A Day Trip to Siena.
From winding streets of medieval red brick to the wonky expanse of Piazza del Campo, and the slow pace of Tuscan life… this city captured my heart the moment I arrived.
It was a beautiful spring day as I stepped out of the train station and made my way south along the street towards the city centre, grateful to stretch my legs after a very pleasant 1hr20min journey through the Tuscan countryside from Florence. Ahead of me I could see Porta Camollia, one of the cities gates, inviting me inside the embrace of the city walls. Siena is a medieval city, and its famous walls are almost completely preserved. Once inside, you really do feel like you are stepping back in time as you wind through seemingly untouched streets, of red brick buildings. I didn’t need Google maps as the curved streets seemed to be pulling me towards the heart of the city, the fan shaped Piazza del Campo, famous for its annual horse race.
Everywhere I turned, I was enchanted by the play of light and shadows on the terracotta buildings. I knew I was going to love this city, but I was not prepared for the imprint it has left on my heart. I don’t often return to destinations because there is so much more of the world to see, but something tells me Siena and I will be meeting again in the future.
How to spend a day in Siena.
Duomo di Siena
The Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta, is a stunning Romanesque-Gothic church. Its marble facade literally glitters in the sunlight and is characterised by the striped black and white marble pattern.
I recommend spending a few hours here and purchasing the full entry ticket which gives you access to the cathedral with its sculptures by Michelangelo and Donatello, baptistry, crypt, Piccolomini Library, museum and tower which provides the most spectacular 360 degree views of the city and the Tuscan countryside beyond.
Don’t miss the crypt with its 13th century frescoes and the Oratory of St. Bernardino which showcases Sienese art from the 13th to 18th centuries.
Piazza del Campo
You can’t miss the fan-shaped square at the heart of the city, surrounded by cafes and restaurants. This is the perfect spot to sip on a coffee or Aperol spritz and people watch. Or, follow the lead of the locals and lie down on the red brick floor and take a snooze in the sun (yes, seriously!). Although Siena is a well known favourite for those visiting Italy, it has yet to succumb to all the trappings of tourism, and you will see plenty of local Sienese going about their day. Piazza del Campo is seriously impressive, its bowl like shape makes it feel like you are being embraced by the buildings around you. The famous Palio di Siena horse race takes place here (head twice annually on 2nd July and 16th August), where 10 horses are ridden bareback by representatives from 10 of the 17 “contrade", or areas in which the city is divided.
Palazzo Publico
On one side of the Piazza you will find Palazzo Publico, a gothic town hall and tower. Now housing a museum, I highly recommend visiting as almost every room is decorated with frescoes. They are unusual for their time, as most depict secular subjects rather than religious or political ones. The most famous of which are Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government.
Wander the streets
Siena has an unmistakable identity of its own. You can feel it oozing out of the beautifully intact 15th century streets. There is a slow, unhurried pace to life here and it feels almost like defiance. A cry against the hectic chaos of other Italian cities. You see it in the laundry that is hung from windows and gently blowing in the breeze. In the narrow thoroughfares lined with bakeries, traditional craft shops and fountains on every corner. As you weave closer and closer into to the city, the streets seem to get narrower and darker until suddenly, almost violently, you find yourself thrust into the bright expanse of Piazzo del Campo.
I spent a couple of hours just aimlessly wandering, snapping photographs of doorways and snippets of Sienese life, listening to the chatter of Italian floating on the air from open windows, and admiring the contrast of light and dark.
