Tuscan Excursion Part 3: Exploring Siena
Since Pienza was our base, it allowed us to explore Tuscany and many of its surrounding cities and towns. We heard many great things about Siena, especially during my research for home bases in Tuscany. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, but we pushed on and decided to go on a day trip to Siena especially considering that the temperature was supposed to drop later on in the day.
As a big medieval architecture buff, I was very excited to visit as Siena is one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval cities. Being as dense as it is, the city is perfect for sightseeing and strolling and there are many things to see and activities that you can do that will surely keep you busy for hours.
Things to Do:
Explore Piazza del Campo
Siena’s central Piazza, considered its heart, is known as the Piazza del Campo (Campo Square) and houses many of the cities most well-known landmarks. It is also host to the Palio, a famous horse race (we missed it by a week) that happens around the piazza every summer. The race has been ongoing since the 17th century and is very popular with locales as it’s ingrained in their culture. Have you ever seen Quantum of Solace? If you haven’t you should because A. it’s James Bond and B. The Palio can be seen in the movie.
You’d also be pressed to take a look at the Palazzo Pubblico and its striking tower called Torre del Mangia. As Siena’s most popular landmark, it stands out to me even more for its lovely Gothic-influenced medieval architecture and can be admired from below or up above (if you feel like putting in some leg work). The tower was built in the 14th century was designed to be taller than the tower in Florence purposely.
There’s also the Civic Museum in the palazzo that houses some of the best Sienese paintings.
Venturing outside of the Piazza del Campo and exploring the streets of old Siena is a must to really capture the vibe of this Tuscan hill town.
Siena’s medieval streets with the Basilica of San Domenico looming in the background.
If you’re a fan of this medieval architecture style, then it would amiss to not visit the Duomo di Siena. The extravagant gothic and medieval architecture is really hard not to admire. I was in awe of the Duomo when I saw it. It’s quite a massive structure, but also the details are pretty immaculate. Black and white are symbolically the colors of Siena, which is based on the horses of the city’s founders. This is depicted on the interior and exterior of the Duomo with its white and black marble stripes.
The Duomo di Siena.
Where to Eat:
Since it was a day trip and we only stayed for a few hours, we picked a spot in the piazza that we thought we’d like and ate there. Bar Il Palio sits at a great position in the piazza, so it’s a perfect spot for relaxing and people watching while you’re at it. Their drink menu is vast but of course, the Aperol Spritz’s were flowing as they’re quite tasty and definitely helped to cool down on a hot day. The staff was pleasant, and the carbonara and the chunky salad are two things on the menu that should definitely be tried.
While you're exploring the piazza, you will surely get a sweet tooth. The best treat that comes to mind when in Italy is, of course, gelatos!. It’s tough to miss GROM with its large windows and packed lines. The gelatos were definitely worth the wait though. Be sure to try the crema di grom, the salted caramel and the tiramisu. To die for.
List of Additional Places to Eat in Siena
Where to Stay:
Since Pienza was our home base, and this was a day trip, we did not stay here, but Siena could absolutely serve as a great base for exploring much of Tuscany. There’s lots to see and do and lots of culture to take in. See below for a list of Siena accommodations.
