siena attractions

Along with Florence and Pisa, Siena makes up a trinity of
great Tuscan cities, with its own wealth of amazing history, culture and architecture.
Whether you’re spending your whole holiday at one of our Siena villas or just
paying a fleeting visit to see the sights of this wonderful city, Siena has
plenty to offer. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, here are some of
the landmarks and attractions that have helped make Siena the culturally and historically
important city it has been acknowledged as.

Piazza del Campo

The main square located in the heart of the city, the Piazza
del Campo is best known for being home to the world famous Palio horse races.
These races take place in July and August every year, with bareback riders from
ten of Siena’s 17 districts competing for glory. During the rest of the year,
the Piazza is still just as great to visit, surrounded by beautiful buildings
as well as the Fonte Gaia and grand palazzi signorili (mansion houses).

Siena Cathedral

Welcoming more than a million visitors every year, it’s no
surprise that Siena’s cathedral is so popular – it is home to some of the most
important monuments in Europe. Comprised of the Duomo Vecchio (Old Cathedral)
and the Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral), some of the attractions found within the
cathedral complex include the crypt, baptistery and the Museo dell’Opera.

Biblioteca Piccolomini

The Biblioteca Piccolomini is one of the many parts of
Siena’s cathedral, built in 1492 by the Archbishop of Siena, who later became
Pope Pius III, in order to preserve the vast collection of books and
manuscripts collected by his uncle, Pope Pius II, for future generations.
Painted by Renaissance artists Pinturicchio, Aspertini and a young Raphael, the
interior of the library is truly remarkable, decorated with thousands of
frescoes as well as painted ceilings.

Abbazia di San Galgano



Although technically this abbey lies outside of Siena’s city
walls, making the visit here is certainly well worth the effort. Only its walls
are still standing, though the absence of a roof actually helps to emphasise
the beauty of the architectural structure. The abbey dates back to the 12th
century, and was built in hour of St Galgano, who lived as a hermit on the
abbey’s hillside in the years leading up to his death. Legend has it that he
turned a sword into a cross by driving it through a boulder, and in the abbey’s
rotunda, you can see a corroded sword protruding from a cracked rock in tribute
to this.

Torre del Mangia

Located in the Piazza del Campo alongside many other
attractions, the Torre del Mangia is hard to miss, as it stands over 290 feet
high. Built in 1325 by Minuccio and Francesco di Rinaldo, the tower is just as
impressive to see from the ground as it is from the top, sporting the Chapel of
the Piazza at its base. Its main appeal, however, comes from climbing the
tower’s steps to reap the rewards from the top; fantastic sweeping views looking
out for miles across the city.

Image: Steve
Jurvetson, available under Creative Commons