VISIT SIENA IN TUSCANY
La Bruciata is ideally suited for a day trip to the beautiful Siena where you can take a guided tour of one the most beloved cities in Tuscany. Below are some suggestions to help you to discover the main attractions of Siena so you can appreciate the charm of a place that has remained intact since the Middle Ages. It’s a city rich in art and traditions, like its strong passion for the Palio—viewing this historic horse race is a unique opportunity to witness how each district celebrates this special Sienese event.
The first wonder to observe is the Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful squares in Tuscany recognizable by its shell-shape and surrounded by beautiful buildings including the Town Hall and the Torre del Mangia. At over eighty-seven meters high, from the Torre del Mangia you can enjoy a spectacular view of Piazza del Campo and the city.
Continuing on to the Piazza del Duomo, you’ll find the Cathedral, the Crypt, the Piccolomini Library and very close to the Baptistery, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and the Santa Maria della Scala museum complex. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta or Siena Cathedral is a wonderful example of a captivating church well-known for its marble façade exterior, and an interior where you can see wonderful works like the statues of Michelangelo, Donatello and Bernini, the pulpit by Nicola Pisano, and the beautiful floor depicting scenes carved in marble. The Crypt is located under the cathedral and preserves extraordinary thirteenth-century frescoes of the Sienese school. Having remained hidden for more than seven centuries and discovered only recently, their colors remain extremely vivid. The Piccolomini Library, impressive for the amount of frescoes executed by Pinturicchio, was built by Pope Pius II to protect all of his manuscripts. From the steps of Piazza San Giovanni you can enter the Baptistery, where you’ll witness frescoes by Sienese artists of the Renaissance as well as the Baptismal Font, a masterpiece in marble, bronze and enamel by Donatello, Jacopo della Quercia and Lorenzo Ghiberti.
Near the Cathedral you can see the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, one of the oldest private museums in Italy which houses works from the Duomo like the fourteenth-century statues of Giovanni Pisano’s original facade of the Duomo, as well as other works including Duccio Buoninsegna, the Golden Rose of Bernini, the Madonna and Child by Donatello and the Crucifix by Pisano.
Opposite the cathedral sits one of the oldest hospitals in Europe: Santa Maria della Scala. In the past it housed the needy as well as travelers along the Via Francigena, while today it is a museum complex that houses art collections from antiquity to modernity.
Happily as all of these monuments are very close together, you will have an opportunity to visit as many as you would like!
Daily tours to Siena (Monday to Saturday at 11:00 am)
It’s a guided tour of two hours that will allow you to experience the most exclusive places in one of the most visited cities of Tuscany. Starting from the beautiful Piazza del Campo, you’ll walk through streets with breathtaking panoramic views, with a guide who will immerse you in the strong traditions of the Sienese, like the celebration of the famous Palio. You’ll then reach the Piazza del Duomo, where you’ll find more of the city’s treasures. The tour also includes entrance for the visit of the Cathedral and the Piccolomini Library located inside. Participating in a tour with a person who knows the city allows you to appreciate and understand the history and traditions connected to Siena. Then, in the afternoon, you will be free to visit the other treasures of the city, buying an inclusive entrance pass that will save you more than 50% off the purchase of individual tickets.
Let us know if you would like more information, we would be very happy to help you explore Siena in one day. In addition to tour information, we have also put together an information booklet for our clients with lots of advice on visiting Siena, where to buy tickets for attractions, as well as restaurant recommendations—we’ve done the work for you so you can relax and enjoy a pleasant trip to this fabulous city in the heart of Tuscany.
