Siena: Palio, Art and Tuscan Urban Culture

Siena combines an impressive urban history with art, crafts, regional cuisine and special visitor experiences. If you are looking for accommodation in Siena, you can shape your stay around very different interests: the Palio on the Campo, museums and buildings, a historic section of the Via Francigena or Sienese food culture.

Palio and Urban History on the Campo

The traditional races of the Palio di Siena take place every year on 2 July and 16 August on the Campo. Ten of Siena’s 17 Contrade take part in the Palio on 2 July. Each participating Contrada is assigned a horse by lot from a selection of physically suitable horses. The race itself consists of three laps around Piazza del Campo. These clear rules and the fixed venue make the Palio a particularly tangible part of Siena’s urban culture. Even outside the race days, the city’s architectural history is worth exploring. Siena’s historic centre is surrounded by ancient fortification walls built between the 14th and 16th centuries. The walls follow the contours of three hills and include bastions, towers and gates. The Palazzo Pubblico also stands on the Campo and is considered one of the most important examples of medieval civil Gothic architecture.

Art, the Cathedral and the Via Francigena

For a culturally oriented stay, Siena offers several different collections and buildings. The Pinacoteca Nazionale houses the most important collection of paintings from the Sienese school. Its holdings range from early gold-ground paintings and masterpieces of the Renaissance and Mannerism to works from the 17th century. The tour is complemented by impressive views over Siena’s rooftops. The Museo Civico preserves and exhibits works by important representatives of the Sienese school of painting from the 14th to the 19th century. Siena Cathedral is one of Italy’s most important Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. Those wishing to combine a cultural visit with a historic route can also follow the urban section of the Via Francigena in Siena. It is 4 km long, runs within the city walls and leads from Porta Camollia to Porta Romana.

Water, Crafts and Regional Cuisine

The Museo dell'Acqua presents the history of Siena’s system of bottini, fountains and structures that brought water into the city. The visit includes the museum, the Fonte di Pescaia and the associated bottino. Visiting the Museo dell'Acqua is possible by reservation. In this way, the museum complements the classic art and architecture themes with an insight into Siena’s technical history. Sienese craft traditions include working with clay, hand-painted ceramics, restoration, metalworking and artistic wood decoration. Cuisine is also part of the city’s distinctive character. Siena’s osterias serve Pici, thick spaghetti-like noodles made from soft-wheat flour. Cinta Senese is used in Siena for roasts, ragù and traditional sausages and cured meats such as salami, rigatino, capocollo, prosciutto and guanciale. If you would like to extend your search beyond Siena, you can also check [San Rocco A Pilli](San Rocco A Pilli), [Le Tolfe](Le Tolfe), [Costalpino](Costalpino) and [Il Piano](Il Piano).

To the higher-level travel overview: Siena.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Palio in Siena - Holiday in Tuscany (Italy), Siena - UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tuscany (Italy).

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Mensano, Sovicille.