🇮🇹 Italy · Places to discover
What to see in Sienne ?
23 places curated by Hozy - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities. Click to discover each address in detail.
Sienne a arrêté son horloge au XIIIe siècle, et c'est précisément ce qui la distingue de Florence, à 70 kilomètres au nord. La ville s'organise autour de la Piazza del Campo, une coquille de brique inclinée vers le Palazzo Pubblico, où les habitants se retrouvent autant que les visiteurs. Les rivalités entre les dix-sept contrade - ces quartiers aux identités farouches - structurent encore la vie quotidienne, bien au-delà du Palio couru deux fois par an.
La meilleure période va de mars à mai ou de septembre à octobre, quand la lumière est franche et les cars de touristes moins nombreux. Deux jours suffisent pour parcourir le centro storico à pied - aucune voiture n'y circule. Évitez de planifier votre séjour uniquement autour du Palio : les billets sont rares, les prix doublent et la ville se transforme en logistique pure. Prenez le temps d'entrer dans le Duomo pour regarder le sol en marqueterie de marbre, souvent négligé au profit de la façade.
Landmarks & heritage (10)
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Piazza del Campo
One of the finest medieval squares in Europe, shell-shaped and sloping towards the Torre del Mangia. Each year in July and August, the Palio sets the city's heart racing.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Basilica di San Domenico
Imposing Gothic basilica dominating the city from the Camporegio hill, housing relics of Saint Catherine of Siena. The view of the cathedral from the esplanade is one of the city's most photographed vistas.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Battistero di San Giovanni
Gothic baptistery situated beneath the cathedral's apse, housing a bronze baptismal font decorated with reliefs by Donatello, Ghiberti and Jacopo della Quercia. Often overlooked by hurried tourists.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena
Housed in Palazzo Buonsignori, this art gallery traces the Sienese school from the 13th to 15th century with works by Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers. A journey through Italian Gothic painting often overlooked by tourists.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
Gothic-Romanesque masterpiece with striking bicoloured marble façades, featuring a unique world-class mosaic floor and the Piccolomini Library with frescoes by Pinturicchio. Absolutely worth seeing from the interior.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SALandmark
Fortezza Medicea di Santa Barbara
16th-century fortress built by Cosimo I de' Medici after the conquest of Siena, now transformed into a cultural space and public garden. The Enoteca Italiana here offers an exceptional selection of Tuscan wines.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Museo Civico del Palazzo Pubblico
Housing Ambrogio Lorenzetti's frescoes on Good and Bad Government, this is one of the most important secular pictorial cycles of European Middle Ages. Essential for anyone interested in Sienese art.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Santuario e Casa di Santa Caterina
Birthplace of Saint Catherine of Siena transformed into a sanctuary in the 15th century, featuring chapels adorned with frescoes by Sodoma. An authentic place of contemplation away from the crowds.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SALandmark
Santa Maria della Scala Museum Complex
Medieval former hospital from the 11th century converted into a museum, featuring frescoes from the Pellegrinaio and striking archaeological collections. One of Tuscany's most underestimated museums.
Landmark
Via di Città and Banchi di Sopra – Gothic Palaces
The two main thoroughfares of the historic centre are lined with Sienese Gothic palaces from the 13th–14th centuries such as Palazzo Chigi-Saracini and Palazzo Tolomei. An architectural walk best done early in the morning.
Nature & parks (2)
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SANature
Siena Ramparts Walk – Lizza
A stroll along the medieval ramparts and Lizza gardens, frequented by Sienese residents from morning to evening. Ideal for observing local life away from the tourist circuits.
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SANature
Botanical Garden of the University of Siena
University botanical garden founded in 1784, nestled in a quiet valley below the city walls. A peaceful haven with historic greenhouses and medicinal plants cultivated for centuries.
Viewpoints (4)
Wikipedia (en) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Torre del Mangia
The 102-metre tower dominating Piazza del Campo offers a 360° panorama over Siena's rooftops and Tuscan hills. A climb of 400 steps; booking is advised.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAViewpoint
Porta Romana and Viale Vittorio Emanuele II
One of Siena's seven medieval gates, with partially preserved interior frescoes. The boulevard ending here offers a striking entrance into the city.
Viewpoint
Via delle Sperandie Viewpoint
Discreet viewpoint over the rooftops of the Aquila contrada and the Chianti hills, accessible on foot from the centre. Locals come here to watch the sunset.
Viewpoint
Facciatone – Panorama from the Incompiuta
The unfinished façade of the cathedral's enlarged nave offers a vertiginous panorama of Siena and the surrounding hills from its summit. One of the city's best-kept secrets, accessible via a narrow staircase.
Activities (4)
Wikipedia (it) - CC BY-SAActivity
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Musical institution founded in 1932 by Count Chigi-Saracini, hosting chamber concerts throughout the summer in the rooms of a medieval palace. A rare privilege to hear chamber music in an exceptional setting.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAActivity
Enoteca Italiana alla Fortezza Medicea
Italian national wine library housed in the cellars of the Medici fortress, offering over 1,500 Italian wines for tasting. A unique place to discover Tuscan appellations with expert guidance.
Activity
Ceramics Course - Sienese Ceramics Art Workshop
Craft workshop offering introductions to traditional Sienese ceramics with contrade motifs. An authentic activity to take home a personal creation rather than mass-produced souvenirs.
Activity
Visit to the Contrade – Museo della Contrada dell'Oca
Each contrada has its own museum documenting the history of the Palio. The Oca (Goose) museum on Via Santa Caterina is one of the most accessible and best documented. A deep immersion into Siena's true identity.
More to discover (3)
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAPlace
Mercato di Piazza La Lizza
Large Wednesday morning weekly market where Sienese and farmers from the surrounding hills sell vegetables, cheeses, cured meats and textiles. The real pulse of the city, unfiltered.
Wikipedia (fr) - CC BY-SAPlace
Libreria Senese
Hundred-year-old independent bookshop specialising in the history of Siena and Tuscan literature, with a section of antiquarian books and historical maps. The address for scholars and the curious.
Place
Terzo di Camollia – Authentic Northern Quarter
The northern third of the walled city, less visited than the centre, with intact medieval alleyways, small contrada chapels and artisan shops. The Siena of the Sienese.