The Italian city of Siena has been the eternal rival of Florence since medieval times. Home to artists like Duccio and mystics like Catalina or Bernardino de Siena, it is the place in Tuscany that most overshadows the capital of the region. Two piazzas of this earthy city that gives its name to the sienna color symbolize the eternal poles of power. One is the Piazza del Duomo, on top of a hill, a reflection of the power of the Church; and the other, that of Campo, below, redoubt of the power of the people.
1. Unmissable Duomo
Siena’s Duomo is one of the most spectacular Gothic cathedrals in Italy (1136-1382), and would have been the largest in Christendom had the transept been completed. In a characteristic Gothic style, alternating stripes of black and white stone, its façade was decorated with statues by Giovanni Pisano, who also worked with his father, Nicola, on the octagonal pulpit. Inside is the Piccolomini Library (1509), with Renaissance frescoes. The crypt and the baptistery, which also house masterpieces, have independent access.
2. Art in the Museo dell’Opera
It is housed in a covered nave of the projected and grandiose transept, unfinished because of a plague that devastated the town. In that wing is the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which houses the “bearded” or original prophets on the façade (copies are included in this one) and an excellent sample of paintings from the school sienese. stands out La Maesta by Duccio, a masterpiece of art history. The Panorama viewpoint has been installed on the roof, a terrace from which you can take in all of Siena with a drink in your hand.
Bulletin
The best recommendations for travel, every week in your inbox
RECEIVE THEM
3. Ospedale di Santa Maria
The Tuscan city was an important milestone on the Via Francigena or French Way of pilgrims to Rome. A hospital, the Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala, was built for them in front of the cathedral. Now this is a modern museum complex. In the so-called Pellegrinaio room, large frescoes recall the care with which pilgrims were treated. The Siena Archaeological Museum is located in the basement, and in other rooms there are Renaissance statues by the Italian artist Jacopo della Quercia and paintings or frescoes by local artists.
4. In Piazza del Campo
They say that this is one of the most beautiful squares in the world, in the shape of a shell or fan on an inclined plane. Divided into nine segments by the Consiglio dei Nove (or bourgeois government council), its front is closed by the Palazzo Pubblico, with the Torre del Mangia. In the upper part of Piazza del Campo, the monumental Fonte Gaia by Jacopo della Quercia (copy of the original) refreshes pigeons and tourists, who can accommodate themselves in the terraces and cafes that surround the space.
5. Palazzo and Torre del Mangia
On one side of the Palazzo Pubblico—which is still Siena’s City Hall—rises the stylized 102-meter-tall Torre del Mangia. Inside the Gothic palace (1342), in addition to the Town Hall, is the Civic Museum, where Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s allegorical frescoes on the effects of good and bad government stand out, and an enormous Maesta by Simone Martini. The Loggia dei Nove is a balcony that allows privileged views of the Sienese countryside.
![Panoramic view of Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia in Siena.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/5bpXeAN6_tUheJ7D8SqvBWEJxq8=/414x0/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/XGZPXNQG3RDPXEKYBZZ34VPR54.jpg)
6. The Palio party
In Piazza del Campo, the Palio race is held, which lasts just 80 or 90 seconds and in which 10 riders, representing 10 against or historic neighborhoods, fight to win and take possession of the precious Palio, a banner of the Virgin. But the festival of the Palio di Siena is not limited to the two days (July 2 and August 16) in which the race is celebrated and a day of festivities, with colorful parades in period costumes of the against participants, but it is a reference that permeates the life of the Tuscan city during the rest of the year.
7. Have fun on Via di Città
The street that surrounds Piazza del Campo on the outside is Via di Città, the main artery of the historic center of Siena. Numerous restaurants, cafes, gelateria and shops where you can try or buy local products: among others, the famous Chianti wine, whose vineyards extend to the south of the Italian city. At the end of this street is also the Palazzo Chigi-Saracini, an architectural jewel from the mid-12th century that is now a museum and headquarters of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana.
8. Food and antiques in the market
Behind the Palazzo Pubblico opens the Piazza del Mercato, where markets have been held since medieval times. In its center is a lodge known as Tartarugone (because of the roof that resembles the shell of a turtle), where on Sundays they continue to set up food stalls, and also (one Sunday a month) for antiques. In its surroundings there are good restaurants, trattoria and osterieand stores where you can buy local products such as pici (pasta), pecorino cheese or chianti wine.
Subscribe here to newsletter of The Traveler and find inspiration for your next trips in our accounts Facebook, Twitter and instagram.
#illustrated #map #Siena #essential #squares #Duomo #Campo