Hello friends. While traveling from Italy’s Adriatic coast toward the Ligurian coast, we unexpectedly came across Siena along the way. I suddenly remembered that I had wanted to visit this place for a long time. Our time was very limited. We had about three hours, but we didn’t want to continue our journey without stopping by. We began our visit at Siena’s main square, Piazza del Campo. Right away, there are a few important things to mention. Siena is a small city, but it is incredibly hot. And the city is built on three hills. As a result, when you walk around the historic center, you constantly follow an up-and-down route. Almost nowhere is completely flat, not even this square.
Another interesting feature of the square is its fan-shaped design. I don’t think I’ve seen anything similar elsewhere in Italy. As for history: according to legend, Siena was founded in the 7th century BC by two brothers named Senio and Aschio. They were the sons of Remus, who was killed by Romulus. Fearing the same fate, they fled here, to Etruscan lands. At the time, the Etruscans lived in this region and the city was thus established. For this reason, in the inner courtyard of the Palazzo Pubblico, you can see a statue of the she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus. Remus was a bit less fortunate, Romulus a bit more fortunate and we could say that Senio and Aschio were luckier than both of them.
The name of the city most likely comes from Senio. Why only his name was chosen, I honestly don’t know. By the way, Siena’s coat of arms is also quite interesting. You can see it on the Palazzo Pubblico and it features two colors: black and white. According to legend, Senio and Aschio fled here on two horses, one black and one white. These colors come from that story.
Another striking feature of Siena is that the vast majority of its buildings are made of brick. These bricks are produced from local clay and have a very dark, rich color. In fact the Siena color used in painting takes its name from here. I find that a very interesting detail. The same bricks are also used in the paving of the fan-shaped Piazza del Campo.
As for the Palazzo Pubblico, this is the city hall. Next to the main building stands the Torre del Mangia. The name Mangia comes from the nickname of the first bell ringer who worked here in the 10th century. He was called Mangia Guadagni, meaning the one who eats his wages, because he was very extravagant. Eventually the tower came to be known by his nickname.
The tower is 102 meters tall, exactly the same height as the bell tower of Siena Cathedral. With this the people of the city wanted to symbolize the equality of religious and civic authority.
Another important structure in Piazza del Campo is Fonte Gaia or the Fountain of Joy. This fountain was made by the famous Sienese sculptor Jacopo della Quercia. It symbolizes the joy brought by the arrival of clean water to the square. Even today there is a tap with drinkable water. The fountain is made of marble and features scenes from the Bible. Because it is very valuable, it is fenced off and it is not possible to get very close.
In fact Siena Cathedral alone would be reason enough to come here, because it is really incredible. It is extremely impressive, very beautiful and richly decorated. It is entirely made of marble and carries Siena’s distinctive black-and-white colors. It has a slightly striped appearance and the bell tower in particular stands out with this striped design.
The interior is nothing short of extraordinary. The floor is covered with marble and marble inlay mosaics depicting ancient, biblical and many different scenes. There are countless paintings and stone carvings. The pulpit is almost fantastical, decorated with wood carvings and wooden inlays. It is really a masterpiece and in terms of the richness of what is on display, it can easily compete with, if not surpass, any art museum.
There are many sections inside the cathedral. I was only able to visit the main area. There are also places like the Piccolomini Library and the baptistery, which require a separate ticket or a combined ticket. Since our time was limited, we only had a small taste of Siena Cathedral. Still I can confidently say that it is the city’s biggest highlight.
If the cathedral isn’t enough, directly across from it stands Santa Maria della Scala, a former hospital. Today it serves as a museum, displaying frescoes and various works of art. I didn’t go inside, but it is said to be quite fascinating.
Another interesting point is the structure known as the Facciatone. This is actually an unfinished cathedral façade. The façade was built, but the cathedral itself was never completed up to that point. There is a viewing terrace on it, from which you can see all of Siena. However, due to time constraints, we didn’t go up there either.
Finally we arrived at a place of great importance in Siena’s history: the house and sanctuary of Saint Catherine of Siena. She lived in the 14th century and was born in this house. Today, it is a religious center dedicated to her. Saint Catherine was a nun; she slept very little, ate very little and prayed a great deal. But this is not what made her famous.
One of the most important events of her life was persuading Pope Gregory to return from Avignon to Rome. As you may recall, in the 14th century, Pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon, France, due to security concerns. The papacy remained there for a long time, but according to Saint Catherine, this was not right. Thanks to her persistence, the papacy returned to Rome, what we now know as the Vatican. For this reason, Saint Catherine is held in great reverence.
We saw flags everywhere in the streets. Siena is divided into 17 historic districts called contrade. Each contrada fields its own team for the famous Palio horse races. These races take place in Piazza del Campo and last only about 90 seconds, but they generate incredible excitement among both locals and tourists. They are held twice a year in the summer. The flags you see belong to these racing teams, essentially the supporters groups.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to come to Siena and delve a bit deeper into its history. I hope I’ve managed to convince you. But if possible, come at a cooler time of year, because in summer it really is extremely hot.