Siena tour in one day

The beautiful Siena immersed in the heart of Tuscany

Welcome to Siena, the only city in the world to have a shell square, divided into districts and not quarters, with a cathedral whose floor is shown only for a short time a year and where jazz is played.
The historic center of Siena is included by UNESCO in the World Heritage Sites, in it there is the famous Piazza del Campo characterized by having the shape of a shell, inclined like an amphitheater with the Town Hall in the center and all around, like the spectators, houses, restaurants, shops.

 

The Campo square and The Palio

This is the home of the equally famous event of the Palio, an equestrian race of medieval origin during which the city districts challenge each other thanks to their best horse and best jockey. Originally used as a market space, it is one of the greatest creations of medieval town planning. From here the three main city streets branch out, backbones of the Thirds.
The districts of Siena are 17, have very interesting names such as the Wave, the Lupa, the Goose, and represent the historical subdivisions of the city within the medieval walls. A sort of neighborhood. The Palio of Siena takes place twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August. It is only between these two dates that the pavement is fully discovered inside the Cathedral of Siena, on which the theme of “revelation through writing” is represented with the technique of Florentine mosaic and that of graffiti. 

The San Domenico Basilica

Just outside the fourteenth-century walls, between Piazzale San Domenico and Via della Speranza, this Basilica is often the first stop of the guided tours that daily pass through the city. It is one of the most beautiful Gothic churches of Siena, famous above all because the relic head of Saint Catherine, patroness of the city and co-patron of Italy, is preserved here. However, there are also other reasons of fascination: starting with the frescoes of the “Sodoma”, to the century Antonio Bazzi, a disciple of the great Leonardo da Vinci, continuing with the tables by Francesco performed by Giorgio Martini, up to the “Meravigliosa Maesta” by Guido from Siena. A church apparently bare, with a single nave, and yet full of priceless works of art. The view from the outside is also beautiful with the privileged view of the Duomo and the Torre del Mangia.

 

Palazzo Salimbeni

Palazzo Salimbeni is the historic site of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena and the square in which it stands was once occupied by a fortress and its gardens: the Salimbeni fortress.
Over the years the Monte became the most important Tuscan credit institution and economic growth led to urban changes that led to the creation of the current Renaissance square, surrounded by Palazzo Tantucci, Salimbeni and Spannocchi.

 

Loggia della Mercanzia

The very elegant Loggia della Mercanzia is another of the things to see in Siena in one day because it is certainly one of the most obvious symbols of the city’s beauty. The palace is located between Banchi di Sotto and Via di Città and has kept intact over the centuries the niches of its pillars with the five statues of the fifteenth century as well as the valuable stuccos and small frescoes still visible on the upper bays. Today the Loggia is home to the prestigious club of the United States founded in 1657 which represents one of the most exclusive private clubs in the world.

 

The Duomo

The Cathedral – built with the decision of the Grand Council of the Bell from 1339 and then passed through a long process of construction, partial demolition and reconstruction – is a work that attracts more than a million visitors each year from around the world.
A monumental work, in Romanesque-Gothic style, is the best example of Sienese architecture, completely built in black and white marble, according to the most typical dichromy of Tuscan art. The Cathedral preserves within it a series of priceless masterpieces, starting from the magnificent floor, completely executed by the artists combining the techniques of graffiti and the marble salesman.

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Shared Tuscany Day Trip in Siena and San Gimignano with Wine Tasting