SIENA, a province (compartlmento) of Tuscany, which formerly comprehended the whole southern part of the grand-duchy, corres ponding to the territory of the former republic of Siena, is bounded N. by Florence, W. by the Mediterranean. E. by Arezzo, and S. by the Papal Staten, from which it is partly divided by the river Fiore. The territory of the republic is now divided into two provinces, Siena and Grosseto. The province of Siena comprehends the highlands, or northern and eastern parts of the country ; that of Groeseto com prehends the western and southern lowlands, or the extensive maremma known geographically by the name of Maremma Sines., to distinguish it from the Klan Maremma. The area and population of the two provinces are as follows The province of Siena lien in the upper basin of the Ombrone, and its effluents the Arbia. the Mersa, and the Orcia. The Orniorone, called Umbra Major by the Romans, to distinguish it from the Umbro Minor of Pistoia, is the largest river of Tuscany next to the Arno : it risen from a copious source near Ceta Mura, or Civita blurs, in the Monti di Chianti, a subapennIne ridge which divides the valley of the Om brone from that of the Upper Arno, and flows southward by Borax dernga and Asciano, skirting the western base of Monte San Savloo, which divides it from the valley of the Chime; it then passes by the town of Buonconvento, below which it receives the Arbia from the north, which pluses near the city of Siena. The Ombrone then inclines to the south-west, flowing along the western base of the hills of Mon talcino, and receives the Mersa from the north-west, a tortuous stream which has a course of above fifty miles. It then flows directly south, through a narrow and deep defile between the bills of Montalcino on the east, and a hilly tract on the west that divides the waters of the Ombrone from those of the Brune, which flows into the Lake of Castiglione. Issuing from the narrow gorge beyond Monte Antico, the Ombrone receives from the eastward the aria, a mountain torrent which drains the northern side of the volcanic group of Radicefani and Montamiata, and also the hilly region of klentepulciano. The
Omit has a course of about thirty miles. Passing by Paganico, the Ombrone forms a bend to the south-east, and passing through a low ridge it enters the wide plain of the Mamma, through which it flows in a south-west direction, passing near Grosseto and the Lake of Castiglione, into which part of its water is conducted by a canal, in order to fill up by its alluvium that pestilential swamp ; the main body of the river enters the sea at Torre della Trappola, after a course of about eighty miles.
The province of Siena consists of highlands and valleys, being crossed by various ranges of hills, composed mostly of marls covered by yellow-sand, and abounding with organie remains. [Arena:sm.] Few summits exceed 1000 feet, except the Montagne di Cetona, or Monte Pi,si, on the borders of the Val di Chiana, which is above 2500 feet high; the volcanic cone of Radicofani, which is above 3000 feet; and the partly volcanic group of Montamiata, or Monte Santa Fiore, which rises to about 5000 feet above the sea. The chief products are corn, wine, silk, fruit, and oil. Excellent marble is quarried near Siena. The province is crossed by the railway that unites Siena with the Florence, Pisa, and Leghorn line at Empoli.
The following are the principal towns :—Siena, which is noticed in a separate article. lifontalcino, a walled town and bishop's see, situated on a lofty hill 20 miles south-east of Siena : it has a cathedral, a clerical seminary, several other churches and convents ; manufac tures of coarse linen, hats, pottery, and leather; and about 3800 inhabitants. Colle, on the elope of a hill near the sources of the river Elsa, an affluent of the Arno, 12 miles north-west of Siena, is a bishop's see ; it has a fine cathedral, several other ohurches, a large hospital, a clerical seminary, a conservatory for the education of young girls, paper-mills, manufactories of woollens and hats, of glass, pottery, and leather, and about 2500 inhabitants.