7/21/2019 10 Things You Must See and Do During Your Stay in Siena

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11 things you must see and do during your stay in Siena

The beauty of Siena can be immediately appreciated when you enter the old city walls. The most memorable sites of

Siena can be visited by foot, while walking through the winding medieval streets. The highlights of Siena are the Piazzadel Campo, then the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia which are all located directly in the centre of the city, or

the lack and white stripes of the famous Siena !uomo and aptistery. Make sure to look up while you are wonderingaround this beautiful city, to look at the clay rooftops, that are typical of Tuscan towns, which make the views of Sienaand the countryside so beautiful. Siena stands unchanged from the middle ages until the present day and walkingthrough its streets is like going back in time in search of a golden age. "n the past, Siena#s architectural style wascommon for many "talian cities, but Siena has been able to preserve it#s charm and medieval look. .

$% Piazza del Campo "n Siena, the Piazza del Campo is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in theworld. The shell&shaped piazza is divided into ' slices, and you can admire the sophisticated shape from the top of thetower del Mangia. Since the $())s this s*uare is the centre of everyday life of Siena and is used as a market place, ameeting point for all the residents of the city during important celebrations, for e+ample, twice a year there is a

medieval bare backed horse race that takes place in the s*uare, called the Palio. The slight slope in the piazza makesthe silhouette of the tower del Mangia with the Palazzo Pubblico even more impressive especially since it is borderedby beautiful and e+traordinary noble houses. t the top center of the piazza, there is the -onte /aia0 one of the mostbeautiful fountains in Siena. The onte /aia was originally carved by 1acopo della 2uercia between $3)' and the $3$',but the fountain there today is a copy.

4%Torre del Mangia "f you suffer from vertigo, you might not want to climb to the top of this tower which is 55meters high, but once you reach the top, there is an e+ceptional view of the city and its surrounding rolling hills. romthe top of the tower, you can see all the city6 The Piazza del Campo, the Cathedral and all the hills of Tuscany that

surrounded the city. The tower#s name comes from /iovanni !uccio, the first keeper of the tower, also known as-mangia&guadagni0 78itterally6 -Money eater0 in "talian, it#s a way to call people who waste their money%, who spent allhis money eating in all of Siena#s taverns. That#s why the tower is called -Torre del mangia0 78itterally6 9ater#s tower%.

(% The Cathedral Tourists usually arrive at the Cathedral 7"l !uomo% after having visited the Piazza del Campo, sothey didn#t e+pect to be surprised again. :obody thinks that there could be anything else as spectacular. ;ell, theywrong. Thereis still the Cathedral with its black and white marble stripes. "t has an elaborate facade and a spectacularinterior as well. This impressive church is dedicated to ermes Trismegist, the life of Moses and the Sacrifice of "efte. "n the left aisle, =ust before

the transept, there#s the Piccolomini 8ibrary, frescoed by Pinturicchio, that in spite of the name it never housed thebooks of the Pope Pio "".1ust beyond the library there is the Piccolomini Chapel, in which there are 3 statues made by Michelangelo 7he workedthere from $?)$ to the $?)3%, his statues decorate the 3 inferior niche of the Chapel. The pulpit re*uires attention aswell6 there are scenes taken from the ible and 1esus# life, and they were sculpted by :icola Pisano.

3% The civic museum in Siena The civic museum in Siena houses one of the most known allegories of the world6the allegory of the /ood and ad /overnment, painted on the walls by mbrogio 8orenzetti. "n $((@ the -/overnmentof the '0 asked 8orenzetti to decorate the room 7where guests were welcomed%, with a fresco representing the idealsthat guided the city and its governors. or the first time in history, an allegoric fresco had a civil sub=ect rather than

religious themes. The result is this allegory that shows how a good or a bad government can decide the well&being orthe corruption of the society. The other great work of art of the Museum is the -Ma=esty0 painted by Simone Martini.The nine#s asked Martini that this work testify the great devotion of Siena#s citizens to the Airgin Mary.

?% San Domenico lthough this church is known as San !omenico, the red brick /othic basilica is also dedicatedto Santa Caterina. She was a local saint who lived nearby in the $3th century and would pray at San !omenico. >errelics are within the basilica in a chapel dedicated to her, but her head7skull%, was sent to Bome after her death Thisbasilica is also one of the largest and most important churches in Siena. "t was built in $44D, e+panded in the $3thcentury, and restored in $?($ after a fire. The Campanile was constructed during the $3th century e+pansion and was

originally much taller.

7/21/2019 10 Things You Must See and Do During Your Stay in Siena

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D% Fortezza Medicea 8ocated on the edge of the historic centre of Siena, la ortezza Medicea is a defensive castleor ortress. part from a few sculptures on its red brick walls, the fortress seems like nothing more than =ust a wall, butfrom above, the citadel has the shape of a four&pointed star. "t was built in $?D$ by the orders of the !uke of lorence,Cosimo " deE Medici, hence its name, primarily to suppress any hopes of independence by Siena after he had recaptured

the city from Spanish rulers.

@% The Enoteca Italiana 8ocated within the walls of the $Dth century ortezza Medicea, and the primary goal of this

government&owned institution is to promote "talian wines.