Siena
Piazza del Campo
Siena is a quite medieval city in the Tuscany region not far from Florence and is a world heritage site. The town is famous for its Cathedral, the bell tower "Torre del Mangia", but above all its Piazza del Campo, world famous for the Palio di Siena.
In the Palio ten horses and riders represent ten of the seventeen "contrade" (city wards) and take on each other in a race around the square like they used to do in medieval times. The race involves circling the square three times; the jockeys ride bareback and it is not unusual for some of them to be thrown off their horses during the race, leaving the unmounted horse to finish the race.
The '"Corteo Storico" (a spectacular pageant) before the race attracts visitors from all over the world.
The Palio takes place twice a year on July 2 and August 16.
Bird eye view of the Palio
Palio di Siena
Places to see in Siena
The Palazzo Pubblico (Town Hall) is located in Piazza del Campo and was built in 1297. The bell tower called Torre del Mangia was built between 1325 and 1348 and is one of the tallest in Italy with its 102 meters.
From the tower you can enjoy beautiful views of the Sienese countryside. The Palazzo Pubblico houses various works of art by well known artists such as Simone Martini.
Palazzo Pubblico
The Duomo di Siena was built between 1215 and 1263. In the 14th century Siena was a very rich and powerful city. There were plans to make the Cathedral the biggest of all, even bigger than St. Peter's in Rome. Construction to expand the Cathedral got underway in 1339 but unfortunately in 1348 the Black Death swept through the town and killed most of the inhabitants. The Cathedral was never finished. Inside you will find fantastic marbles floors, frescoes and several work of art. The Duomo was substantially restored in the 19th century.
Duomo di Siena
Palazzo Tolomei
Palazzo Tolomei is a good example of Gothic building of the 13th century. It was almost completely destroyed by the Ghibellines and subsequently by a large fire. Despite its sad history, it was lovingly restored in 1971 and now is one of the best preserved in Siena.
Piazza Salimbeni
The Gothic Palazzo Salimbeni is home to Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Regarded as the oldest bank in the world, it was founded in 1472.
Basilica di San Domenico
The Basilica di San Domenico was built in the 13th century. This giant red brick Gothic church sits in a valley and is also associated with Santa Caterina da Siena. Frescoes with scenes from the Saint's life can be found inside the Basilica.
Frescoe inside Basilica
Bottini
One other thing you may want to see are the so called "Bottini". They are a system of 25 km-long tunnels that runs just underneath the city and has been used since the 12th Century to bring running water into the houses and fountains (including "Fonte Gaia" in Piazza del Campo) of the city. It is possible to visit the tunnels from spring to autumn if the water is not too high.
Bottini
How to get to Siena
Most travellers visiting Siena will land at the airports in Florence or Pisa. From either city you can easily get trains to Siena. The train station in Siena is located approximately 2 km from Siena's historical centre. There are several buses (numbers 3, 8, 10, 17, 77) leaving regularly from the station to Piazza del Sale and viceversa.
Important
Please remember that if you are using the train service, you must validate your ticket before boarding the train by using the yellow machines on the platform or in the railway station.
Places nearby
San Gimignano in the Chianti hills is famous for its medieval towers and has been declared by UNESCO part of the World's Architectural Heritage. The whole area is famous in the world for its fine wines like Chianti and Montalcino and a visit to local wineries is highly recommended.
Nearby Cities