter: a seventeenth painting of the Glorification of the Eucharist by Bonaventura Salimbeni depicts a strange object among the characters representing the Holy Trinity, which suggests a link between descriptions of unidentified objects, UFOs: and this is not the only example to be found in art.