Siena

Piazza del Campo

Siena, formerly an imposing rival of Florence, is considered the most beautiful medieval town in Italy and we have the tendency to believe that supposition!

In Siena all the main attractions converge to the magnificent Piazza del Campo. It represents the soul of the city and it is one of the biggest medieval squares in Europe, this plaza is located in the middle of the 17 contrade, or wards which rivalries are stated since 1283, in the most traditional Italian horse race without saddle: the biannual “Palio”. During these festivities the center of the plaza gets completely full of people, while the parade and the race happen around it.

Tower del Mangia

The Piazza del Campo, surrounded by lovely alleys, is big enough to keep us open-mouthed for a reasonable amount of time and that’s what happened to us when we found it!

The Palazzo Pubblico, or the city hall, in front of the plaza is of Gothic style and lodges the Museo Civico and the Tower del Mangia, with 192 meters of height, the second tallest medieval tower in Italy, from which is possible to enjoy a beautiful landscape of the city and the fields of Chianti. At the Piazza we can also observe the Gaia Fountain, decorated with copies of the reliefs of Jacopo della Quercia, from the XIX century.

Duomo

Siena’s Duomo is one of the biggest and most beautiful cathedrals in Italy. It was built between 1136 and 1382, in a Gothic-Romantic style with Pisan influence. It is, by itself, a grand monument that holds an artistic and architectural ensemble.

Among the large variety of treasures the Duomo contains we can find sculptures by Nicola Pisano – panels of the Pulpit, Donatello – Baptismal Font, and Michelangelo – sculptures of the saints Pius, Gregory, among others. The floor is entirely decorated with inlaid scenes, The Slaughter of the Innocents being one of them. The Piccolomini Library has precious frescoes by Pinturicchio showing the life of Pope Pius II. On the side, in an unfinished wing, is the Museum dell’Opera del Duomo. This wing had the purpose to transform this cathedral in the biggest church of the Christendom, but the project did not materialize due to the Plague in 1348, which devastated the population.  With us being passionate with Sacred Art, we can assure that this was one of the most perfect cathedrals we had the privilege to visit.

Another important church with gothic influence in Siena is San Domenico, built in 1226, in the altar of the chapel there’s the head of the city’s patroness, St Catarina, daughter of a merchant, that decided to dedicate herself to God, at the age of eight. The church was built as tribute to her.Siena is one of the most important cities in Tuscany, and it is easy to tell why, it presents us art, culture, charm and mostly an almost unique splendor!

Where to stay
Relais La Costa – Monteriggioni
How to get there
A short train or bus ride from Florence. The best option is to rent a car and be carried away by the charms of Tuscany.

Texts: Cíntia Oliveira | Photos: Flavors & Senses

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One Comment

  1. Posted August 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm | Permalink

    Wow,
    . I was in Tuscany last spring and I visited Chianti, Siena, Florence and San Gimigano.
    I slept in a farmhouse in Colle Val di Elsa with pool and a beautiful garden
    The farmhouse’s name was Pieve di San Martino.The apartments are clean and well and tastefully furnished.From the garden you can enjoy a wonderful landscape in Chianti.

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