Siena is with Florence one of the most attractive destinations in the region. City of the famous palio, an equestrian race, it is a unique medieval town located in the heart of the Tuscan lands, between the hills of Chianti, the Val d’Elsa and the hills of the Crete Senesi, where live nearly 54,000 Sienese. […]
You are browsing archives for
Category: Articles about Siena
Things to do and see in Siena
Siena deserves plenty of days to measure its charm. However, it is not a very large city and two days can be enough to bring back beautiful memories. Piazza del Campo is the highlight of the show, an incomparable shell-shaped square surrounded by its medieval palaces, including the Palazzo Pubblico and the tall and beautiful […]
Piazza del Campo in Siena
The Piazza del Campo is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and elegant squares in the world, built between 1293 and 1349. It is the heart of the city of Siena, named after the earlier period when it was a green space for the market. Its beautiful red brick pavement is shaped like a shell […]
Siena Cathedral
The Siena Cathedral dedicated to Assumption of Mary (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta in Italian) stands out for its white and black stones and marble is certainly one of the most amazing and beautiful churches in Italy.It was built from 1136 to 1382 in the historic center of the city. A large nave remained unfinished […]
Palazzo Pubblico in Siena
The most imposing building in Piazza del Campo is the Palazzo Pubblico with the very large tower next to the Torre della Mangia. Also called Communal Palace, it was built between 1297 and 1310 by the Government of the Nine of the Republic of Siena, as their own seat. Today, the town hall still occupies […]
Civic Museum of Siena
The Siena Civic Museum, the Museo Civico, was built in the 1930s on the first and second floors of the Palazzo Pubblico. Its visit (about an hour) is highly recommended, as the museum to be discovered in Siena. It preserves many masterpieces of Sienese art, with particular attention to two remarkable rooms of the Globe […]
Palio di Siena
The Palio of Siena is a famous equestrian race that pits the different districts of the city (called the contrade), whose origins date back to the medieval games, held on 2 July and 16 August. In the past, many Italian municipalities organized such horse competitions, and some have maintained the tradition until today. Historical overview […]
Santa Maria della Scala Hospital
The ancient hospital for pilgrims, Santa Maria della Scala, is home to a vast and rich museum complex in Siena that covers 19,000 m 2. It is an essential step to fully discover the city, located opposite the cathedral. It is considered the third artistic centre of the city after the Cathedral and the Palazzo […]
Fountains and bottini of Siena
In Siena there are some fountains, fed by the bottini, the galleries of a medieval underground aqueduct built from the 12th century. These galleries are 25 km in length, channelling water from seepage from surrounding countryside. The city is built on several hills and is far from the rivers. The galleries of the bottini are […]
Palaces in Siena
The streets of Siena are charming with their splendid palaces, most of them from the Middle Ages, some dating back to the Renaissance. They do not lack elegance with their sobriety, without baroque pomp. The most emblematic of all palaces is located on Palazzo Pubblico, located Piazza del Campo, accompanied by the superb Torre della […]
Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena
The Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena is an important Italian museum, especially for its collection of ” paintings on gold background ” from the 14th and 15th centuries in Siena. It is housed in the Palazzo Buonsignori and Brigidi, inaugurated in 1932. The works bear witness to pictorial art in Siena from the 12th to the […]
Basilica of San Dominico in Siena
The Basilica di San Domenico in Siena, also known as Basilica Cateriniana, is one of the most important churches in the city, with its imposing Gothic architecture and Renaissance works. It is dedicated to Dominique de Guzman, founder of the Dominican order, also very close to Saint Catherine of Siena.It has vast dimensions, 77 meters […]
Saint Catherine Sanctuary in Siena
The Sanctuary of Saint Catherine of Siena (Santuario-Casa di Santa Caterina) is located on Hill San Antonio in Siena, consisting of the old house of the Benincasa, the family of Catherine and her birthplace, with various arcades, churches and chapels. Gantry and galleries The sanctuary is entered by the neoclassical Portico dei Comuni d’Italia (Portico […]
Other churches in Siena
Basilica of Saint Francis in Siena The Basilica of San Francesco di Siena is one of the most important churches in Siena, located on the homonymous square. Between 1228 and 1255, at the request of the Franciscans, a first church in the Romanesque style was built. It was enlarged between 1326 and 1475, giving it […]
Gates and other sights of Siena
This page is dedicated to other interesting places in Siena, including its walls and gates, loggias, the Medici Fortress, some squares and streets of the center. Walls and gates of Siena Siena retains a large part of its medieval walls, with ancient gates, which are often ignored by tourists despite their interest. The perimeter of […]
Tickets and guided tours in Siena
Tickets and proposals for guided tours in Siena, entrance tickets, city tours, with the cathedral complex, Piazza del Campo, excursions in the surrounding area, activities, etc Into the same category
Interactive map of Siena
Carte de Sienne interactive avec les principaux monuments et les lieux secondaires, églises, palais et musées
Hotels and accommodations in Siena
Book now accommodation in Siena, between hotel, rooms and apartments. Hundreds of choices with customer ratings
Short history of Siena
Although it seems that the Etruscans had occupied the territory of Siena, its foundation dates from the time of the emperor Augustus where a Roman colony was established under the name of Siena Julia. The earliest document mentioning the city dates back to 70 AD in the Book IV of the Historiae of Tacitus. He […]
Weather in Siena
The current weather in Siena and the forecast for the next few days, with rainfall, temperatures or air quality. Weather at 5 days in Siena Complete weather forecast in Siena Into the same category
