Siena: Find a holiday apartment between the Palio, art and pici

Siena combines the Palio with medieval architecture, painting, an urban pilgrimage route and local cuisine.

Palio and Piazza del Campo

The traditional races of the Palio di Siena take place every year on 2 July and 16 August in the Campo. Ten of Siena’s 17 contrade take part in the Palio on 2 July. Each participating contrada is assigned a horse by drawing lots from a selection of physically suitable horses. The Palio race consists of three laps around the Piazza del Campo. For planning your trip, the two dates therefore represent a clear cultural focus.

City Walls, Palazzo Pubblico and Cathedral

Siena’s historic centre is surrounded by ancient fortification walls built between the 14th and 16th centuries. They follow the contours of three hills and include bastions, towers and gates. On the Campo, Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico is one of the most important examples of medieval civil Gothic architecture. Siena Cathedral is one of Italy’s most important Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. These buildings give a stay a clear cultural and historical focus.

Art and Water in Siena

The Pinacoteca Nazionale houses the most important collection of paintings from the Sienese school, ranging from the early gold-ground paintings through masterpieces of the Renaissance and Mannerism to the 17th century. The tour of the Pinacoteca Nazionale is complemented by impressive views over Siena’s rooftops. The Museo Civico preserves and exhibits works by important representatives of the Sienese school of painting from the 14th to the 19th century. The Museo dell'Acqua conveys the history of Siena’s system of bottini, fountains and structures that brought water into the city. The visit includes the museum, the Fonte di Pescaia and the associated bottino; it is possible by reservation.

Via Francigena and Crafts

The urban section of the Via Francigena in Siena is a 4-kilometre route within the city walls. It leads from Porta Camollia to Porta Romana and combines the theme of a pilgrimage route with a walk through the city. Sienese craft traditions include working with clay, hand-painted ceramics, restoration, metalworking and artistic wood decoration.

Pici and Cinta Senese

Siena’s osterias serve pici: thick, spaghetti-like noodles made from soft-wheat flour. In Siena, Cinta Senese is used for roasts, ragù and traditional sausage and cured ham products such as salami, rigatino, capocollo, prosciutto and guanciale. When choosing your accommodation, you can take these culinary themes into account alongside art, history and walks.

More destinations for your planning

For further travel planning, you can also access the destinations San Rocco A Pilli, Il Piano, Le Tolfe and Costalpino.

To the higher-level travel overview: Siena.

More travel destinations

More places under the same destination:

Campriano, Fonterutoli, Casole D'elsa, Toiano.