 A notable exception is the hill town of Montepulciano 70 km southeast of Siena, which was claimed by the neighbouring Florence, and was a constant source of hostility between the two city-states.In the mid-16th century the Republic's territory had an area of approximately 8,000 km2 and a population of 80,000, including some 15,000 living in the town of Siena.Siena rivaled Florence in the arts throughout the 13th and 14th centuries