These races pit the 17 different neighborhoods of Siena against each other. The Duomo di Siena below is absolutely stupendous. The interior is like a museum with its black and white marble pillars, intricate marble floor panels, beautiful renaissances frescos, a huge bronze dome, a sculpture of St.
Peter by Michelangelo. What awed me most are the odd busts of popes lining the cathedral, all looking down at you in an almost menacing manner. The whole cathedral was painted, sculpted, and decorated by the most celebrated Italian artists of that time.
It has amazing views over the countryside. Somehow it still falls under the radar for many visitors to Italy. We loved it, it is full of sights but at the same time feels like a big-sized small town for lack of a better description.
Take your time when you visit the cathedral. The exterior facades are intricately designed and adorned with large, colorful mosaics. Inside, you can see works of art by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Donatello. Visiting the Duomo is almost like visiting an Italian art museum.
This place truly is amazing! In addition to visiting the cathedral, there are several other worthwhile rooms and museums to visit. The Piccolomini Library Biblioteca Piccolomini is filled with vibrant frescoes dating back over years. The Baptistery , also called the Battistero di San Giovanni, contains the baptismal font and frescoes by Lorenzo di Pietro.
Depending on your arrival time, you can line up early to enter the Duomo which opens at am or go first to the Museum and Panorama, which opens earlier, at 10 am. Hours: Duomo and Baptistery: am to 7 pm, reduced hours November through February; Museum and Panorama: 10 am to 7 pm, reduced hours November through February. Website: Click here to get updated hours and pricing. This large, open area is framed by brick buildings, restaurants, and the Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall of Siena. The food tends to be overpriced and mediocre.
In this case, we still recommend it because the setting is phenomenal. Keep in mind that these restaurants are more about the view than the food.
We are saving the better restaurants for dinner tonight. San Paolo Pub. This small pub-style restaurant serves pizza, paninis, and pasta.
Get a seat in the balcony and enjoy the view. Il Bandierino. This restaurant serves pizza and pasta at affordable prices. Osteria La Mossa. This restaurant gets outstanding reviews for its Italian cuisine. It is located on Il Campo, but since you will dine inside of the restaurant, so you will not have a view of Il Campo. However, this is your best option to eat really good food right on Il Campo.
The City Tower is the tall tower that dominates the skyline of Il Campo. From the top you will have a spectacular view over Siena, if not one of the best panoramic views in all of Italy. There are more frescoes to see here as well as a history lesson about the start of secular government in Italy.
The heart of Siena is pedestrian-only, making this city a joy to wander through. End your day with dinner and drinks. Consider one more stroll through the streets of Siena to end the day. Most of the better restaurants are not located near Il Campo, so you will have to walk a short distance to get to some of these places, but it is worth it.
La Taverna di San Guiseppe. This restaurant offers excellent Italian food, a massive wine list, and impeccable service. This is a favorite of the locals and this restaurant has even received one Michelin star. Closed Sundays. Antica Osteria da Divo. This is a fine dining restaurant that also is a favorite in Siena. Crime rates are remarkably low, while well-lit streets and frequent police patrols keep the streets safe.
The largest risk usually occurs from fighting among drunken revelers, while petty crimes such as vandalism do occasionally happen here. That being said, no destination is without its safety risks. Usual common-sense safety rules — such as avoiding unlit streets at night and carrying large amounts of cash — still apply. Siena is also a great base for exploring the rest of Tuscany, making a long weekend the perfect length to fully explore Siena and fit in a trip to a local town or winery, if you fancy it.
Siena is definitely worth a day trip. This small, Tuscan city is home to Piazza del Campo, regarded as one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. The Duomo di Siena, the magnificent gothic-style cathedral that sits in this square, is decorated with medieval artworks from the founding fathers of modern art.
In addition to magnificent art and architecture, Siena is renowned for its culinary delights, winemaking tradition, and rural positioning in the midst of the rolling Tuscan hills. All Algeria Ethiopia Kenya Morocco. All Vietnam Thailand Cambodia Indonesia. Is Dunedin Worth Visiting? All Canada Hawaii Mexico Barbados.
Ultimate Visa Guide. Is Juarez, Mexico Safe? If so, was Siena one of your destinations? Did you like it? If not, would you like to visit Siena? Kemkem Casinelli is a licensed pharmacist and published author of fiction, self-help Ebook and guide to settling in Malta.
She is a freelance writer. Currently based in Spain with her husband and 2 adorable beagles. Their frequent travels and foodie experiences are focused on cultural immersion and discovery which is documented on the blog to inspire.
Find her travel gear suggestions here. Great reasons to visit, indeed! There are definitely a ton of she-wolf statues, she is the symbol of Rome as well Those Romans were everywhere! They got around.. Truffle anything is high on my list. Thanks for the tour. I travel for food too, and feel no shame. I love truffle, as apparently did a lot of people squeezed into that store Thx for this fab post about Siena. So many reasons to visit Siena. Less crowds and affordable leather and truffles!!!
And only an hour from Florence! Definitely some of the very great reasons to visit Siena. We visited Siena several years ago. What sticks in mind are the inlays on the cathedral floor and the wild boar for dinner.
Thanks for all the reminiscences. I would love to go back for the Palio as well. Funny, one of the very top meals ever for me in Italy was a wild boar lunch in Sam Gimignano. Even after all this time, the recollection is vivid. So glad you have great memories as well. I love Siena and would go back in a heartbeat, although not sure I need to climb the tower — again! I love food, but for sure not going to be climbing any more towers anytime soon. I drew the line at the Giralda in Seville..
I like kids, but l love being able to travel when they are back in school We missed out on visiting Siena when we visited Florence, I remember thinking it would have been nice to combine the two. But I will definitely go back to this region, we are in fact planning a trip to Italy in the Spring.
I hope many of the above reasons will still apply? Thank for all your tips. Pretty much all of these would still apply, maybe not the truffle hunting, but definitely you should be able to find them being sold.
I am drooling as l write this because l love it I can say without a doubt that you guys will enjoy it a lot. OMG, you sold me with the food, leather goods and all the tourists spots.
I know right? I sold myself all over again writing it. It is definitely in the top five for me too. I loved your post! It was wonderful to read about Siena in such detail.
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