Allegory of Pisa; to the bottom, view of Siena

Vasari's Allegory of Pisa with a view of Siena below, a 1557 fresco, is one of the most politically charged of his Palazzo Vecchio territorial allegories. Pisa and Siena were Florence's greatest historical rivals — Pisa for control of the Arno valley and Tuscan coast, Siena for dominance of central Tuscany. Both had been brought under Florentine and Medici control by Cosimo I's military campaigns: Pisa definitively in 1509, Siena in 1555 — just two years before this fresco was painted. The inclusion of both rival cities in a single allegory thus celebrated very recent Medici conquest, transforming former enemies into picturesque possessions mapped decoratively on the wall of the ruler's palace. Vasari's elegant personifications made this political triumph visually pleasurable rather than triumphalist.

The dual structure of this fresco — the Pisa personification above and the Siena prospect below — required Vasari to modulate his technique between the smooth, idealised figure handling of the allegory and the more atmospheric, summary treatment appropriate for distant topographical views. The combination is a characteristic Mannerist achievement: visual elegance in service of political rhetoric.