September 2, 2024, 4:03 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Which town is the most beautiful in the whole country? Many towns in Tuscany would be worthy of an award. But only two are fighting this competition with any vigor: Florence and Siena. We don’t want to take sides, especially as the decision would be extremely difficult. Just take a look at both cities!
The first thing that strikes you about Siena is the red coloring. This red, which fluctuates between orange and brown, is so typical of Siena that the city was even named after it. “Burnt Siena” and slightly lighter “Natural Siena” are familiar to every amateur painter. These colors can be found everywhere in Siena and are extracted from the soil around the city in Tuscany.
The magnificent cathedral in Siena
One building, however, stands out against the city’s red color. The magnificent cathedral, similarly spectacular to the one in Florence, was built from black and white marble. The enormous Gothic-style building, officially called the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, towers over the city, visible from afar. The cathedral originated from a Romanesque basilica, and this architectural style can still be recognized. The church was built between 1229 and 1263, and the 77-metre-high campanile was completed in 1313. However, the church was never finished. An extension that had been started was abandoned due to a lack of money and a plague epidemic. Some unfinished facades still remind us today that Siena once intended to surpass even St. Peter’s Basilica on St. Peter’s Square in Rome with its “Duomo Nuovo.”
Even if it didn’t succeed, the Sienese cathedral needn’t be shy. The building, one of the great sights in Siena, is magnificent. When you enter, you will not only notice the black and white color changes on the columns but also the marble inlays on the floor that tell stories. The choir stalls from the 16th century and the Piccolomini Library, which was built by the later Pope Pius III and whose ceiling was decorated with magnificent frescoes, are impressive. You should also visit the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Here, for example, you will find the original of the magnificent choir window from the cathedral.
Horse racing in the Piazza del Campo
Probably the most important sight in Siena is the Piazza del Campo with the Palazzo Comunale. This square, which was first mentioned in a document in 1169, served as a market for a long time and was not originally located in the city center. Today, things are different. When the weather is fine, the whole of Siena gathers on the semi-circular, slightly sloping campo with its red brick and lighter travertine paving. And when the legendary horse race “Il Palio” takes place every year in July and August, it becomes a fairground. The race, which is considered one of the toughest in the world, has been held since the Middle Ages. It is still taken extremely seriously by the participants today.
Construction of the Palazzo Comunale on the Piazza del Campo in Siena started in 1297. The 102-meter high tower, the “Torre del Mangia,” was added in the 14th century. In the palace, which is now the town hall, there are several impressive frescoes and lavishly decorated halls. Particularly worth seeing are the Hall of Maps, which has remnants of a world map by Pietro Lorenzetti, and the Hall of the Nine (Sala della Pace).
Pinacoteca and pilgrims’ hospice
Visitors to Siena walk through the Pinacoteca Nazionale with works from the 13th to 16th centuries, admire the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, and pay a visit to the “Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala” pilgrims’ hospice, which houses frescoes and many other works of art.
When strolling through Siena, you should take your time to wander through the narrow streets away from the sights and stop here and there in one of the small stores selling souvenirs, cheese and sausage specialties, sweets, or wine. Here you can try a Chianti Classico or a wine from the province of Siena, such as a Chianti Colli Senesi. If you want to take a break from sightseeing, you will find lovely little restaurants all over Siena. The “Gallo Nero” (Via del Porrione 65) or the Guidoriccio (Via G. Duprè 2, near Piazza del Campo), for example, are well-known.
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(Text: Silke Böttcher)