The city of Siena, also sometimes spelled Sienna, is set in the hills of Tuscany. It is a colorful town that is dotted with medieval buildings. It is also home to the tallest tower in all of Tuscany and is the home of the Duomo that dazzles all who come to see it. You will find lots of cute shops and lovely places to eat in Siena. The main heart of the city is called Piazza del Campo, which is very famous. It is in Piazza del Campo that Siena hosts annual horse races each summer. The race, called Il Palio, are on bareback horses. During the summer, Siena in Tuscany also is home to an international jazz festival that draws many.
Siena is also noted for its Palazzo Pubblico, which is the home of the city’s government and has been dating back to the 13th Century. You also can climb the Torre del Mangia and catch an amazing view.
Truly, Siena is a town you don’t want to miss. Many feel it’s one of the prettiest in all of Tuscany with a medieval past. From about 1260 to 1348, Siena was one of the richest cities in all of Europe. Many of the buildings in this town date back to this heyday era and now leave modern travelers with a glimpse into a beautiful past and captivating present.
Getting to Siena, Italy is not hard. The Chianti wine region of Tuscany is between Siena and Florence. Siena is about 124 miles just north of Rome and only about 37 miles south of Florence. It’s an easily accessible city by train from Rome, which takes about 3 hours. You can get to Siena from Milan in about 4 hours by train. If you are riding a bus from another city in Tuscany, the buses will take you into Siena’s historic center. Within the walls of the city, traffic is very limited – so be prepared to leave your car outside the walls in a parking lot. But it’s easy to catch a shuttle bus from the parking lots or you can walk if you don’t mind.
If you want to visit Sienna, Italy there are some times you may want to avoid. The most famous event in Siena is called Il Palio de Siena, which takes place on July 2 and August 16 in the Piazza del Campo. This is a Siena, Italy horse race that draws many from afar. It’s very popular and difficult to obtain tickets for the Siena Palio. It’s a very crowded time to come to Siena, so if you aren’t going to the race you may want to avoid it during this time, as the city is very crowded.
