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| Siena's view from Torre del Mangia |
Siena is
a 53,772
inhabitants city located in the central part of Tuscany and is the capital of the province of Siena, being part of the Via Francigena pilgrimage to Rome. It's one of the most visited cities in Tuscany and in Italy for its historic heritage, its art and museums and its cuisine. Siena's Old Town was placed at UNESCO World Heritage
list in 1995. The city also has 2 universities: University of Siena and Foreigners University of Siena.
How do I arrive to Siena?
Siena is has many different ways to arrive for being the capital city of the province and an important touristic attraction.
- Train: there are trains that link Siena with Florence (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) every hour and 9 daily trains to Grosseto (aprox. 1.5 hours).
- Bus: there are buses from Siena frequently to Monteriggioni (aprox. 25 minutes), Florence (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), 6 daily buses to Montalcino (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), 10 daily buses to San Gimignano (aprox. 1.5 hours), 8 times every day to Arezzo (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) and
four daily buses to Volterra (via Colle di Val d'Elsa, 1.5 hours). There are also routes to other important Italian cities like Perugia (aprox. 1.5 hours), Milan (aprox. 4 hours 15 minutes), Rome (aprox. 3.5 hours), Venice (aprox. 5 hours 30 minutes) or Turin (aprox. 7 hours 15 minutes). From Monteriggioni there are also buses to San Gimignano (aprox. 55 minutes) and to Florence (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes).
- Car:
if you rented a car, Siena is aprox. a 40 minutes journey from San Gimignano, a 50 minutes
journey from Montalcino, more or less 1 hour from Arezzo and Volterra; 1 hour 10
minutes from Grosseto and Florence and 1 hour 45 minutes from Pisa. Outside Tuscany from Siena you can reach Perugia (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes) and Città di Castelo (aprox. 1.5 hours) in Umbria.
History
Siena was first settled (as many other Tuscan hill towns) by the Etruscans, the tribe Saina. Afterwards, in Roman times, here it was built a town called Saena Julia. According to legend Siena was founded by Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus (legendary founder of Rome), when they escaped after Romulus killed their father. Siena didn't prosper under Roman rule (Christianity arrived here in the 4th century AD) but when Lombards arrived, they rerouted some of the ways to Rome (to protect them from Byzantine raids) close to Siena. With this modification Siena did prospered and some aristocratic families came up after Lombards' surrender to Charlemagne (774) and gained power after Matilda of Tuscany death, that meant the disolution of the March of Tuscany and the birth of the Republic of Siena. The Republic of Siena lasted 4 centuries (and whose territories were the current provinces of Siena and Grosseto) till it surrendered to Spain in 1555 (after the Italian War of 1551-1559) and king Philip II ceded it to Florence (owing to his debts with Medici), conforming the Grand Duchy of Tuscany till the 19th century. The last Sienese Republican government resisted in Montalcino until 1559. Since then the city lost importance, only recovered from the 19th century onwards (with the surge of tourism).
Siena's top 7
If you have little or you just don't want to visit all Siena, here's a list of the 7 places and things to do you can't miss here.
- Siena Cathedral.
- Palazzo Pubblico di Siena.
- Piazza del Campo.
- Siena National Picture Gallery.
- St. Maria della Scala Complex.
- Palio di Siena.
- Salimbeni Palace.
What can I visit in Siena?
These are Siena's main attractions:
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| Piazza del Campo and Palazzo Pubblico |
- Palazzo Pubblico di Siena: medieval palazzo (used as town hall) built in 1297 to serve as Republic of Siena's government. Inside it can be found the Museo Civico di Siena (10-19 from Mar to Oct; 10-16 from Nov to Feb; 9€/ 8€ adults/reduced), museum with important frescoes by the Sienese School like The Allegory of Good and Bad Government, Effects of Good Government and Effects of Bad Government, painted by
Ambrogio Lorenzett. They are special because it was unusual for civil authorities to order frescoes. Thereare combined tickets for Museo Civico, Torre del Mangia and St. Maria
della Scala (20€ adults).
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| Façade of duomo di Siena |
Torre del Mangia (10-19 from Mar to Oct; 10-16 from Nov to Feb; 10€/free adults/kids):
14th century tower adjacent to Palazzo Pubblico with the same height as
the Siena Cathedral as a sign of equal amounts of power between church
and state. It has very nice views.- Siena Cathedral (10:30-19 Mon-Sat, 13:30-18 Sun from Mar to Nov; 10:30-17:30 Mon-Sat, 13:30-17:30 Sun from Dec to Feb; 5€/free adults from Mar to Dec/reduced and adutls from Jan to Feb): 13th century duomo that started being built in 1215 and a masterpiece of Italian religious art. During centuries that lasted its construction worked here several reknown artists like Giovanni Pisano (façade), Nicola Pisa (pulpit), Pinturicchio (some frescoes); Michelangelo, Donatello or Bernini (some sculptures). The cathedral has many things to visit like Crypt of the Cathedral (10:30-19 from Apr to Nov; 10:30-17:30 from Dec to Mar; 4€), that were abandoned till 1999 that hid 13th century seccoes; or the beautiful Piccolomini Library. It's very impressing from its outside and its inner part, whose colours are the ones of Siena (black and white).
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| Inner part of duomo di Siena |
- Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (10:30-19 from Apr to Nov; 10:30-17:30 from Dec to Mar; 7€): museum that hosts a collection of works of art that used to be in the cathedral like 12 statues of prophets and philosophers by Giovanni Pisano (that seem distorted because they were designed to be seen from the lower part of the cathedral) or ther outstanding Maestà by Duccio di Buoninsegna. There are combined tickets for all the museums in the cathedral (15€/ 8€ adults from Mar to Dec/reduced and adutls from Jan to Feb) and one that also includes the cathedral's roof (20€).
- Baptistery of St. Giovanni Battista (10:30-19 from Apr to Nov; 10:30-17:30 from Dec to Mar; 4€):
baptistery with frescoes and a baptismal font by Jacopo della Quercia,
decorated with bronze panels by Lorenzo Ghiberti and Donatello.
Faccioatone (10:30-19 from Apr to Nov; 10:30-17:30 from Dec to Mar): tower that gives an impressing view of Siena, included in the entrance to Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
St. Maria della Scala Complex (10-19 from Mar to Oct; 10-17 from Nov to Feb; 9€/ 7€/free adults/reduced/kids under 11): former 13th century pilgrimage hospital whose main room is Pellegrinaio, with 15th century frescoes from Lorenzo Vecchietta, Priamo della Quercia or Domenico di Bartolo. Inside there are some museums, being the most charismatic one the Archeaological Museum of Siena, with pieces such as Etruscan funerary urns or the original statues that Jacopo della Quercia used in Fonte Gaia.
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| Courtyard at Chigi-Saracini Palace |
- Chigi-Saracini Palace (guided tours; 7€/ 5€/free adults/students/kids under 6): Gothic palazzo built by Marescotti family in the 12th century, home of Count Galgano Lucarini Saracini. Since 2004 it hosts the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, a music institute in Siena.
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Siena National Picture Gallery (8:15-19:15 Tue-Sat, 9-13 Sun-Mon; 8€/ 2€ adults/students): magnificent gallery with Gothic works of art of the Sienese School placed in a 14th century palace, Palazzo Buonsignori. Some of the most important masterpieces are Polittico n. 28 by Duccio di Buoninsegna, Madonna col Bambino n. 583 and Pala del Beato Agostino Novello by Simone Martini, Sposalizio mistico di santa Caterina by Michelino da Besozzo, Annunciazione by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Pala del Carmine by Pietro Lorenzetti and Madona dell'Umiltà by Taddeo di Bartolo. Its works are an important contrast to Florence's ones from those years in Renaissance style.
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| Sant'Agostino Church |
- Science Academy's Natural History Museum (9-14 Mon-Fri; free): museum prepared for natural history lovers with geological, zoological, botanical and anatomical collections like the skeleton of a whale.
- Sant'Agostino Church (11-13:30 and 14:30-17:30 Mon-Tue and Thu-Sat, 11-13 and 14-17 Sun; free): 13th century church, restored in 1747 by Luigi Vanvitelli after a devasting fire. Its portico was done by the most important Sienese Neoclassical architect, Agostino Fantastici. It has some masterpieces like Crocifissione by Perugino, Maestà by Ambrogio Lorenzetti or Le Sibile by Luca Signorelli.
- Botanical Gardens at the University of Siena (9:30-18:30 from May to Oct; 10-16 from Nov to Apr; 5€/ 2.50€ adults/ retiree and students): former gardens of the convents that used to be placed in this street that nowadays belong to the University of Siena. It grows plants from all over the world in greenhouses.
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| Loggia del Papa |
- Piccolomini Palace (8-13:45 Mon, Thu-Sat and 8-17:15 Tue-Wed; free): Renaissance-style palazzo built by Bernardo Rossellino for Giacomo and Andrea Piccolomini (nephews of Pope Pius II), being bought and refurbished by the Bank of Italy in 1884. Currently it hosts the State Archive of Siena and has a small museum (guided tours) and a library, among others.
Loggia del Papa: 15th-century Renaissance structure built by the Pope Pius II in his family's honor, whose palace is pretty close (Palazzo Piccolomini).
- Basilica of St. Maria dei Servi (10-13 and 15-18; free): 13th century Romanesque church with important works of art like Coronation of the Virgin altarpiece by Bernardino Fungai and the 13th century painting Madonna del Bordone
by Coppo di Marcovaldo (this last one was painted as his ransom for
being taken prisoner in the Sienese victory in the battle of
Montaperti).
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| St. Maria in Provenzano Collegiate Church |
- Tolomei Palace: 13th century private palazzo that was part of Tolomei family, a Guelph banker banker family. Robert, king of Naples lived here in 1310.
- St. Maria in Provenzano Collegiate Church: Renaissance-Barroque style church built around a 14th century terracota icon of Madonna (that is said to be credited with miracles) and in whose honour Palio di Siena was done.
- Basilica of St. Francesco (7:30-12:15 and 15:30-19; free): 13th century Franciscan convent with some dark legends but extremely rich in work of arts such Martirio di cinque frati francescani by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Crocifissione by Pietro Lorenzetti.
- Oratory of St. Bernardino (10:30-13:30 and 15-17:30 from Mar to Oct; 3€):15th century oratory with Mannerist frecoes by Il Sodoma, Beccafumi or Pacchia. In the upper part you can find Siena Sacred Art Diocesan Museum, museum with some nice works of arts like Madonna del Latte by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
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| Palazzo Salimbeni |
- Salimbeni Palace (3 days every year via guided tour; free): palazzo that belonged to Salimbeni family, a Ghibelline rich family whose enemies were Tolomei family. In the 15th century it was confiscated by the city of Siena and used as toll post and then as headquarters of the oldest bank in the world, Monte dei Paschi di Siena. In its square there's a quare of Sallustio Bandini, inventor of the distance payment system.
- St. Caterina Chapel: chapel built where St. Catherine was born in 1347. You can visit the kitchen oratory and the room where she used to sleep and the Oratory of the Crucifix, where there's the a 12th century wooden crucifix from which the Saint received the stigmata.
- Fontebranda: the most important and famous water fount in Siena, cited by Dante and Boccaccio. It was built in 1193 and used for drinking, for animals and to wash too.
- Basilica of St. Domenico (9-12:30 and 15-19; free): impressive basilica built in 1226 with a lot of works of arts, specially related to St. Catherine, with frecoes by Andrea Vanni or Il Sodoma. Here it has some relics (head) of St. Catherine too, moved from her death place in Rome to Siena.
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| St. Pietro alla Magione Church |
- Medicean Fortress: fortress built in 1560 upon a previous Spanish fort destroyed by the Sienese in 1552.
- St. Pietro alla Magione Church: former hospice built by the Templars in part of the urban tract of the Via Francigena. Later it passed on to the Orde of St. John of Jerusalem and then the Knights of Malta.
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Monteriggioni
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Outside Siena, 20 km northwest, it can be visited the picturesque town of Monteriggioni (9,921 inhabitants).
The town is very small and walkable and it's very recommended to walk
without any concrete direction, discovering all Monteriggioni. One of
the most interesting things is to walk along Monteriggioni Walls (9:30-13:30 and 14:00-19:30 from Jul to Sep; 4€/ 2.50€/ free adults/ reduced/ kids under 8),
from where getting nice views of Chianti region and the Elsa Valley and
views of Monteriggioni itself. They were built by Siena in the 13th century to protect itself from Florence and were partially rebuilt in the 19th century. Its entrance includes a ticket to Monteriggioni Armour Museum,
a small museum dedicated to medieval weaponry that has copies of chain
mail, helmets and weapons that the visitor can try on. On its main
square, Piazza Roma, it can be found the oldest church in town, St. Maria Church.
It was built in the 13th century and is the building that best
preserves the medieval features. It's façade is quite simple but the
interior, renovated in modern times, has plastered walls and domed
vaults, as well as a 17th century painting of the Madonna and Rosary. Close to the town there's Sts. Salvatore e Cirino Abbey (9-13 Mon, 9-13 and 15-18 Sat-Sun from Jun to Aug; free), a former Cistercian monastery in Romanesque style from the mid-12th century that used to be surrounded by swamps till the 18th century. Its church has a 14th century fresco by Taddeo di Bartolo and a triptych by Sano di Pietro as main highlights. St. Quirino is buried here in an Etruscan tomb. It's located in the village of Abbadia a Isola.  |
Ruins of St. Galgano Abbey
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Driving 45 km southwest from Siena towards Massa Marittima it can be visited the Ruins of St. Galgano Abbey (9-19 from May to Sep; 9-17:30 from Oct to Apr, 2€/ 1€ adults/ reduced), remains of a Cistercian abbey from the 13th century that used to be one of the most important Gothic structures in whole Italy. Nowadays its high arcs and perfectly preserved walls make it a very photogenic place. Here it's also placed Monte Siepi Chapel, a chapel with some bad preserved frescoes from Ambrogio Lorenzetti that show the life of the soldier and St. Galgano's life (he lived as hermit here some years till he died).
Where can I eat in Siena?
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| Traditional sweets of Siena |
Siena has several typical dishes like chianina steaks, cinta sense (traditional salami) and several sweets like panforte (traditional chewy dessert containing fruits and nuts), ricciarelli (traditional biscuit) and cavallucci (Christmas pastry prepared with anise, almonds, candied fruits, coriander and flour). In case your budget is reduced you can enjoy tasty food for not much in Morbidi (Vicolo Vallepiatta 10) or Consorzio Agrario di Siena (Via Pianigiani 9). The city has a wide culinary offers for higher prices like Enoteca I Terzi (Via dei Termini 7), Nonna Gina (Pian dei Mantellini 2), Compagnia dei Vinattieri (Via delle Terme 79), Grotta Santa Caterina da Baggoga (Via della Galluzza 26) or Tre Cristi (Vicolo di Provenzano 1). To eat a gelato some good ideas are Grom (Via Banchi di Sopra 11) or Gelateria Kopakabana (Via dei Rossi 52).
There are also very recommended places to have a drink out such as the cafe Torrefazione Fiorella (Via di Città 13) or Bar Il Palio (Piazza del Campo 47).
There are some places to buy some food like Panificio Il Magnifico (Via dei Pellegrini 27), to buy the ceramic shop Il Pelicano (Via Diacceto 17a) and Wedneday's market at Medicean Fortress.
If you go to Monteriggioni it's a good idea eating at the Tuscan traditional restuarants Bar dell'Orso (Via Cassia Nord 23) and Antico Travaglio (Piazza Roma 6a).
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Banknotemaniac
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