Siena
Siena is one of Italy's most enchanting medieval cities, set on three hills in the heart of Tuscany
Updated 18 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Siena now
The story
The story of Siena
An intact medieval city
Siena preserves, like few others, the appearance and soul of the Middle Ages, when it was a powerful republic rivalling Florence and a crossroads of the Via Francigena. Its historic centre, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a weave of climbing alleys, brick palaces and sudden glimpses of the hills. The city is famous for its school of painting, which with Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti gave rise to one of the highest moments of European Gothic art, still legible in its museums and churches.
Piazza del Campo and the Palio
The beating heart of the city is Piazza del Campo, famous worldwide for its shell shape and the slope that draws the eye towards the Palazzo Pubblico and the soaring Torre del Mangia. Here, twice a year, the Palio is run, the vibrant horse race in which the city's contrade compete in a centuries-old ritual of pride, tradition and passion. Even outside race days, the square remains a meeting place where you can sit and soak up Siena's unique atmosphere.
The Cathedral and art treasures
Siena Cathedral is one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian Gothic, with its black-and-white striped façade, extraordinary inlaid marble floor and the frescoed Piccolomini Library. Beside it, the complex of Santa Maria della Scala, a former hospital now a museum, and the Museo dell'Opera, home to Duccio's Maestà. In the Palazzo Pubblico, the Hall of the Nine holds Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government, among the most celebrated fresco cycles of the Middle Ages.
The contrade and city life
Siena is divided into seventeen contrade, true neighbourhoods with their own symbols, colours and traditions, which mark the lives of residents from birth and culminate in the rivalry of the Palio. Walking around, you come across small fountains, contrada museums and oratories that testify to this deep-rooted identity. The city lives at an authentic pace, among artisan workshops, historic cafés and a community deeply attached to its customs, which make every visit an immersion in a living, shared culture.
Sienese flavours and surroundings
The Sienese confectionery tradition is famous for panforte, ricciarelli and cavallucci, while the cuisine offers pici, cinta senese cured meats and robust country dishes. Siena is also the gateway to some of the most beautiful countryside in Tuscany: the Chianti hills to the north, the Crete Senesi to the east and the Val d'Orcia to the south, a UNESCO Heritage Site, with its villages and cypresses. A land of excellent wines, from Chianti to Brunello di Montalcino, that complete the experience.
Not to be missed
- Piazza del Campo with the Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia
- The Cathedral with its inlaid floor and the Piccolomini Library
- The Allegory of Good and Bad Government in the Palazzo Pubblico
- The Santa Maria della Scala museum complex
- A taste of panforte and ricciarelli in the historic shops
To see
What to see in Siena
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Routes in Siena
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