| Abstract: | The data from excavations around the hospital of Santa Maria in Siena help to build a picture of the city in the early Middle Ages. Comparison is made with the rural site of Montarrenti, and significant differences between the economic development in the town and country are observed, although both suffered decline. Settlement, and economic activity in the city of Siena are seen to go into recession in the post‐Roman period, but signs of growth become visible from the ninth century onwards. |
