What to see in Sienne ?

Siena stopped its clock in the 13th century, and that's precisely what distinguishes it from Florence, 70 kilometres to the north. The city is organised around Piazza del Campo, a brick shell inclined towards the Palazzo Pubblico, where residents gather as much as visitors. Rivalries between the seventeen contrade - these neighbourhoods with fierce identities - still structure daily life, well beyond the Palio run twice yearly.

The best period runs from March to May or September to October, when light is clear and tour buses fewer. Two days are enough to walk through the centro storico - no cars circulate there. Don't plan your stay solely around the Palio: tickets are scarce, prices double and the city becomes pure logistics. Take time to enter the Duomo and look at the marble marquetry floor, often overlooked in favour of the façade.