Must-see attractions in Siena

  • Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church, now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, completed between 1215 and 1263, Siena, Italy; Shutterstock ID 1027666891; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    Duomo

    Siena

    Consecrated on the former site of a Roman temple in 1179 and constructed over the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena's majestic duomo (cathedral) showcases…

  • Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy - stock photo
Pictured is the Torre del Mangia and town hall building which also houses the Museo Civico

    Museo Civico

    Siena

    Entered via the Palazzo Pubblico's Cortile del Podestà (Courtyard of the Chief Magistrate), this wonderful museum showcases rooms richly frescoed by…

  • Siena, Italy - 08 01 2017: View of  Piccolomini Library inside Siena Cathedral; Shutterstock ID 1053389615; Your name (First / Last): Anna Tyler; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: destination-image-southern-europe

    Libreria Piccolomini

    Siena

    Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, archbishop of Siena (later Pope Pius III), commissioned the building and decoration of this hall off the north…

  • Pinacoteca Nazionale

    Siena

    Siena's recently renovated art gallery, housed in 14th-century Palazzo Buonsignori since 1932, is home to an extraordinary collection of Gothic…

  • Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Piazza del Campo.

    Piazza del Campo

    Siena

    Popularly known as 'Il Campo', this sloping piazza has been Siena's social centre since being staked out by the ruling Consiglio dei Nove (Council of Nine…

  • Museo dell'Opera

    Siena

    The highlight of this repository of artworks that formerly adorned the duomo is undoubtedly Duccio (di Buoninsegna)'s striking Maestà (1308–11), which was…

  • Battistero di San Giovanni

    Siena

    The baptistry is lined with 15th-century frescoes and centres around a hexagonal marble font by Jacopo della Quercia, decorated with bronze panels…

  • St Catherine of Siena's incorrupt head, marble altar by Giovanni di Stefano, 1469, interior of Basilica of San Domenico, historic centre of Siena (UNESCO World Heritage List, 1995), Tuscany, Italy

    Basilica Cateriniana di San Domenico

    Siena

    St Catherine was welcomed into the Dominican fold within this huge and austere 13th-century basilica. Inside, the Cappella di Santa Caterina (halfway down…

  • Palazzo Chigi Saracini

    Siena

    Few buildings have pedigrees as splendid as this 13th-century palace. Home of the Piccolomini family (of which Pope Pius II was the most prominent member)…

  • Museo delle Tavolette di Biccherne

    Siena

    Housed in the Renaissance-era Palazzo Piccolomini, Siena's State Archive isn't a usual stop on the standard tourist itinerary, but it provides ample…

  • Palazzo Pubblico

    Siena

    Built to demonstrate the enormous wealth, proud independence and secular nature of Siena, this 14th-century Gothic masterpiece is the visual focal point…

  • Orto Botanico dell'Università

    Siena

    The tranquil terraces of this botanical garden (1856), which is spread over 2.5 hectares of the verdant Sant'Agostino Valley, provide gorgeous views…

  • Porta del Cielo

    Siena

    To enjoy spectacular bird's-eye views of the interior and exterior of Siena's cathedral, buy a ticket for the 'Gate of Heaven' escorted tour up, into and…

  • Cripta

    Siena

    Remarkably, this vaulted space under the duomo's pulpit was totally filled with debris in the late 1300s and was only excavated and restored in 1999…

  • Torre del Mangia

    Siena

    Completed in 1348, this 87m-high red-brick-and-travertine bell tower commands magnificent views from its highest levels. Its name (The Tower of Eater)…

  • Oratorio di San Bernardino

    Siena

    Nestled in the shadow of the huge Gothic church of San Francesco, this 15th-century oratory is dedicated to St Bernardino and decorated with Mannerist…

  • Chiesa di San Pietro alla Magione

    Siena

    Serenely beautiful, this Romanesque church was built in the 10th century and used by the Knights Templar in the 12th century. It then passed to the…

  • Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati

    Siena

    Occupying 13th-century buildings once used by the University of Siena, this municipal library was established in the 1750s. Its labyrinthine structure…

  • Sinagoga di Siena

    Siena

    Sheltering behind an anonymous facade, this Ashkenazi synagogue in Siena's former Ghetto once serviced a community of 500. Sadly, a mere 50 Jews now live…

  • Orto de' Pecci

    Siena

    Operated by a social cooperative that gives support and employment to people with disabilities or dependency problems, this urban oasis is home to a small…

  • Panorama del Facciatone

    Siena

    For an unforgettable view of Siena's unique cityscape, head up the 131-step, narrow corkscrew stairway to walk atop the unfinished facade of the Duomo…

  • Palazzo Salimbeni

    Siena

    One of the city's most handsome medieval buildings, this 14th-century Gothic-style fortified palace was built for the Salimbeni family, wealthy Ghibelline…

  • Palazzo Tolomei

    Siena

    This towering Gothic structure with double lancet windows was built in stone between 1205–1212 for the Tolomei family, Guelph bankers. It now houses the…

  • Chiesa di San Martino

    Siena

    The baroque facade of this church dates from 1613, but the church itself is much older, having been constructed in the 12th century. Inside are works by…

  • Museo dell'Acqua

    Siena

    Siena is unusual in that unlike many Tuscan cities, it isn't located next to a watercourse. To compensate, it has a unique historical network of…

  • Casa Santuario di Santa Caterina

    Siena

    St Catherine once lived here with her parents and 24 siblings (locals joke her mother must have been a saint too). Now a pilgrimage site overseen by nuns…

  • Porta Camollia

    Siena

    This 16th-century gate replaced its medieval predecessor, which was the major northern entrance through Siena's medieval city walls. The structure has…

  • Fontebranda

    Siena

    The largest medieval fountain in Siena, Fontebranda was built in the 13th century and features three wide Gothic arches, crenellations and water jets in…

  • Fortezza Medicea

    Siena

    Built by order of Cosimo de' Medici in 1563, this fortified brick castle was decommissioned as a military barracks in the late 18th century and converted…

  • Fonte Gaia

    Siena

    Water first bubbled forth from the Fonte Gaia in the upper part of the Campo in 1346. The fountain's panels are reproductions; the severely weathered…

  • Loggia della Mercanzia

    Siena

    Built between 1417 and 1428, this arched loggia with its distinctive sculptures is located on the Croce del Travaglio, from which the three main roads of…

  • Chiesa di San Cristoforo

    Siena

    Dedicated to the patron saint of travellers and a popular stop on the medieval Via Francigena pilgrims' route, this church dates from the 11th century but…

  • Logge del Papa

    Siena

    This handsome Renaissance style structure next to the Chiesa di San Martino was commissioned by Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini) and built in 1462.

  • Chiesa di Sant'Andrea Apostolo

    Siena

    This 12th-century church was one of the original pilgrim churches along Via Francigena but was heavily reconstructed in the 18th century.

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