How many nights in siena

This Siena itinerary takes you to Siena's must see sites, historic landmarks, museums, and piazzas. You'll stroll through the pedestrianized historic center, which is a well-preserved burnt orange dream littered with cute cafes and shops. If you want to bask in medieval times, there's no better place than Siena. But first a touch of history.

Like other cities in Tuscany, Siena was first settled by Etruscan tribes during the reign of Rome's first emperor, Augustus. At that time, Siena wasn't near any main roads and wasn't prosperous. But that changed in the s. Siena became a powerful city state. It was a main pilgrimage stop on the way to Rome. It raked in money from manufacturing and banking.

Although Florence gets most of the glory, Siena was a co-equal of Florence in the 14th century, with a flourishing culture of humanism and a progressive democratic government. But in , the Black Death wiped out most of Siena's population.

Everyone was too busy dying to carry on with daily activities. Siena was permanently weakened and conquered by its rival city states. It became a backwater for six centuries. On the upside, Siena's loss became our sightseeing gain. Its obsolescence preserved its medieval architecture and setting. Siena is known for a crazy horse race, the Palio. It's a twice a year celebration held on July 2 and August Siena's gorgeous medieval piazza, Il Campo, is transformed into a medieval race track.

Bleachers are set up. For days, there are processions, medieval rituals, and Palio bands. Then, it's race time. The race is a frantic 3 laps, lasting 90 seconds. There are no rules. It's standing room only. It's important to keep the race dates in mind when planning a visit to Siena. Either you'll want to join the frenzy or, if you're crowd phobic, visit in a different month.

If you only have one precious day in Siena, here's the itinerary you should follow. In an efficient fashion, it takes you through all of Siena's must see sites.

I also give you tips for one of the most important things -- were to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Siena has some wonderful cafes. Now, fueled up, you're ready to explore Siena's Duomo complex, which doesn't open until But you can start with the museum, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, which opens slightly earlier at am.

I explain more about the pass below. The Duomo complex isn't just Siena Cathedral. To see them all -- and you should definitely see them all -- you need the Opa Si Pass.

Otherwise, you'll be turned away when you want to explore beyond the cathedral nave and altars. Siena Cathedral is one of Europe's most beautiful churches, especially for lovers of all things Gothic.

It's the symbol of Siena, clad all over in Siena's trademark white and dark green marble. Consistent with the Gothic ethos that "more is always better," every inch is decorated with marble, mosaics, sculptures, and frescos. When you enter, peering down from above are the busts of popes who reigned from the time of Peter until the 12th century. The exquisite marble floor is paved with bible scenes, allegories, and intricate patterns. The greatest artists of the day contributed master works to Siena Cathedral, including Donatello, Pinturicchio, Ghiberti, Pisano, Michelangelo , and Bernini.

The highlight may be the Piccolomini Library. The fresco-studded library is akin to visiting the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums. The frescos were created by Pinturicchio, who also created the Borgia Apartments in the Vatican Museums. If you opt to visit the museum, you'll see sculptures by Pisano, Donatello, and Bernini, along with a gorgeous rose window.

Plus, the museum is where you'll find the Facciatone viewing platform. I think it provides an even better view than the Tower of Mangia in Il Campo. I've written an extensive guide to the Siena Cathedral complex. Click here to get all the details about these amazing sites. I tell you exactly which masterpieces you can't miss and describe them in detail. It's the heart and soul of Siena. Il Campo is a large open square surrounded by brick buildings, including Siena's pride and joy the Palazzo Pubblico town hall and the Tower of Mangia.

Il Campo fans out from the city hall, like an amphitheater. The square and its buildings are the color of its soil, burnt siena. The square is a perfect place to linger and people watch. Il Campo is like a people friendly stage set. How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers points of interest, hotels, restaurants. You can click the check marks to hide or show layers.

If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each point of interest. If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account.

Siena is the town where my love affair with espresso and cappuccino began. Small coffee shops dot the city streets in abundance here. You can take your pick from one of the many coffee shops in town, or start off at Nannini, a pastry and coffee shop located just a short walk from Il Campo.

If you are arriving in Siena by bus, it is just a 7-minute walk from the bus station at Piazza Gramsci along Via Banchi di Sopra. Italy is filled with gorgeous cathedrals and the Duomo is one of the best.

This church is striped with white and black marble both inside and out, giving it a unique, almost surprising appearance. Like many churches in Europe, it took hundreds of years to build the cathedral. Work began in and over the next years, additions were built and ornate facades were added to the cathedral. In , another massive addition was planned, but the arrival of the Black Death in halted all further construction on the cathedral.

Take your time when you visit the cathedral. The exterior facades are intricately designed and adorned with large, colorful mosaics. Inside, you can see works of art by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Donatello. Visiting the Duomo is almost like visiting an Italian art museum. This place truly is amazing! In addition to visiting the cathedral, there are several other worthwhile rooms and museums to visit.

The Piccolomini Library Biblioteca Piccolomini is filled with vibrant frescoes dating back over years. The Baptistery , also called the Battistero di San Giovanni, contains the baptismal font and frescoes by Lorenzo di Pietro. Depending on your arrival time, you can line up early to enter the Duomo which opens at am or go first to the Museum and Panorama, which opens earlier, at 10 am.

Hours: Duomo and Baptistery: am to 7 pm, reduced hours November through February; Museum and Panorama: 10 am to 7 pm, reduced hours November through February. Website: Click here to get updated hours and pricing. This large, open area is framed by brick buildings, restaurants, and the Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall of Siena. The food tends to be overpriced and mediocre. In this case, we still recommend it because the setting is phenomenal. Keep in mind that these restaurants are more about the view than the food.

We are saving the better restaurants for dinner tonight. San Paolo Pub. This small pub-style restaurant serves pizza, paninis, and pasta. Get a seat in the balcony and enjoy the view. Il Bandierino. This restaurant serves pizza and pasta at affordable prices. Osteria La Mossa. This restaurant gets outstanding reviews for its Italian cuisine. It is located on Il Campo, but since you will dine inside of the restaurant, so you will not have a view of Il Campo.

However, this is your best option to eat really good food right on Il Campo. The City Tower is the tall tower that dominates the skyline of Il Campo. From the top you will have a spectacular view over Siena, if not one of the best panoramic views in all of Italy. There are more frescoes to see here as well as a history lesson about the start of secular government in Italy. The heart of Siena is pedestrian-only, making this city a joy to wander through.

End your day with dinner and drinks. Consider one more stroll through the streets of Siena to end the day. Most of the better restaurants are not located near Il Campo, so you will have to walk a short distance to get to some of these places, but it is worth it. La Taverna di San Guiseppe. This restaurant offers excellent Italian food, a massive wine list, and impeccable service. This is a favorite of the locals and this restaurant has even received one Michelin star. Closed Sundays.

Antica Osteria da Divo. This is a fine dining restaurant that also is a favorite in Siena. We just returned from Italy on Sunday. Spent 4 nights in Siena. I've been to Italy a few times and Siena is one of my favorite towns. At the very least one full day in Siena is required, but more the better. Great food, wine and atmosphere and of course Il Campo.

We stayed at Antica Residenza Cicogna and would highly recommend it. Good location and hosts were very helpful. We did the "Taste of Siena" walk one day through siena-activities. And Siena is also a good base for visiting Tuscan hilltowns via public transport. Personally I was happy with one day in Siena, and I preferred Florence. Everyone is different! If you're thinking of doing one day focusing on Siena and one to take a trip to one or two hill towns, that would probably be a good idea.

We did 3 nights in Siena. Afternoon of our arrival saw the Duomo and soaked up the atmosphere.