The large city in southern Tuscany is one of the best examples of medieval architecture left intact. Its red brick Gothic palaces with their pointed arches transport the visitor immediately to the 13th century, when it was Florence’s great rival. From the famous Piazza del Campo, home to the Palio race each summer, to the winding streets of the medieval center and the impressive marble Duomo, here are our ten must-do experiences in Siena.
Sit in Piazza del Campo
You have to sit on Piazza del Campo in the sun and feel the warmth of the terracotta in your palm. Built in the late 13th century to demonstrate the power of the then-independent republic, this shell-shaped piazza slopes slightly towards the Palazzo Pubblico. It is composed of nine sections, like the nine citizens who ruled the city, and is lined with palaces whose facades give the impression of perfect unity. The Sienese simply call it Piazza because the heart of the Tuscan city has been beating there for 800 years.
to do imagine what the inhabitants must have felt when the Fonte Gaia was opened in the heart of the square, from which flows the drinking water they have been deprived of for centuries.
Meditate in front of Lorenzetti’s frescoes in the Palazzo Pubblico
At the lowest point of Piazza del Campo, the Palazzo Pubblico (Communal Palace) has been the seat of Siena’s government since the Middle Ages. A part of the building has been converted into a museum, which houses masterpieces of primitive Italian art, in particular those of Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, who created the famous fresco. The Allegory and Implications of Good and Bad Governanceis considered one of the first great political paintings in the history of art.
to do climb the 400 steps of the Torre del Mangia, the impressive 102m tall bell tower, for panoramic views of Siena and its countryside (claustrophobes’ refrain).
A walk in the century-old botanical garden
The mining town of Siena has few green spaces within its walls. The old town, however, hides a park of more than 2 hectares belonging to the university. Created in the late 18th century, this romantic garden is designed with terraces of Mediterranean and exotic plants, lakes and groves, as well as a herbarium housing more than 100,000 species, including historic 18th-century specimens used for research : Excursions are available upon request (simus.unisi.it/musei/mb/)
to do Eat pizza in the sun in an old medieval vegetable garden a few steps from Piazza del Campo. orthodepecci.it/
Admire the masterpieces of the School of Siena
Housed in two early Renaissance palaces, Siena’s Pinacoteca Nazionale mainly houses masterpieces from the 13th and 14th centuries, mixing Gothic and Byzantine influences (gold funds). We discover the three main figures of the Sienese school, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers, Pietro and Ambrogio, whose religious works attract the eye (even to the uninitiated) by their elegance of line and refinement of color.
to do don’t miss the sublime Maesta By Duccio di Buonincegna, a genius of Sienese painting from Trecento in the Cathedral Works Museum.
Look at his feet in the Duomo
The city’s iconic monument, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, commonly known as Il Duomo, is one of the largest Gothic churches in Italy. If the white, green and pink polychrome marble facade is gorgeous, then the interior deserves just as much, especially for its pavement. Made entirely of marble marquetry, it depicts religious and profane scenes of incredible beauty. Its realization required the intervention of forty artists over the course of 2 centuries. The entire pavement is only visible between June and October.
to do book an entrance ticket, including access to the ‘door to heaven’, which gives you a bird’s-eye view of the cathedral’s attic pavement.
Choose your contrast
Siena is divided into 17 contracts, which correspond to the medieval division of the city. Each bears the name of an animal, has a coat of arms, a hymn sung especially during the Palio, a patron saint, a fountain, and an opposing contrada. Belonging to the contrada is not folklore, it is determined by birth, which means that every citizen of Siena will have this identity for the rest of their lives, a medieval heritage that is still very much present.
to do Hear stories of rivalry between opposites, especially within couples where the two spouses do not belong to the same spouse.
Vibrate in front of the Palio
The Palio delle Contrade is a horse race held every July 2nd and August 16th in Siena’s Piazza del Campo since the 17th century. The race lasts less than 2 minutes, the time to circle the square three times, less than 1200 meters in total, but it is talked about all year round: the draw of the horse, the starting position, the choice of the rider, the alliance with others. contrast try to win or prevent the victory of the enemy district, bribe the rival rider to sabotage his race…
to do attend the historic procession, the costumed parade that precedes the Palio race. You will be transported to the Middle Ages.
Taste traditional sweets
Siena is famous throughout Tuscany for its delicious pastries (even Florence wouldn’t dare say otherwise). The most famous is the Panforte made with almonds, honey and spices, which is eaten at Christmas. Among the must-try sweets are Ricciarelli, Cavallucci, Copate, which are like hosts filled with roasted almonds dipped in honey…
to do A gourmet stop at Antica Drogheria Manganelli for its juicy Panforte and antique decor.
Walk along the walls of the Fortezza Medicea
Built in the second half of the 16th century by order of Cosimo I de’ Medici, this fortress overlooking the old city was built not to protect the Sienese, but to enslave them. Converted into a green corridor at the end of the 18th century, the castle walls stretch over 1,500 meters, offering a panoramic view of Siena’s palaces and its cathedral.
to do in the summer, come to see a movie or attend a concert in the open-air amphitheater of the Fortezza Medicea.
Hike the Sienese Mountains
Southeast of Siena is a stunning site made up of a series of small clay hills topped by avenues of cypress trees. These are the Sienese mountain ranges, which were already represented in the paintings of the Ducho and Lorenzetti brothers in the 13th century. This lunar valley is punctuated by charming villages such as Chiusure, postcard landscapes such as the S-shaped cypress road and the Strada Leonina above the village of Asciano.
to do bike ride along the bike paths of the Sienese mountain ranges.
Source: Le Figaro
