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Saturday 7 December 2024
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Siena where to stay

Choose from the full range of lodgings available in Siena and the surrounding area Reservation Services Siena. The best solution to suit your needs: Hotels, Farms & Country Houses, Historic Residences, Bed & Breakfasts, Hostels, Religious Boarding Houses, Campings, Camper Motorhome.
   

Shopping in Siena

Ready to hit the racks, but don't know which neighborhoods are prime Shopping destinations ? Our editors identify Shopping hot spots in Siena and Tuscany - Italy.
 

Siena typical products

Consult our Typical Products section to find out where to get the area's best local produce and make the most of it in your kitchen at home. You can find Wine-Cellars that offer Wine tasting & Wine tour and Oil-Mills that offer Oil tasting.

what to see and do in Siena

Looking for a great way to spend time in Siena? Take a look at our Activities Packages and Experiences section to find out what extra amusements the city and the surrounding area can offer.
 

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Siena - Piazza del Campo


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Siena restaurants

Siena restaurantGet the inside scoop on the full variety of cuisine available in Siena and the surrounding area, from the best local specialities to top international cuisine or just a simple pizza in the Restaurants, Pizzerie, and Restaurants, Pizzerie, and Pubs section.


 

 The Palio of Siena

The Origins
Undoubtedly one of the best known traditional folkloristic events in the world, the Palio of Siena is a religious festival as well as a secular celebration.
 
The July and August Palio
The Palio of Siena takes place twice a year, on July 2nd and August 16th. On very special occasions a third Palio is held, termed straordinario, the first of which took place on June 2nd 1861 to celebrate the newly proclaimed unified Kingdom of Italy.

 
The Contrade
Currently there are 17 Contrade in Siena, considerably reduced from the original 54. Each Contrada is like a small state within the city and manages its own recreational activities, administration, its archives, a museum ...
 
The Days of the Palio
Any visitor to Piazza del Campo during the days preceding a Palio will see the square completely transformed. The entire square is paved with blocks of tufa rock and the track around which the Palio is run is covered with brown earth. Wooden stalls are arranged around the square to seat the authorities and those who have walked in the ceremonial processions. The centre of the square is fenced in to contain the vast crowd that assembles to watch the race.

 

 Sightseeing

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

 
Croce del Travaglio Place
The fulcrum of everyday town life in Siena is Piazza Croce del Travaglio, whose name could derive either from the Medieval practice of erecting barricades made out of beams whenever there was fighting among the city’s factions or from a cross that once stood here pointing the way for pilgrims along the Via Francigena and towards the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala.

 
From Piazza del Campo to the Duomo Along Via di Città
From Piazza del Campo, considered neutral ground by the inhabitants of Siena on account of its location directly between the three hills on which the city stands, Vicolo San Pietro to the right of Fonte Gaia leads to the Croce del Travaglio, the arrival point of the three main streets of Siena: Via Banchi di Sopra, Via Banchi di Sotto and Via di Città.

 
The Curves of Piazza del Campo
As well as being the emblem of Siena, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo is one of the world’s finest Medieval squares. The square features two sharp curves joined by a straight line of buildings.
 

Siena - Colline toscane
SAN GIMIGNANO - With its unmistakable towers that make it easy to spot even from a long way off, the town of San Gimignano has remained virtually intact over the centuries and offers a fascinating insight into what life was in this area in the 13th century. San Gimignano and the surrounding area are also well known for their excellent cuisine and for produce such as cured meats, vegetables preserved under oil, and wine.

 Editor's Choices

Wedding in Siena

 
Golf courses in Siena and Tuscany
Assisi Online What could be better than a golfing holiday? Golf courses in Siena and Tuscany ... Discover the best fairways ... Information, location, timetable, green-fee ...
 
Wedding in Tuscany - Siena area
Wedding in Tuscany - Siena area wedding. The most important day of your life is coming up. You may well have been dreaming of how it could be in the nature, hills or with a beautiful Tuscany sunset in the background.
 
San Casciano dei Bagni
San Casciano dei Bagni - The thermal baths of San Casciano have been known since antiquity, first by the Etruscans and later by the Romans. Archaeological digs have in fact unearthed abundant treasures from this period, such as the carved stone that refers to Triaria, wife of Emperor Vitellius. Under Rome the baths were ....
 

Gift Ideas for traveling
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The Val d’Orcia and Its Main Towns
The fascinating area of Tuscany known as Val d’Orcia is a land rich in flavours and colours. Frequently painted by artists of the Senese School during the Renaissance, the Val d’Orcia has been a favourite haunt for European travellers through the centuries and has been described in the works of many Italian and international writers.
 

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

  Transport in town
Map of Hotels in Siena 
Town Map Siena 

  Transport out of town
Train services 

  Where to Stay
Hotels 
Farm Holidays and Country Houses  
Residence, Apartments 
Bed & Breakfasts 
Historical Residences 

  OFFERS & LAST MINUTE
Reservation Services Siena 
Last Minute Siena 

  Where to eat and drink
Disco Dancing 
Restaurants 
Pubs & Wine Bar 

  Education
Siena University 
University for Foreigners 

  Art and monuments
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 

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

  Museums and galleries
The Museo Civico 
Bologna-Buonsignori museum 
Accademia dei Fisiocritici 
I Musei Senesi 

  Art and tourist attractions
Cappella di Piazza 
The Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia 
Piazza del Campo 
The Montagnola Senese and the Fortified Village of Sovicille 
The Castles of Belcaro and Quattro Torri 


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  The Palio of Siena
The Origins 
The July and August Palio 
The Contrade 
The Days of the Palio 
The Drappellone 
The Eve of the Palio 
The Corteo Storico Procession 
The Race 
The Patron Saint and Oratory of Each Contrada 
Weekly Appointments in each Contrada from April onwards 

  Sightseeing
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 

  What to see & do
Wedding in Siena 
Golf courses in Siena and Tuscany 
Wedding in Tuscany - Siena area 
San Casciano dei Bagni 
Chianciano Terme 
Bagni San Filippo 
Bagno Vignoni 
Rapolano Terme - Baths of San Giovanni and Baths of the Antica Querciolaia 
The Countryside around Siena and its Thermal Water Springs 

  Monte Amiata
Monte Amiata - nature tourism the year round 
SkiPass Monte Amiata 
WebCam sul Monte Amiata 
Meteo Monte Amiata 

  Specials - Out of town
Gift Ideas for traveling 
The Val d’Orcia and Its Main Towns 
Pienza - the old town centre 
Montepulciano - the old town centre 
San Quirico d’Orcia - the old town centre 
Montalcino and the Land of Brunello 
The Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore and the Crete 
The Crete Senesi 
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 
San Gimignano - The old town centre and its major sights 
The Val d’Elsa - Monteriggioni and Colle di Val d’Elsa 
Along the Old Via Francigena 

  Typical products
Typical Tuscan flavours 
Oleum Evo online selling 
Sapori Tipici Italiani buy online now 
il Prosciutto Cotto