Discovering Tuscany: Siena

I was planning this trip to Siena for so long time and finally this summer I was able to explore and discover this medieval city situated on hills of Tuscany.

Palazzo Public and its tower, Torre del Mangia | taken from a Wine shop, VINI DI TOSCANA

I arrived at my hotel and after checking in and leaving my stuff I went straight to Siena’s heart: it central piazza known as Il Campo. I was so excited to see this point. The view as expected was huge! It is spectacular, but I was a bit disappointed because it was overcrowded. This square is famous worldwide because the Palio runs here, a horse race around the piazza two times every summer. The Campo is dominated by the red Palazzo Pubblico and its tower, Torre del Mangia. After admiring all the old buildings around the piazza I decided to go and visit the Duomo of Siena.

Duomo of Siena

I visited many spectacular churches here in Italy, but the Duomo of Siena is one of the most beautiful and magnificent impossible to miss when in town. This Gothic building is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The church is full of treasures, but my favorite is the floor decorated with mosaics.

The interior of the cathedral

To visit the cathedral I opted to buy the all-in pass. It costs €13,00 valid for three days. With this ticket you can visit: the Duomo, Libreria, Cripta, Battistero, Museo and Oratorio.

After the Duomo, I had a coffee and a piece of Siena’s famous cake; Panforte.

The Facciatone

A few meters away from the cathedral there is this ruin called Facciatone. I was curios and so excited because on the top there were people! I thought that climbing there I had the possibility to admire the city from the top with 360 view and take great photos. I didn’t waste time so I went to the entrance. Luckily the ticket that I bought to visit the cathedral include also the Facciatone. During the climb I also had the chance to see and discover lots of masterpieces such as paintings and sculptures.

And finally I reached the top of the building! I was speechless! What a beautiful old city, the warm color of the roofs is blending with the Tuscan hills around. These colors are warming my heart.

Il Campo, Palazzo Pubblico, Torre del Manga from the Facciatone

View from the Facciatone

The Duomo from the Facciatone

The staff that was there explained me that the Facciatone is not a ruin. It’s suppose to be an expansion of the cathedral, but due to various difficulties and the plague of 1348, the project was interrupted definitively in 1357.

This is surely one of my favorite parts of my Siena, because aside from the great view that I saw above I also realize that at the end of the day not all unfinished projects are useless! Sometimes they will turn out amazing, offering us a breathtaking panorama.

Coffee bars in front of Battistero

During the night when I was strolling around I decided to go to the hotel and sleep early because if I want to see the landmarks not crowded I need to wake up early and go there when everybody was sleeping.

Palazzo Salimbeni: Monte dei Paschi di Siena Headquarter

So this is the oldest surviving bank in the world: Monte dei Paschi di Siena founded in 1472.

And voila’! Early morning light, empty piazza, no tourists around. It is also nice to see all the locals in a hurry heading to their works and opening their shops.

I highly recommend to all the visitors to pay attention and enjoy the beauty of every little streets they will going through, because I think these “vicoli” make this city fascinating and magical. The shadow and li the light, closing your eyes for a moment with a little bit of imagination will take you to the Middle Age.

Via della Galluzza - Vicolo degli Archi

Red Vespa