republic · Italy
Republic of Siena at Montalcino
Origins
When Siena surrendered to imperial and Florentine forces in April 1555, several hundred citizens who refused to submit withdrew to the fortified town of Montalcino, south of the city, and continued the government of the Republic of Siena there under French protection.
Rule and society
The exiles kept the republic's magistracies and seal, minted coins and governed Montalcino and a few nearby towns. They depended on French troops and on Piero Strozzi, the Florentine exile who commanded for France in Tuscany. The republic's territory was small, its resources were slight and it lived under the constant threat of the Duchy of Florence.
Decline and legacy
The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis between France and Spain in 1559 withdrew French support, and Montalcino surrendered to Cosimo I de' Medici, joining the future Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The town's people are still nicknamed the last Sienese.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Republic of Siena at Montalcino was a protectorate of Kingdom of France1555 CE – 1559 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Republic of Siena at Montalcino. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-siena-at-montalcino
- MLA
- “Republic of Siena at Montalcino.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-siena-at-montalcino. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Republic of Siena at Montalcino.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-siena-at-montalcino.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Republic of Siena at Montalcino’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-siena-at-montalcino (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻