Things to Do in Siena

 Siena’s central Piazza del Campo is one of the most beautiful and famous squares in Tuscany. This sweeping, shell-shaped space is anchored by the magnificent Palazzo Pubblico (home to the Museo Civico) and soaring Torre del Mangia tower, and hosts the historic Palio di Siena festival each July and August.

The 14th-century Piazza del Campo is the heart of Siena’s historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the medieval town hall and bell tower, the square is home to the Fonte Gaia, a 15th-century white-marble fountain that is both a focal point and meeting place at the top end of the piazza. The square is ringed by late Gothic buildings and palaces, once residences of the most powerful families in Siena and now filled with bustling restaurants and cafés. 

Appreciate the beauty and history of Piazza del Campo by joining a walking or Segway tour of Siena’s historic center. Many small-group and private tours also include skip-the-line access to Siena’s cathedral (Duomo), a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and one of the city’s most impressive sights. Siena is a popular day trip from Florence and Rome, and many tours also include stops in Pisa or San Gimignano.

Piazza del Campo is in the very center of Siena’s old town, and you can walk or take a city bus to the square from the train station. The most convenient way to visit, however, is with a small-group or private tour that includes transportation so you can also explore nearby Tuscan villages.

Home to one of the most famous and popular medieval festivals in Italy, Piazza del Campo is off limits to anyone who hasn’t come specifically to see the biannual Palio, held in July and August. The square offers little shade so is best explored in early morning or late afternoon in summer, or in spring or fall when the temperatures are milder.

Piazza del Campo is one of the most recognized public squares in Italy thanks to the popular Palio di Siena, the historical festival held there each year on one day in July and one day in August. Festivities focus around a bareback horse race among 10 horses and riders representing 10 of the 17 contrade, or historical town districts. The horses race along a track encircling the square surrounded by screaming crowds, and the celebrations also include religious services, pageants, and banquets.

Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) is one Tuscany’s most beautiful churches, second perhaps only to Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore. The magnificent Gothic and Romanesque structure is hard to miss thanks to its tall spires, bold white-and-green stripes, and ornate facade. Inside, the cathedral is equally impressive with works of art by Donatello, Bernini, and Michelangelo.

 

Appreciate Siena Cathedral’s wealth of art and architecture on a guided tour. Skip-the-line entrance tickets grant access to the church, crypt, and baptistry (Battistero di San Giovanni), along with the adjacent Piccolomini Library—frescoed by Pinturicchio—and the Museo dell'Opera. Explore the cathedral complex as part of a city walking tour or on a day trip from Florence to Siena, Pisa, and San Gimignano. Inside the cathedral, highlights include the marble pulpit and floor, numerous statues, and the Chigi and Saint John the Baptist chapels.

 

 

The Cathedral of Siena is on Piazza Duomo in Siena’s pedestrian-only historic center. It can only be reached on foot.

 

Siena's cathedral has a breathtaking graffito floor, one of the most impressive in Italy. There are 56 marble panels of biblical and historical scenes, most hidden behind a protective covering and revealed for just a few weeks each summer. Try to time your visit for this period to view this masterpiece.

 

The cathedral’s construction began in the early 1200s, and after almost a century, Giovanni Pisano, whose style was heavily influenced by his father, Nicola, completed the beautiful facade. Despite an impressive cathedral, Siena's ambitious ruling families decided in the 14th century to double the size of the existing structure into the New Cathedral (Duomo Nuovo). The plague stopped the plan, and today Museo dell'Opera occupies the only nave that was completed. Museo dell'Opera holds many of the cathedral's most important works of art, including Giovanni Pisano’s statues of prophets and philosophers that once adorned the facade and Duccio di Buoninsegna's Maesta. Duccio di Buoninsegna designed the huge rose window, and the gable’s glittering Venetian mosaics were added in the 19th century.

With its lively piazzas, Gothic monuments, and well-preserved city walls, the historic center of Siena is one of Italy’s most impressive medieval cityscapes.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, the old town is an open-air museum of striking historical architecture, including the Piazza del Campo and the Gothic cathedral.

The heart of Siena’s historic center is Piazza del Campo, home to the famous Palio horse races and landmarks such as the medieval Palazzo Pubblico (town hall), Fontana Gaia fountain, and Torre del Mangia tower. Nearby, the marble-fronted Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta, or Duomo di Siena) is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and one of Siena’s most impressive sights. Additional highlights include the Fort of Santa Barbara (Fortezza di Santa Barbara) and Palazzo Salimbeni palace.

Siena’s historic center is best explored on foot as part of a walking tour, and the town is a popular stop on day trips to the Chianti region of Tuscany from Florence and Rome. Tours often include either the city of Pisa or the picturesque villages of San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, and Castellina. Full-day sightseeing itineraries generally include a stop for lunch and wine tasting.

Siena is about 90 minutes directly south of Florence by car or train. The most convenient way to visit is by joining a small-group or private tour that includes transportation so you can also explore nearby Tuscan villages.

Home to one of the most famous and popular medieval festivals in Italy, Siena is either a destination to visit or to avoid during the annual Palio, held in July and August. The town offers little shade so is best explored in spring or fall when the temperatures are milder.

One of the most raucous historical festivals in Italy, the Palio di Siena focuses around a bareback horse race held in Piazza del Campo each year on July 2 and again on August 16. Ten horses and riders representing 10 of the 17 contrade, or historical town districts, race along a track through the screaming crowds for honor and glory. The celebrations also include pageants, banquets, and religious events.

One of the most historically important churches in Siena, the Basilica of San Domenico is famous for another saint: the city’s own Saint Catherine. It was here that Catherine took her vows in 1363 at the age of 15, and the church holds a number of her relics, including her head, thumb, and whip used for self-flagellation.

 

Join a guided tour that takes in the Basilica of San Domenico and other city highlights, including Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Pubblico, and Torre del Mangia. Many Siena walking and Segway tours also include skip-the-line entrance tickets to Siena’s cathedral (Duomo), along with the adjacent Piccolomini Library—frescoed by Pinturicchio—and the Museo dell'Opera. Siena is a popular day trip from Florence, and tours often include stops in Pisa and San Gimignano, as well. 

 

 

The Basilica di San Domenico is on Piazza Domenico on the very edge of Siena’s pedestrian historic center, an easy walk from most other top attractions and the train station. 

 

The Basilica di San Domenico is usually less crowded than Siena’s cathedral, and can be a quiet and cool respite during the peak hours of midday.

 

The Gothic church was built in 1226 on the Camporegio hill and contains a number of important works of art by the Sienese school in addition to St. Catherine’s relics. Of note are a magnificent Majesty (Maestà) by Guido da Siena, frescoes by Francesco Vanni and Pietro Lorenzetti, and the sumptuously decorated chapel dedicated to St. Catherine, where her head and thumb are displayed. The Chapel of the Vaults (Cappella delle Volte) holds a pretty portrait of the saint.

Saint Margaret – Margherita in Italian – was a 13th century Franciscan penitent who died in Cortona, where they erected a church dedicated to her. The church was completed only seven years after Santa Margherita died.

The Basilica di Santa Margherita, also known as the Sanctuary of Santa Margherita, was rebuilt in the 19th century after having undergone some serious modifications in the 18th century. The church we see today bears no resemblance to the original 14th century structure, though some features on the interior were preserved.

The remains of Saint Margaret herself are kept in the basilica, as they have been since it was first built. She lies in a chapel in the left transept, and a wooden cross to which she prayed during her lift is in the altar at the back of the nave.

The pretty Tuscan hill town of Montalcino is about 25 miles southeast of Siena, and perhaps best known for its exceptional Brunello di Montalcino wine.

The founding of Montalcino is closely associated with the nearby Abbey of Sant'Antimo – the monks likely established a church on this hill in the 9th century as they were establishing their monastery. The medieval walls (dating from the 13th century) still surround part of the city, and the 14th century fortress still occupies the summit of the hill. Many of the buildings in Montalcino date from the 13th-14th centuries.

As you might expect from a wine-producing town, many of the slopes of the hills surrounding Montalcino are covered in vineyards. The famous Brunello di Montalcino is made from local sangiovese grapes, and is responsible for much of the economic growth of the town in recent decades. Montalcino and another wine-producing town nearby, Montepulciano, are great day trips in Tuscany for wine lovers.

One of Tuscany’s most beautiful sights, the Abbey of Sant'Antimo (Abbazia di Sant'Antimo) is a 12th-century Romanesque church and monastery set deep in the rolling olive groves outside the hilltown of Montalcino in the Val d'Orcia. The abbey is a popular stop during wine tours or day trips through the Tuscan countryside.

Constructed of cream-colored travertine, the oldest of the abbey’s chapels is believed to have been founded by the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, though its apse, frescoed radial chapels, and cloisters were completed centuries later. The Romanesque facade is carved with figures of the Apostles, while the stately bell tower is decorated in Lombard style. Thanks to its proximity to the Via Francigena pilgrimage route between France and Rome, Sant'Antimo was one of the most powerful Benedictine abbeys in Tuscany before Pope Pius II closed it in 1462. During its deconsecrated years, the church was used as a wine cellar and a cow shed, becoming an active place of worship again only in 1992.

The Sant'Antimo Abbey is a popular stop on day trips to Tuscany from Rome, Florence, and Siena that explore the countryside surrounding Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza, and San Quirico d'Orcia. One-day sightseeing tours generally include lunch with a tasting of local Brunello di Montalcino wine. 

The abbey is near Castelnuovo dell’Abate, 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) south of Montalcino. There is no public transportation directly to the abbey, so the most convenient way to visit is by joining a small-group or private tour that includes transportation.

The abbey is open for visits daily year-round. The Val d'Orcia is particularly beautiful in the late spring and early fall, when the countryside is lush and green. 

The Abbey of Sant'Antimo was once famous for the daily Mass sung in Gregorian chant by the resident Benedictines, but the monks have left the complex and now Mass is exclusively spoken.

 The Museo Civico, housed in Palazzo Pubblico on Piazza del Campo, is one of the most important museums in Siena, with a large collection of frescoes, paintings, and sculptures from the Sienese school and others. The most significant is Ambrogio Lorenzetti's massive 14th-century fresco cycle The Allegory of Good and Bad Government. 

Palazzo del Pubblico has been Siena’s town hall since the 13th century, and its Museo Civico highlights works by the Sienese school. Dating from the late Middle Ages, these paintings and frescoes were some of the first to depict nonreligious themes, including government, justice, and patriotic devotion, in civic buildings. Other museum highlights include Simone Martini's Majesty (Maestà) altarpiece and Taddeo di Bartolo’s Life of the Madonna (Storie della Madonna). 

Siena’s Museo Civico is a top attraction in the city center, so book skip-the-line tickets in advance to avoid a wait. The museum is often included in walking tours of the historical center along with landmarks such as the Piazza del Campo, the Torre del Mangia tower, and Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena). Siena is a popular stop on day trips to the Chianti region of Tuscany from Florence and Rome, which may include stops in Pisa or San Gimignano, as well.

The Museo Civico, in Palazzo del Popolo, is located in Piazza del Campo in the center of Siena. Walk or take a city bus from the train station, or join a small-group or private tour that includes transportation.

The Civic Museum often closes during the annual Palio, held in July and August in Piazza del Campo. Avoid touring the city during these crowded days unless you are specifically interested in participating in this raucous festival. 

One of the most popular historical festivals in Italy is the Palio di Siena, a biannual bareback horse race held in Piazza del Campo on one day in July and one day in August. Ten horses and riders representing 10 of the 17 contrade, or historical town districts, race around the piazza as the crowd cheers. The festival also includes pageants, banquets, and religious events.