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Sapori Tipici Toscani
Sapori Tipici Toscani
Sapori Tipici Toscani
Sapori Tipici Toscani

Via di Città (formerly Via Galgaria), Siena’s Most Elegant Street

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Just as Siena is built on three hills of tufaceous rock, it’s urban layout is divided by three main streets. The city’s main crossroads was once known as the triventum, along the Via Francigena, with the Croce del Travaglio marking the intersection between Banchi di Sotto, Banchi di Sopra and Via di Città.

The most elegant and stately of the three streets, Via di Città è was formerly known as Via Galgaria on account of the abundance of shoemakers that worked along it. It leads to the top of one of the three hills on which Siena stands, to a quarter that developed particularly during the late Middle Ages. As the street rises, gently curving, the visitor can admire some of the most beautiful views over the city, towards the Costarella dei Barbieri, the Torre del Mangia or the Chiasso del Bargello.

Among the fine patrician town houses that line Via di Città there is the 14th century Palazzo Patrizi, seat of the Accademia degli Intronati that was founded in 1525. A little further on is Palazzo Marescotti, which passed to the Piccolomini-Mandoli in the 16th century and successively to the Saracini in the 18th century. In 1877 the building became Palazzo Chigi-Saracini and today it houses the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. Palazzo Piccolomini, known as the Palazzo delle Papesse, is a little further up to the right – a marvellous example of Florentine Renaissance architecture that now houses a contemporary arts centre. Almost immediately after, as a marked contrast, Palazzo Marsili was built in 1444 and is in the typical style of this period, even with its later gothic additions.

Via di Città leads to a crossing known as the Quattro Cantoni, right in the heart of the Contrada dell’Aquila area of town and the meeting point of the main streets in the Terzo di Città district. In the 15th and 16th century this square was where Siena society met, until the Loggia della Mercanzia began to be used and was consequently dubbed ‘Casin dé Nobili’.
From this point there is a fine view of the Duomo, at the other end of the broad Via del Capitano del Popolo, dominated by the imposing Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo.
 

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  General information
Town map 
Siena in the Renaissance 
Siena in the Middle Ages 
Siena in Antiquity 

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Map of Hotels in Siena 
Town Map Siena 

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Siena University 
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Palazzo Piccolomini and Palazzo delle Papesse 
Palazzo Chigi-Saracini 
Palazzo d’Elci degli Alessi 
Loggia della Mercanzia 
Palazzo Sansedoni 
Palazzo Chigi-Zondadari 
Fonte Gaia fountain 
Carthusian Monastery of Pontignano  
Forte di Santa Barbara 

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Church of Sant’Agostino 
The Duomo – The Cathedral of the Assunta 
Church of the Osservanza  
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Church of San Francesco 
Short Biography of St Catherine of Siena  
St Catherine Sanctuary 
Church of S. Niccolò al Carmine 

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Via di Città (formerly Via Galgaria), Siena’s Most Elegant Street 
Croce del Travaglio Place 
From Piazza del Campo to the Duomo Along Via di Città 
The Curves of Piazza del Campo 
Costarella dei Barbieri street 
Borgo d’Ovile 
The Terzo of Camollia – main streets 
Casato di Sopra e Casato di Sotto 
Terzo di San Martino district  
The Terzo di Città District - Via Stalloreggi, Via San Quirico 
The Terzo di Città District – The Pinacoteca Nazionale 

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Wedding in Siena 
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San Casciano dei Bagni 
Chianciano Terme 
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The Countryside around Siena and its Thermal Water Springs 

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Montalcino and the Land of Brunello 
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Castellina in Chianti and the Via Chiantigiana Towards Siena 
Siena and Southern Chianti - from the Castle of Montalto to the Castle of Brolio and on to the Castle of Meleto 
The Chianti Hills - Monte Calvo, Monte Luco and Monte San Michele 
Cortona and the Valdichiana 
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