Built between 1284 and 1680, the elegant Palazzo Pubblico is the perfect expression of the Sienese Gothic style and one of the finest civil buildings in Italy. It is dominated by the elegant Torre del Mangia, from which views extend over Siena and its surroundings. A visit to the apartments takes in the superb frescoes by Simone Martini in the Sala del Mappamondo. The famous Hall of Peace illustrates the positive effects of good governing and the terrifying effects of bad, as seen by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.