The magnificent Siena, located in the heart of the Tuscany region between the valleys formed by the Arbia, Merse and Elsa rivers and the picturesque hilly landscapes of Chianti, Crete Senesi and Montagnola.
A city of immense charm with a historical and artistic heritage, a pearl of Tuscany where its monumental medieval core stands out with various Renaissance influences where art and history extraordinarily triumph and for all that and more the city of rhe famous Palio in 1995 was awarded with the title of World Heritage Site conferred by UNESCO.
1st Day - Piazza del Campo – Palazzo Pubblico – Cappella di Piazza – Museo Civico – Torre del Mangia – Fonte Gaia – Palazzo Piccolomini – Logge del Papa – Baptistery of San Giovanni – Duomo
Once you are the city centre, I recommend starting the visit from the extraordinary Piazza del Campo, the Sienese living room par excellence where the well-known Palio di Siena takes place annually.
This magnificent sloping square with a shell-like appearance was developed with a surface of red bricks placed in a sort of herringbone alternating with blocks of gray stone, an urban space created in 1347 to commemorate the historic Government of the Nine which was the medieval Sienese administrative body that decided the construction of the Palazzo Pubblico located on the same square.
You can linger in front of this refined building erected between 1297 and 1310 in stone up to the first section of the façade adorned with refined three-light windows and at the top in brick with three beautiful orders of arches.
This magnificent construction was expanded on several occasions consisting of three floors, the second dating from the late 17th century and two wings. You can admire the beautiful crenellated top and a large rose window bearing the monogram of Christ, an image that represents the emblem of San Bernardino.
Moving on the left side of the square is the Chapel of the Square, a wonderful expression of the Tuscan Middle Ages erected between 1352 and 1376 despite being considerably enlarged in 1463 by the architect Antonio Federighi as a thanksgiving for the release of the plague of 1348.
This religious building boasts a beautiful, delineated loggia adorned with statues sculpted in 1377 by Mariano D' Agnolo and which houses the Civic Museum in the attractive Cortile del Podestà.
In this museum complex located in two sections there is the wonderful Sala del Mappamondo which houses incomparable masterpieces by Simone Martini or La Maestà and Guidoriccio da Fogliano and in the famous Sala dei Nove the wonderful frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.
Also of great charm are the Sala della Pace with the allegorical painting of Good and Bad Government by Lorenzetti himself and the Sala del Concistoro which houses the Public Virtues by Domenico Beccafumi.
On the top floor in correspondence with the loggia there are various fragments of the Fonte Gaia, original pieces of the work carried out by Jacopo della Quercia.
The adjacent, imposing Torre del Mangia was built by Francesco and Minuccio di Rinaldo between 1338 and 1348 in brick, probably following a project conceived by their colleague Lupo Memmi.
This slender building, which reaches a height of 120.0 meters , flanked by elegant stately homes, boasts a divine stone belfry. From inside a courtyard you can access the entrance of a staircase consisting of 336 steps and once you reach the highest point of the tower you can enjoy unparalleled views of the entire city, the Sienese valleys and Chianti.
Continuation towards the centre of the square where you will find yourself in front of the wonderful Fonte Gaia, a nineteenth-century copy made by Tito Sarrocchi which represents a faithful reproduction of the original, a masterpiece by the master Jacopo della Quercia made in the shadow of the Palazzo Pubblico.
This extraordinary sculptural work boasts magnificent bas-reliefs executed between niches where the image of the Madonna stands out with the Virtues in its surroundings, making it a splendid frame .
In the nearby Via Banchi di Sotto at number 52 you can admire Palazzo Piccolomini , an architectural masterpiece designed by the architect Bernardo Rossellino and executed by Pierpaolo Porrina in 1469.
This building has a beautiful stone ashlar façade, with two coats of arms of the Piccolomini family and a very refined cornice adorned with the arms of the same dynasty.
The palace was developed in a traditional style linked to the pure Florentine Renaissance with features very similar to the famous Palazzo Rucellai located in Florence built by Leon Battista Alberti. and to the homonymous Palazzo Piccolomini, a Renaissance masterpiece located in Pienza elevated by Bernardo Rossellino.
You can admire the inner courtyard that houses 16th century corbels sculpted by the talented artist Marrina, a building that also houses the State Archives Museum.
Next to it stand the Pope's Loggias built in 1462 at the behest of Pope Pius II, the architect Antonio Federighi built this elegant stone complex where an extraordinary façade stands out with three sinuous arches supported by Corinthian style columns.
Continuation towards Piazza San Giovanni where the Baptistery of San Giovanni stands, a beautiful medieval structure developed between 1326 and 1325 on a rectangular plan with three naves of which the façade remained unfinished according to the original project.
Inside you will be delighted by the magnificent, hexagonal Baptismal Font made by Jacopo della Quercia, a masterpiece of the Sienese Renaissance depicting episodes and scenes of St. John the Baptist developed in gilded bronze panels.
The basin is adorned with statues representing the Virtues starring works such as Justice, Preaching of St. John the Baptist and Prudence by Giovanni da Turino, the Birth of St. John the Baptist executed by Turino di Sano, Faith, Hope and the Banquet of Herod are masterpieces by Donatello, Baptism of Jesus and capture of St. John the Baptist executed by the hand of Lorenzo Ghiberti, Fortezza, opera Goro di Neroccio, Annunciation to Zaccaria by the great Jacopo della Quercia.
Of unparalleled artistic beauty is the ciborium by Donatello and Giovanni da Turino adorned with statues sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia depicting four angels and prophets, a Madonna and Child and St. John the Baptist.
Also of great importance are the beautiful frescoes of the fifteenth century on the vaults and walls made by Vecchietta and restored in the 20th century.
Time for your lunch, remaining in the local gastronomic tradition, I recommend Pappardelle with Hare Sauce or Ribollita among the first courses, second courses to choose between Sliced Beef with Rocket and Chicory or Cinta Senese with a side of Spinach and Baked Carrots.
Afterwards you can reach another vital city hub in a comfortable walk, namely Piazza Duomo, the heart of activities related to art and religion, where stands the beautiful Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption, erected between the 13th and 15th centuries.
Developed on a Latin cross plan and three naves with a superlative polychrome striped marble façade and three extraordinary portals, a masterpiece created by the immense talent of Giovanni Pisano who was also the proponent of the statues of prophets, patriarchs and philosophers that decorate the lower order and the crowning of the Cathedral of Orvieto developed in the upper one.
Lingering in front of the bell tower erected on the foundations of a medieval tower with a black and white striped façade and boasting a floor with marble inlays, you will appreciate the great work where stories from the Bible, the symbols of the Virtues and a bas-relief depicting a Madonna and Child, the work of the great Donatello, are portrayed in refined panels.
Inside the Cathedral you can admire the grandeur of this Cathedral with imposing pillars that support wonderful vaults painted in blue with golden stars, a pictorial masterpiece of Tuscan Gothic, in the transept on the right side the beautiful Chigi Chapel also known as Madonna del Voto built in the second half of the 13th century by the architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini faithful to the school of Guido da Siena, work carried out to honor Pope Alexander VII.
In the main altar you can admire the images of angels made by Francesco and Giorgio Martini and above the fresco located in the apse the beautiful circular window developed according to a project by Duccio elevated tothe oldest work existing in Italy as regards the leaded windows.
Looking at the beautiful floor you will notice the tombstone of Bishop Giovanni Pecci, a masterpiece made by the genius of Donatello as well as the bronze statue by the same Florentine sculptor present in the Chapel of San Giovanni Battista next to the extraordinary frescoes executed by Pinturicchio.
Moving on the left aisle is the Piccolomini Library established in 1495 at the behest of Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini who later became Pope Pius III to preserve the library of his uncle Enea Piccolomini who was also pontiff with the name of Pius II.
The chapel with the marble façade created by Marrina is enlivened by the superlative cycle of frescoes masterfully created by Pinturicchio between 1502 and 1509 depicting stages in the life of Pope Pius II, another fresco of the Tuscan school depicts the coronation of Pius III.
In the centre there is an extraordinary sculptural group representing the Three Graces, Roman reproduction dating from the 3rd century, faithful copy of the Greek original which was bought by Cardinal Piccolomini to embellish the library which also boasts the marvelous illuminated corals made by Liberale da Verona, Sano di Pietro, Girolamo da Cremona and other artists, a masterpiece that belongs to the Spetale of Santa Maria della Scala and to the Cathedral itself.
At the end of the visit, free time for various activities in the beautiful Siena, dinner in a restaurant in the center to continue appreciating the delicious Sienese cuisine and overnight stay in the chosen hotel.
2nd Day - Archbishop's Palace - Museo dell' Opera Metropolitana - Complesso Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala - Palazzo Tolomei - Church of San Cristoforo - Palazzo Salimbeni - Church of Santa Caterina - Fonte Branda
On this second day of sightseeing in Siena I recommend returning to Piazza del Duomo where in its immediate vicinity you can stop in front of the Archbishop's Palace, a building dating back to the 15th century that the citizens wanted to become the Duomo Nuovo.
Its development remained unfinished and in modern times it houses the Museum of the Metropolitan Opera located in what must have been the right nave of the New Cathedral .
This museum center houses rich works of art from the Cathedral, the Baptistery of San Giovanni from the oratories of St. John the Baptist to Death, St. Gennaro and St. John the Baptist as well as masterpieces by Duccio di Boninsegna or the Majesty, an altarpiece depicting the Blessed Agostino Novello by Simone Martini and the Madonna and Child by Jacopo della Quercia.
Through a door that follows the profile of the unfinished façade of the structure you can climb to the top of the building enjoying unforgettable images of the whole of Siena.
In Piazza del Duomo I suggest visiting the fourteenth-century complex of the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala with a long brick and stone façade with mullioned windows and large windows, a hospital founded in the 9th century by Sorone although historical documents attest to its establishment in the 11th century, a medieval building that visibly shows the architectural changes that took place in the 14th century.
The interior boasts splendid frescoed rooms, representations of the best Sienese school of the 1400s, among which particularly interesting is that of the infirmary or Pilgrim, decorated with a wonderful cycle of frescoes dedicated to the history of the hospital, executed mostly by Domenico di Bartolo.
The Church of Santa Maria della Scala or Santissima Annunziata, built in the 13th century is one of the great highlights of the complex, restored in 1466 and today has a nave dominated by an elevated presbytery.
On the main altar stands a bronze statue by Vecchietta dating back to 1476 depicting the Risen Christ.
The chapels of the Madonna, the Manto, the oratories of Santa Maria sotto le Volte and Santa Caterina della Notte are also part of the complex, as well as the National Archaeological Museum which contains in its rooms important archaeological finds from the Palaeolithic, Etruscan and Roman periods, the Museum of Art for Children, the Library, the Photo Library of Giuliano Briganti and the Center of Contemporary Art.
Continuation along Via Banchi di Sopra where you will stop in front of Palazzo Tolomei erected in 1205 on the square of the same name, one of the best expressions of medieval civil architecture existing in Siena.
This two-storey building developed in stone shows a beautiful façade in a fine Gothic style boasting pointed arches and mullioned windows of the highest artistic school, restored starting from 1267 today houses some offices and the headquarters of a bank.
On the same square stands the beautiful Baroque Church of San Cristoforo although of Romanesque origin but radically transformed with a new profile in the 18th century, a structure built with a brick façade where four columns and two statues were placed.
Inside this building with a nave of great importance are the sculptural group by Bartolomeo Mazzuoli which includes the depiction of the Blessed Bernardo Tolomei placed on the main altar and a Madonna and Child next to Saints executed by Girolamo del Pacchia.
On the left side of this religious structure there is a beautiful cloister dating back to the 17th century totally renovated in 1921 and today a space used for exhibitions and exhibitions.
Continuation with Palazzo Salimbeni , a wonderful architectural example of the fourteenth century Sienese located on a fascinating square of the same name that houses the headquarters of the famous Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.
Time for your lunch, I recommend among the first courses to choose between Pici al Cacio e Pepe or Pappa al Pomodoro, second courses to choose between Sienese beef escalopes with Potatoes with Rosemary and Thyme or Pork Steak with Mixed Salad.
After lunch, continuation of the visit by going up the Costa di Sant'Antonio where you can reach the beautiful Church of Santa Caterina which honors the patron saint of Siena which in 1400 was transformed into a Sanctuary and on the course of the same artery you will then find yourself in front of the famous Fonte Branda, the most famous of the sources of Siena.
Known for having been mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the XXX canto of the Inferno, dating back to 1081 but considerably enlarged in the 12th century and entirely rebuilt between 1246 and 1248 by the architect Giovanni di Stefano in brick beautifully adorned with four gargoyles depicting lions and the city coat of arms with three beautiful ogival arches.
The last stop of the day's visit will be dedicated to the wonderful Basilica of San Domenico located on the square of the same name, erected in 1226, largely enlarged in the 14th century with further works that completed the works in 1465.
In the 18th century due to a fire this medieval masterpiece was renovated and the bell tower was lowered to prevent risks of collapse.
Visiting the extraordinary, majestic interior with a nave that preserves superlative artistic treasures starting on the right side where there is the Chapel of the Vaults with a splendid frescoed altar and guarding the portrait of St. Catherine of Siena, a work of the highest school made by Andrea Vanni and also appreciating the magnificent frescoes by Sodoma performed in the Chapel dedicated to the same saint.
Of enormous importance is the high altar which shows two very valuable marble sculptures by Benedetto da Maiano and the tabernacle which houses a reliquary containing the head of St. Catherine.
In correspondence with the left transept is the Chapel of Santa Barbara where the image of the Saint dominates in the midst of other Saints and angels, a beautiful work by Matteo di Giovanni.
Then visit the crypt with three naves with beautiful cross vaults frequently used for concerts thanks to its spectacular acoustics and preserving another portrait of St. Catherine.
At the end of the visit, free time to experience the unique atmosphere of Siena, dinner to taste again the culinary delights of this Tuscan city and overnight stay in the chosen hotel.
3rd Day - Loggia della Mercanzia – Palazzo dei Patrizi – Palazzo Chigi-Saracini – Pinacoteca Nazionale – Church of Sant' Agostino – Palazzo Celsi - Pollini – Court of the Castellare degli Ugurgieri – Church of Santa Maria di Provenzano
On this third day in Siena to complete the visit I recommend going to the Croce del Travaglio with a stop in front of the Loggia della Mercanzia dating back to the 15th century, a structure that recalls the active life of the Sienese merchants in the Middle Ages.
Continuation with the beautiful Palazzo dei Patrizi, another fourteenth-century masterpiece of civil architecture.
Then you will reach Palazzo Chigi – Saracini, a sublime Gothic expression of the city made of bricks and stone at the turn of the 13th and 15th centuries despite being partially modified in the 18th century and restored in the twentieth century.
The façade that follows the sinuous course of the street on which it was erected and embellished by two orders of elegant three-light windows, a structure that in modern times houses the Chigiana Music Academy founded by Count Guido Chigi Saracini in 1932 and preserving the family collection located on the second floor.
Continuation along Via San Pietro where Palazzo Bonsignori stands, home to the National Art Gallery.
Inside are exhibited magnificent artistic masterpieces by Duccio di Boninsegna as the Madonna of the Franciscans, the Little Majesty by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, the Madonna and Child by Simone Martini and a very rich collection of other sublime works of Sienese painting ranging from the 13th to the 17th century containing works by other illustrious artists as Pietro Lorenzetti, Sodoma, Beccafumi and Sassetta alongside many others.
This large collection of works of art is due to the Abbot Giuseppe Ciaccheri who in the late 18th century began the exhibition which was considerably enlarged by the arrival of other valuable pieces from various churches, convents, monasteries and donations such as the Spannocchi Collection of 1977 which boasts various paintings of the Flemish school among which stand out works by the master Dürer.
Afterwards you can visit the Church of Sant' Agostino erected in 1258 and then modified first in the 15th century and then about three hundred years later, a religious seat that was closed to the public in 1982 and then reopened as a museum center.
Inside you will admire in the Piccolomini Chapel the Crucifixion of Christ by Perugino, the Majesty executed by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and in the main altar the Epiphany, a masterpiece by Sodoma.
In front of the church stands Palazzo Celsi-Pollini, also known as Palazzo dei Vescovi, built in 1525 by the architect Baldassarre Peruzzi, considered one of the Renaissance gems of Siena with strong Mannerist influences.
I then recommend visiting one of the most picturesque medieval alleys of the city, Vicolo San Vigilio, a passage that will lead you to the beautiful Corte del Castellare degli Ugurgieri where there is a beautiful Fortezza house
You can continue with the Church of Santa Maria di Provenzano built in 1594 in stone by the architect Flaminio del Turco, with a sober appearance but with very marked lines with a single nave boasting a beautiful octagonal dome.
The Baroque interior boasts beautiful works of art such as the splendid high altar where an image of the Madonna di Provenzano was placed, highly venerated by the citizens to whom the famous Palio is dedicated which is celebrated on July 2nd.
The banner is kept until the eve of the big day and then taken to Piazza del Campo and delivered to the Contrada that wins the tournament, then returning to the church where a solemn "Te Deum" is sung as a symbol of thanksgiving for the victory.
Time for the last lunch in the magnificent Siena with first courses to choose between Frantoiana Soup or Spinach Malfatti with Ricotta and Tomato Sauce, among the second courses you can opt for Fegatelli with Stewed Beans or Brick Chicken with Grilled Vegetables.
Siena is an authentic artistic pearl of Italy, where history and art generate a unique union, a fascinating monumental city that inspires, makes you fall in love with the desire to return and admire its unique treasures again.
Link : https://visitsienaofficial.it/en/
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
Hotel Palazzo di Valli
Palazzo Ravizza
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