Fancy Sleeps, Southwest of Il Campo
Map: Siena Hotels & Restaurants
Traditional and Rustic Places in the Old Town
Siena was medieval Florence’s archrival. And while Florence ultimately won the battle for political and economic superiority, Siena still competes for the tourists. Sure, Florence has the heavyweight sights. But Siena seems to be every Italy connoisseur’s favorite town. In my office, whenever Siena is mentioned, someone exclaims, “Siena? I looove Siena!”
Once upon a time (about 1260-1348), Siena was a major banking and trade center, and a military power in a class with Florence, Venice, and Genoa. With a population of 60,000, it was even bigger than Paris. Situated on the north-south road to Rome (Via Francigena), Siena traded with all of Europe. Then, in 1348, the Black Death (bubonic plague) swept through Europe, hitting Siena and cutting the population by more than a third. Siena never recovered. In the 1550s, Florence, with the help of Philip II’s Spanish army, conquered the flailing city-state, forever rendering Siena a nonthreatening backwater. Siena’s loss became our sightseeing gain, as its political and economic irrelevance pickled the city in a purely medieval brine. Today, Siena’s population is still 60,000.
Siena, situated atop three hills, qualifies as Italy’s ultimate “hill town” (though it’s much larger than its cousins covered in the Tuscan Hill Towns chapters). Its thriving historic center, with red-brick lanes cascading every which way, offers Italy’s best medieval city experience. Most people do Siena, just 35 miles south of Florence, as a day trip, but it’s best experienced at twilight. While Florence has the blockbuster museums, Siena has an easy-to-enjoy soul: Courtyards sport flower-decked wells, alleys dead-end at rooftop views, and the sky is a rich blue dome.
For those who dream of a Fiat-free Italy, Siena is a haven. Pedestrians rule in the old center of town, as the only drivers allowed are residents and cabbies. Sit at a café on the main square. Wander narrow streets lined with colorful flags and studded with iron rings to tether horses. Take time to savor the first European city to eliminate automobile traffic from its main square (1966) and then, just to be silly, wonder what would happen if they did it in your hometown.
On a quick trip, consider spending two nights in Siena (or three nights with a whole-day side-trip into Florence). Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy a sleepy medieval evening in Siena. The next morning, you can see the city’s major sights in half a day.
Siena lounges atop a hill, stretching its three legs out from Il Campo. This main square, the historic meeting point of Siena’s neighborhoods, is pedestrian-only—and most of those pedestrians are students from the university.
Just about everything mentioned in this chapter is within a 15-minute walk of the square. Navigate by three major landmarks (Il Campo, Duomo, and Church of San Domenico), following the excellent system of street-corner signs. The typical visitor sticks to the Il Campo-San Domenico axis. Make a point to stray from this main artery. Sienese streets go in anything but a straight line, so it’s easy to get lost—but equally easy to get found. Don’t be afraid to explore.
Siena itself is one big sight. Its individual sights come in two little clusters: the square (Civic Museum and City Tower) and the cathedral (Baptistery and Duomo Museum, with its surprise viewpoint). Check these sights off, and then you’re free to wander.
The TI can be an exasperating place, but they may be able to answer a few questions (Mon-Sat 9:30-18:30, Sun 9:30-17:00, across from the Duomo at Piazza del Duomo at #1, tel. 0577-280-551, www.terresiena.it). They hand out a few pretty booklets (including the regional Terre di Siena guide) and a free map of Siena. The bookshop next to the information desk sells more detailed Siena maps for €1. The TI organizes daily walking tours (described later, under “Tours in Siena”).
The small train station, located at the base of the hill on the edge of town, has a bar/tobacco shop, a bus office (Mon-Fri 7:15-19:30, Sat 7:15-17:45, Sun 7:15-12:00 & 15:15-18:30, opens later in winter), and a newsstand (which sells local bus tickets and generally has no line—buy one now if you’re taking the city bus into town), but no baggage check or lockers (stow bags at Piazza Gramsci—see “By Intercity Bus,” later). A shopping mall with a supermarket (handy for picnic supplies) is across the plaza right in front of the station. WCs are at the far north on track 1, past the pharmacy to the left.
Getting from the Train Station to the City Center: To reach central Siena, you can hop aboard the city bus, ride a long series of escalators (which involves a bit of walking along a picturesque street), or take a taxi.
By Bus or Escalator: To reach either the bus or the escalators, head for the shopping mall across the plaza. From the tracks, go down the stairs into the tunnel that connects the platforms; this leads (with escalators) right up into the mall. Alternatively, you can exit the station out the front door, cross over to the plaza, turn left and walk to the far end of the plaza, then turn right to enter the mall’s glass doors.
To ride the city bus, go through the shopping mall’s right-hand door and use the elevator to go down to the subterranean bus stop. If you didn’t buy bus tickets in the train station, you can get them from the blue machine (press “F” to toggle to English, then select “A” for type of ticket). Buses leave frequently (6/hour, fewer on Sun and after 22:00, €1.10, about a 10-minute ride into town depending on route). Smaller shuttle buses go up to Piazza del Sale, while bigger city buses head to nearby Piazza Gramsci (both are at the north end of town, walkable to most of my recommended hotels). Before boarding, double-check the destination with the driver by asking “Centro?” Punch your ticket in the machine on board to validate it.
Riding the escalator into town takes a few minutes longer and requires more walking than the bus. From the station, follow the instructions above and enter the mall at the far-left end. Once inside, go straight ahead and ride the escalators up two floors to the food court. Continue directly through the glass doors to another escalator (marked Porta Camollia/Centro) that takes you gradually, up, up, up into town (free). Exiting the escalator, turn left down the big street, bear left at the fork, then continue straight through the town gate. From here, landmarks are well-signed (go up Via Camollia).
By Taxi: The taxi stand is to your right as you exit the train station, but as the city is chronically short on cabs, getting one here can take a while (about €10 to Il Campo, taxi tel. 0577-49222).
Getting to the Train Station from the City Center: If you’re leaving Siena by train, you can ride a smaller shuttle bus from Piazza del Sale (which goes straight to the station), or catch an orange or red-and-silver city bus from Piazza Gramsci (which may take a more roundabout route). Multiple bus routes make this trip—look for Ferrovia or Stazione on schedules and marked on the bus. City buses drop off right in front of the station. Confirm with the driver that the bus is going to the stazione (staht-see-OH-nay); remember to purchase your ticket in advance from a tobacco shop or blue self-service machine, then validate it on board.
Most buses arrive in Siena at Piazza Gramsci, a few blocks north of the city center. (Some buses only go to the train station; others go first to the train station, then continue to Piazza Gramsci—to find out, ask your driver, “pee-aht-sah GRAHM-chee?”) The main bus companies are Sena/Baltour and Tiemme/Siena Mobilità (formerly called Tra-In). Day-trippers can store baggage in the Sottopassaggio la Lizza passageway underneath Piazza Gramsci at the Tiemme/Siena Mobilità office (€5.50/day, daily 7:00-19:00, carry-on-sized luggage no more than 33 pounds, no overnight storage). From Piazza Gramsci, it’s an easy walk into the town center—just head in the opposite direction of the tree-filled park. For more on buses, see here.
Siena is not a good place to drive. Plan on parking in a big lot or garage and walking into town.
Drivers coming from the autostrada take the Siena Ovest exit and follow signs for Centro, then Stadio (stadium). The soccer-ball signs take you to the stadium lot (Parcheggio Stadio, €1.70/hour, pay when you leave) near Piazza Gramsci and the huge, bare-brick Church of San Domenico. The nearby Fortezza lot charges the same amount. Another good option is the underground Santa Caterina garage (you’ll see signs on the way to the stadium lot, same price). From the garage, hike 150 yards uphill through a gate to an escalator on the right, which carries you up into the city. If you’re staying in the south end of town, try the Il Campo lot, near Porta Tufi.
On parking spots, blue stripes mean pay and display; white stripes mean free parking. You can park for free in the lot west of the Fortezza; in white-striped spots behind the Hotel Villa Liberty (south of the Fortezza); and overnight in most city lots from 20:00 to 8:00. Watch for signs showing a street cleaner and a day of the week—that’s when the street is closed to cars for cleaning.
Driving within Siena’s city center is restricted to local cars and is policed by automatic cameras. If you drive or park anywhere marked ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato), you’ll likely have a hefty ticket waiting for you in the mail back home.
Technically, hotel customers are allowed to drop off bags at their hotel before finding a place to park overnight, but getting permission to do so isn’t worth the trouble.
Combo-Tickets: Siena always seems to be experimenting with different combo-tickets, but in general, only two are worth considering: the €12 Opa Si combo-ticket that includes the Duomo, Duomo Museum, Crypt, and Baptistery (a savings of at least €9 if you see all of those sights, valid three days; sold only at ticket office just right of the Duomo, near Duomo Museum entrance), and the €13 combo-ticket covering the Civic Museum and City Tower (€3 savings, valid one day; sold only at ticket office in courtyard of City Hall—look for Biglietteria).
Wednesday Morning Market: The weekly market (clothes, knickknacks, and food) sprawls between the Fortezza and Piazza Gramsci along Viale Cesare Maccari and the adjacent Viale XXV Aprile. The fact that this is more local than touristy makes it, for some, even more interesting.
Internet Access: Cheap Phone Center is hidden in a small shopping mall near Il Campo (terminals-€2/hour, Wi-Fi-€1/hour; Mon-Thu and Sat 10:00-20:00, Fri 10:00-13:00 & 15:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-20:00; coming from Il Campo, go uphill past recommended Albergo Tre Donzelle, turn left at Via Cecco Angiolieri, after 20 yards look for #16).
Post Office: It’s on Piazza Matteotti (Mon-Fri 8:15-19:00, Sat 8:15-13:30, closed Sun).
Bookstores: Libreria Senese sells books (including my guidebooks), newspapers, and magazines in English, with an emphasis on Italian-related topics (Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-20:00, Via di Città 62, tel. 0577-280-845). The Feltrinelli bookstore at Banchi di Sopra 52 also sells books and magazines in English (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:45, Sat 9:30-20:00, closed Sun, tel. 0577-271-104; the bigger Feltrinelli branch farther down the street at #64 has no English books). See the map on here for locations.
Laundry: Onda Blu is a modern, self-service launderette just 50 yards from Il Campo (about €6 wash and dry, daily 8:00-21:15, last load at 20:15, Via del Casato di Sotto 17—see map on here).
Travel Agency: Carroccio Viaggi, near recommended Rosticceria Vitti, sells train, plane, and some bus tickets. They charge a small fee, but this saves you a trip to the train station (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30 & 13:30-19:00, Sat 9:30-12:00, closed Sun, Via Montanini 20, tel. 0577-226-964, www.carroccioviaggi.com, info@carroccioviaggi.com).
Wine Classes: The Tuscan Wine School gives two-hour classes in English on Italian wine and food. Midday classes (12:00) cover rotating topics: wines from all over Italy, olive-oil tasting, or a “Savor Siena” food tour that visits several vendors around town. Afternoon classes (16:00) focus on Tuscan wines, including five different samples. Rebecca and her fellow sommeliers keep things entertaining and offer classes for as few as two people (€40/person, 20 percent student discount to anyone with this book, classes offered Mon-Sat, closed Sun, reservations recommended—especially in peak season, Via di Stalloreggi 26, 30 yards from recommended Hotel Duomo, see map on here for location, tel. 0577-221-704, mobile 333-722-9716, www.tuscanwineschool.com, info@tuscanwineschool.com). Their outlet store sells wine from local producers at cost (Mon-Sat 11:00-19:00, closed Sun).
Roberto Bechi specializes in off-the-beaten-path, ecologically friendly minibus tours of the surrounding countryside (up to eight passengers, convenient pickup at hotel). Roberto, your hardworking host, is married to an American (Patti) and, having run restaurants in Siena and the US, communicates well with Americans. His passions are Sienese culture, Tuscan history, and local cuisine. It’s ideal to book well in advance, but you might be able to schedule a tour if you call the day before (seven different tours—explained on website, full-day tours-€90/person 4-hour off-season tours-€60/person, entry fees extra, assistant Carolina can schedule both city tours and alternative countryside excursions if Roberto is booked, Carolina’s mobile 320-147-6590, Roberto’s mobile 328-425-5648, www.toursbyroberto.com, toursbyroberto@gmail.com). Roberto also does multiday tours. If you book any tour with Roberto, he can advise you on other aspects of your trip.
Federica Olla, who leads walking tours of Siena, is a smart, youthful guide with a knack for creative teaching (€55/hour, mobile 338-133-9525, info@ollaeventi.com).
GSO Guides Co-op is a group of 10 young professional guides who offer good tours covering all of Tuscany and Umbria (€140/half-day, €260/full day, 10 percent discount for Rick Steves readers, www.guidesienaeoltre.com). Among them, charming Stefania Fabrizi specializes in Siena (mobile 338-640-7796, stefaniafabrizi@katamail.com; if unavailable call Silvia, mobile 338-611-0127).
The TI offers walking tours of the old town. Guides usually conduct their walks in both English and Italian (€20, daily April-Nov at 11:00, 2 hours, no interiors except for Duomo Mon-Sat and Crypt Sun, depart from TI, Piazza Duomo 1, tel. 0577-280-551).
Somehow a company called My Tour has a lock on all hotel tour-promotion space. Every hotel has a rack of their brochures, which advertise a variety of five-hour big-bus tours into the countryside (€38, depart from Piazza Gramsci).
▲City Tower (Torre del Mangia)
▲▲Duomo Museum (Museo dell’Opera e Panorama)
Sanctuary of St. Catherine (Santuario di Santa Caterina)
This square is the heart, both geographically and metaphorically, of Siena. It fans out from City Hall (Palazzo Pubblico) to create an amphitheater. It’s the only town square I’ve ever seen where people stretch out as if at the beach. Il Campo’s shining moment is the famous Palio horse races, which take place in summer (see sidebar on here).
Originally, this area was just a field (campo) located outside the former city walls. Bits of those original walls, which circled the Duomo (and curved against today’s square), can be seen above the pharmacy (the black-and-white stones, to the right as you face City Hall). In the 1200s, with the advent of the Sienese Republic, the city expanded—once a small medieval town circling its cathedral, it became a larger, humanistic city gathered around its towering City Hall. In this newer and relatively secular age, the focus of power shifted from the bishop to the city council.
As the city expanded, Il Campo eventually became the historic junction of Siena’s various competing contrade (neighborhood districts) and the old marketplace. The brick surface is divided into nine sections, representing the council of nine merchants and city bigwigs who ruled medieval Siena. The square and its buildings are the color of the soil upon which they stand—a color known to artists and Crayola users as “Burnt Sienna.”
City Hall: This secular building, with its 330-foot tower, dominates the square. In medieval Siena, this was the center of the city, and the whole focus of Il Campo still flows down to it.
The City Tower (Torre del Mangia) is Italy’s tallest secular tower. It was named after a hedonistic watchman who consumed his earnings like a glutton consumes food. His chewed-up statue is in the courtyard, to the left as you enter. (For details on climbing the tower, see “City Tower” listing, later.)
The open chapel located at the base of the tower was built in 1348 as thanks to God for ending the Black Death (after it killed more than a third of the population). It should also be used to thank God that the top-heavy tower—just plunked onto the building with no extra foundation and no iron reinforcement—still stands. These days, the chapel is used solely to bless the Palio contestants, and the tower’s bell only rings for the race.
Fountain of Joy (Fonte Gaia): This 15th-century work by Jacopo della Quercia marks the square’s high point. The joy is all about how the Sienese Republic blessed its people with water. Notice Lady Justice with her scales (also holding a sword, right of center), overseeing the free distribution of water to all. Imagine residents gathering here in the 1400s to fill their jugs. The Fountain of Joy still reminds locals that life in Siena is good. Notice the pigeons politely waiting their turn to tightrope gingerly down slippery spouts to slurp a drink from wolves’ snouts. The relief panel on the left shows God creating Adam by helping him to his feet. It’s said that this reclining Adam influenced Michelangelo when he painted his Sistine Chapel ceiling. This fountain is a copy—you can see most of the original fountain in an interesting exhibit at Siena’s Santa Maria della Scala (described later).
At the base of the tower is Siena’s City Hall, the spot where secular government got its start in early Renaissance Europe. There you’ll find city government still at work, along with a sampling of local art, including Siena’s first fresco (with a groundbreaking down-to-earth depiction of the Madonna). While pricey, it’s worth strolling through the dramatic halls to see fascinating frescoes and portraits extolling Siena’s greats, saints, and the city-as-utopia.
Cost and Hours: €8, €13 combo-ticket with tower (ticket office is straight ahead as you enter City Hall courtyard—look for Biglietteria), daily mid-March-Oct 10:00-19:00, Nov-mid March 10:00-18:00, last entry 45 minutes before closing, info tel. 0577-292-223, www.comune.siena.it.
Visiting the Museum: Start in the Sala del Risorgimento, with dramatic scenes of Victor Emmanuel II’s unification of Italy (surrounded by statues that don’t seem to care).
Passing through the chapel, where the city’s governors and bureaucrats prayed, enter the Sala del Mappamondo. On opposite walls are two large frescoes. The beautiful Maestà (Enthroned Virgin, 1315), by Siena’s great Simone Martini (c. 1280-1344), is groundbreaking as Siena’s first fresco showing a Madonna not in a faraway, gold-leaf heaven, but under the blue sky of the real world that we inhabit. Facing the Maestà is the famous Equestrian Portrait of Guidoriccio da Fogliano (1330), which depicts a mercenary general surveying the imposing castle that his armies have just conquered.
Next is the Sala della Pace—where the city’s fat cats met. Looking down on the oligarchy during their meetings was a fascinating fresco series showing the Effects of Good and Bad Government, by Sienese painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Compare the whistle-while-you-work happiness of the utopian community ruled by the utopian government (in the better-preserved fresco) against the crime, devastation, and societal mayhem of a community ruled by politicians with more typical values. The message: Without justice, there can be no prosperity.
On your way out, climb up to the loggia (using the stairs just before the Sala del Risorgimento) for a sweeping view of the city and its surroundings. (For a less impressive version of this view, you could skip the stairs and simply peek behind the curtains in the Sala della Pace.)
Siena gathers around its City Hall more than its church. Medieval Siena was a proud republic, and this tall tower is the exclamation point of its “declaration of independence.” Its 300 steps get pretty skinny at the top, but the reward is one of Italy’s best views.
Cost and Hours: €8, €13 combo-ticket with Civic Museum, daily March-mid-Oct 10:00-19:00, mid-Oct-Feb 10:00-16:00, last entry 45 minutes before closing, closed in rain, free and mandatory bag check.
Crowd Alert: Admission is limited to 50 people at a time, so be prepared for long lines or for tickets to be sold out. Wait at the bottom of the stairs for the green Avanti light. Try to avoid midday crowds (up to an hour wait at peak times).
If you’re into medieval art, you’ll likely find this quiet, uncrowded, colorful museum delightful. The museum walks you through Siena’s art chronologically, from the 12th through the 16th centuries, when a revolution in realism was percolating in Tuscany.
Cost and Hours: €4, Tue-Sat 8:15-19:15, Sun-Mon 9:00-13:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, free and mandatory bag check (must leave ID); photos without flash allowed for €1 fee—ask at ticket office. From Il Campo, walk out Via di Città and go left on Via San Pietro to #29; tel. 0577-281-161 or 0577-286-143, www.pinacotecanazionale.siena.it.
Visiting the Museum: In general, the collection lets you follow the evolution of painting styles from Byzantine to Gothic, then to International Gothic, and finally to Renaissance. As you walk through the museum, take time to trace the delicate features with your eyes. Long after Florentine art went realistic, the Sienese embraced a timeless, otherworldly style glittering with lots of gold. But Sienese art features more than just paintings. In this city of proud craftsmen, the gilding and carpentry of the frames almost compete with the actual paintings. The exquisite attention to detail gives a glimpse into the wealth of the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena’s Golden Age. The woven silk and gold clothing you’ll see was worn by the very people who once walked these halls, when this was a private mansion (appreciate the colonnaded courtyard).
The core of the collection is on the second floor, in Rooms 1-19. Works by Duccio (artist of the Maestà in the Duomo Museum) feature groundbreaking innovations that are subtle to the layman’s eyes: less gold-leaf background, fewer gold creases in robes, transparent garments, inlaid-marble thrones, and a more human Mary and Jesus. Notice that the Madonna-and-Bambino pose is eerily identical in each version.
St. Augustine of Siena, by Duccio’s assistant, Simone Martini (who did the Maestà and possibly the Guidoriccio frescoes in the Civic Museum), sets the saint’s life in pretty, realistic Sienese streets, buildings, and landscapes. In each panel, the saint pops out at the oddest (difficult to draw) angles to save the day.
Also look for religious works by the hometown Lorenzetti brothers (Ambrogio is best known for the secular masterpiece, the Effects of Good and Bad Government, in the Civic Museum). Città sul Mare (City by the Sea) and Castello in Riva al Lago (Castle on the Lakeshore) feature the strange, medieval landscape Cubism seen in the work of the contemporaneous Guidoriccio da Fogliano (in the Civic Museum). Notice the weird, melancholy light that captures the sense of the Dark Ages. These images are replicated on postcards found throughout the city.
Several colorful rooms on the first floor are dedicated to Domenico Beccafumi (1486-1551), who designed many of the Duomo’s inlaid pavement panels (including Slaughter of the Innocents). With strong bodies, twisting poses, and dramatic gestures, Beccafumi’s works epitomize the Mannerist style.
Each of the first four sights (Duomo, Duomo Museum, Crypt, and Baptistery) is covered by a separate ticket, or by the €12 Opa Si combo-ticket. If you’re planning to visit only the Duomo and Duomo Museum, this ticket doesn’t add up; but if you’re curious about the Crypt and Baptistery, the combo-ticket lets you peek into those sights for just €1 more. Separate tickets and the Opa Si combo-ticket are sold only at the ticket office near the entrance to the Duomo Museum—to the right as you face the cathedral facade (no tickets sold at sight entrances).
If the Campo is the heart of Siena, the Duomo (or cathedral) is its soul. The white-and-dark-green striped church, sitting on an artificial platform atop Siena’s highest point, is visible for miles around. This ornate but surprisingly secular shrine to the Virgin Mary is stacked with colorful art inside and out, from the inlaid-marble floors to the stained-glass windows. The interior is a Renaissance riot of striped columns, intricate marble inlays, Michelangelo statues, and Bernini sculptures. In the Piccolomini Library, a series of captivating frescoes by the Umbrian painter Pinturicchio tells the story of Aeneas Piccolomini, Siena’s consummate Renaissance Man, who became Pope Pius II.
Cost: €4 includes cathedral and Piccolomini Library, buy ticket at Duomo Museum entrance (facing the cathedral entry, the museum is 100 yards to the right, near the south transept). To add the Duomo Museum, Crypt, and Baptistery, consider the €12 Opa Si combo-ticket.
Check the line to get into the Duomo before buying tickets—if there’s a long wait, you can pay an extra €1 for a (misnamed) “reservation” that lets you skip the line.
Hours: March-Oct Mon-Sat 10:30-19:00, Sun 13:30-18:00; Nov-Feb Mon-Sat 10:30-17:30, Sun 13:30-17:30; last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Dress Code: Modest dress is required, but stylish paper ponchos are provided for the inappropriately clothed.
Information: Tel. 0577-286-300, www.operaduomo.siena.it. Inside the Duomo are €2 video terminals that give a history of the cathedral floor.
Tours: The Porta del Cielo (“Heaven’s Gate”) guided tour is popular—book well in advance for one in English. The 1.5-hour tour includes a 45-minute visit to the dome’s cupola and roof for spectacular interior and exterior views.
Reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance, but ideally, book as soon as you know when you’ll be in Siena. When you reserve, you’ll be given a reference number, which you must show on arrival at the ticket office; they prefer payment by wire 10 days before the reserved tour (€25, April-Jan; to book, call 0577-286-300 Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00).
The videoguide (rent in central nave) is informative but extremely dry. I’d stick with the commentary here.
Self-Guided Tour: Grab a spot on a stone bench opposite the entry to take in this architectural festival of green, white, pink, and gold.
Exterior: Like a medieval altarpiece, the facade is divided into sections, each frame filled with patriarchs and prophets, studded with roaring gargoyles, and topped with prickly pinnacles. Imagine pilgrims arriving at this church, its facade trumpeting the coming of Christ and the correct path to salvation.
The current structure dates back to 1215, with the major decoration done during Siena’s heyday (1250-1350). The lower story, by Giovanni Pisano (who worked from 1284 to 1297), features remnants of the fading Romanesque style (round arches over the doors), topped with the pointed arches of the new Gothic style that was seeping in from France. The upper half, in full-blown Gothic, was designed and built a century later.
• Step inside, putting yourself in the mindset of a pilgrim as you take in this trove of religious art. (With a maximum capacity of 700 visitors, you may have to wait. Remember, if the line is dreadfully long, you can pay €1 at the ticket desk for a “reservation” and go right in.)
Nave: The heads of 172 popes—who reigned from Peter’s time to the 12th century—peer down from above, looking over the fine inlaid art on the floor. With a forest of striped columns, a coffered dome, a large stained-glass window at the far end (described later), and an art gallery’s worth of early Renaissance art, this is one busy interior. If you look closely at the popes, you’ll see the same four faces repeated over and over.
For almost two centuries (1373-1547), 40 artists paved the marble floor with scenes from the Old Testament, allegories, and intricate patterns. The series starts near the entrance with historical allegories; the larger, more elaborate scenes surrounding the altar are mostly stories from the Old Testament. Many of the floor panels are roped off—and occasionally even covered—to prevent further wear and tear.
In the Palio, the feisty spirit of Siena’s 17 neighborhoods lives on. Each neighborhood, or contrada, has a parish church, well or fountain, and sometimes even a historical museum. Each is represented by a mascot (porcupine, unicorn, wolf, etc.) and unique colors worn proudly by residents.
Contrada pride is evident year-round in Siena’s parades and colorful banners, lamps, and wall plaques. (If you hear the thunder of distant drumming, run to it for some medieval action—there’s a good chance it’ll feature flag throwers.) You are welcome to participate in these lively neighborhood festivals. Buy a scarf in contrada colors, grab a glass of Chianti, munch on some panforte, and join in the merriment.
Contrada passion is most visible twice a year—on July 2 and August 16—when the city erupts during its world-famous horse race, the Palio di Siena. Ten of the 17 neighborhoods compete (chosen by rotation and lot), hurling themselves with medieval abandon into several days of trial races and traditional revelry. Jockeys—usually from out of town—are considered hired guns, no better than paid mercenaries. Bets are placed on which contrada will win...and lose. Despite the shady behind-the-scenes dealing, on the big day the horses are taken into their contrada’s church to be blessed. (“Go and return victorious,” says the priest.) It’s considered a sign of luck if a horse leaves droppings in the church.
On the evening of the race, Il Campo is stuffed to the brim with locals and tourists. Dirt is brought in and packed down over the gray pavement of the perimeter to create the track’s surface, while mattresses pad the walls of surrounding buildings. The most treacherous spots are the sharp corners, where many a rider has bitten the dust.
Picture the scene: Ten snorting horses and their nervous riders line up near the pharmacy (on the west side of the square) to await the starting signal. Then they race like crazy while spectators wave the scarves of their neighborhoods. Every possible vantage point and perch is packed with people straining to see the action. One lap around the course is about a third of a mile (350 meters); three laps make a full circuit. In this literally no-holds-barred race—which lasts just over a minute—a horse can win even without its rider (jockeys perch precariously without saddles on the sweaty horses’ backs, and often fall off).
When the winner crosses the line, 1/17th of Siena—the prevailing neighborhood—goes berserk. Winners receive a palio (banner), typically painted by a local artist and always featuring the Virgin Mary. But the true prizes are proving that your contrada is numero uno, and mocking your losing rivals.
All over town, sketches and posters depict the Palio. This is not some folkloric event—it’s a real medieval moment. If you’re packed onto the square with 60,000 people, all hungry for victory, you won’t see much, but you’ll feel it. Bleacher and balcony seats are expensive, but it’s free to join the masses in the square. Be sure to go with an empty bladder as there are no WCs, and be prepared to surrender any sense of personal space.
While the actual Palio packs the city, you could side-trip in from Florence to see the horse-race trials—called prove (proh-vay)—on any of the three days before the main event (usually at 9:00 and after 19:00, free seats in bleachers). For more information, visit www.ilpalio.org.
• Look for the marble altarpiece decorated with statues.
Piccolomini Altar: This was designed for the tomb of the Sienese-born Pope Pius III (born Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini). It was commissioned when he was the cardinal of Siena, but because he later became a pope (see the fresco of his coronation with Pius wearing the golden robe—above and to the right of the Michelangelo statue), he was buried in the Vatican, and this fancy tomb was never used. It’s most interesting for its statues: one by Michelangelo, and three by his students. Michelangelo was originally contracted to do 15 statues, but another sculptor had started the marble blocks, and Michelangelo’s heart was never in the project. He personally finished only one—the figure of St. Paul (lower right, clearly more interesting than the bland, bored popes above him).
• Now grab a seat under the...
Dome: The dome sits on a 12-sided base, but its “coffered” ceiling is actually a painted illusion. Get oriented to the array of sights by thinking of the church floor as a big 12-hour clock. You’re the middle, and the altar is high noon: You’ll find the Slaughter of the Innocents roped off on the floor at 10 o’clock, Pisano’s pulpit between two pillars at 11 o’clock, a copy of Duccio’s round stained-glass window at 12 o’clock, Bernini’s chapel at 3 o’clock, the Piccolomini Altar at 7 o’clock, the Piccolomini Library at 8 o’clock, and a Donatello statue at 9 o’clock.
Pisano’s Pulpit: The octagonal Carrara marble pulpit (1268) rests on the backs of lions, symbols of Christianity triumphant. Like the lions, the Church eats its catch (devouring paganism) and nurses its cubs. The seven relief panels tell the life of Christ in rich detail. The pulpit is the work of Nicola Pisano (c. 1220-1278), the “Giotto of sculpture,” whose revival of classical forms (columns, sarcophagus-like relief panels) signaled the coming Renaissance. His son Giovanni (c. 1240-1319) carved many of the panels, mixing his dad’s classicism and realism with the decorative detail and curvy lines of French Gothic—a style that would influence Donatello and the other Florentines.
Duccio’s Stained-Glass Rose Window: This is a copy of the original window, which was moved to the Duomo Museum a couple of years ago. The famous rose window was created in 1288 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary (for more details, see here).
Slaughter of the Innocents: This pavement panel shows Herod (left), sitting enthroned amid Renaissance arches, as he orders the massacre of all babies to prevent the coming of the promised Messiah. It’s a chaotic scene of angry soldiers, grieving mothers, and dead babies, reminding locals that a republic ruled by a tyrant will experience misery.
• Step into the chapel just beyond the pavement panel (next to the Piccolomini Library) to see the...
St. John the Baptist Statue: The statue of the rugged saint in his famous rags was created by Donatello. The aging Florentine sculptor, whose style was now considered passé in Florence, came here to build bronze doors for the church (similar to Ghiberti’s in Florence). He didn’t complete the door project, but he did finish this bronze statue (1457). Notice the cherubs high above it, playfully dangling their feet.
• Cross beneath the dome to find the Chigi Chapel, also known as the...
Chapel of the Madonna del Voto: To understand why Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) is considered the greatest Baroque sculptor, step into this sumptuous chapel (designed in the early 1660s for Fabio Chigi, a.k.a. Pope Alexander VII). Move up to the altar and look back at the two Bernini statues: Mary Magdalene in a state of spiritual ecstasy, and St. Jerome playing the crucifix like a violinist lost in beautiful music. It’s enough to make even a Lutheran light a candle.
The painting over the altar is the Madonna del Voto, a Madonna and Child adorned with a real crown of gold and jewels (painted by an unknown Italian master in the mid-13th century). In typical medieval fashion, the scene is set in the golden light of heaven. Mary has the almond eyes, long fingers, and golden folds in her robe that are found in orthodox icons of the time. Still, this Mary tilts her head and looks out sympathetically, ready to listen to the prayers of the faithful. This is the Mary to whom the Palio is dedicated, dear to the hearts of the Sienese. In thanks, they give offerings of silver hearts and medallions, many of which hang now on the wall just to the left as you exit the chapel.
• Cross back to the other side of the church to find the...
Piccolomini Library: Brilliantly frescoed, the library captures the exuberant, optimistic spirit of the 1400s, when humanism and the Renaissance were born. The never-restored frescoes look nearly as vivid now as the day they were finished 550 years ago. (With the bright window light, candles were unnecessary in this room—and didn’t sully the art with soot.) The painter Pinturicchio (c. 1454-1513) was hired to celebrate the life of one of Siena’s hometown boys—a man many call “the first humanist,” Aeneas Piccolomini (1405-1464), who became Pope Pius II. Each of the 10 scenes is framed with an arch, as if Pinturicchio were opening a window onto the spacious 3-D world we inhabit.
The library also contains intricately decorated, illuminated music scores and a statue (a Roman copy of a Greek original) of the Three Graces, who almost seem to dance to the beat. The oddly huge sheep-skin sheets of music are from the days before individual hymnals—they had to be big so that many singers could read the music at the same time from a distance. Appreciate the fine painted decorations on the music—the gold-leaf highlights, the newly discovered (and quite expensive) cobalt for blue tones, and the miniature figures. All of this exquisite detail was lovingly crafted by Benedictine monks for the glory of God. Find your favorite—I like the blue, totally wild god of wind with the big hair (in the fourth case from the right of the window).
• Exit the Duomo and make a U-turn to the left, walking alongside the church to Piazza Jacopo della Quercia.
Unfinished Church: After rival republic Florence began its grand cathedral (1296), proud Siena planned to build one even bigger, the biggest church in all Christendom.
Construction began in the 1330s on an extension off the right side of the existing Duomo (today’s cathedral would have been used as a transept). The nave of the Duomo was supposed to be where the piazza is today. Worshippers would have entered the church from the far end of the piazza through the unfinished wall. (Look way up at the highest part of the wall. That’s the viewpoint accessible from inside the Duomo Museum.) Some of the nave’s green-and-white-striped columns were built, and are now filled in with a brick wall. White stones in the pavement mark where a row of pillars would have been.
The vision was grand, but it underestimated the complexity of constructing such a building without enough land for it to sit upon. That, coupled with the devastating effects of a plague, killed the city’s ability and will to finish the project. Look through the unfinished entrance facade, note blue sky where the stained-glass windows would have been, and ponder the struggles, triumphs, and failures of the human spirit.
Located in a corner of the Duomo’s grand but unfinished extension (to the right as you face the main facade), Siena’s most enjoyable museum was built to house the cathedral’s art. Here you can stand eye-to-eye with the saints and angels who once languished unknown in the church’s upper reaches (where copies are found today).
Cost and Hours: €7, covered by Opa Si combo-ticket, buy tickets near Duomo Museum entry, daily March-Oct 10:30-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:30-17:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing, videoguide-€4 (€6/2 people), next to the Duomo, in the skeleton of the unfinished part of the church on the Il Campo side; look for the white banner, tel. 0577-286-300, www.operaduomo.siena.it.
Tours: You can rent a tablet videoguide for €4 (€6/2 people; must leave ID). A pricier option adds the Duomo and other sights (€8, €14/2 people), but you have to pick it up and drop it off inside the cathedral (for details, see here).
Self-Guided Tour: Start your tour at the bottom and work your way up.
Ground Floor: This floor is filled with the cathedral’s original Gothic sculptures by Giovanni Pisano, who spent 10 years in the late 1200s carving and orchestrating the decoration of the cathedral with saints, prophets, sibyls, animals, and the original she-wolf with Romulus and Remus.
On the ground floor you’ll also find Donatello’s fine, round Madonna and Child carved relief. A slender, tender Mary gazes down at her chubby-cheeked baby, as her sad eyes say that she knows the eventual fate of her son.
On the opposite side of the room is Duccio’s original stained-glass window, which until recently was located above and behind the Duomo’s altar. Now the church has a copy, and art lovers can enjoy a close-up look at this masterpiece. The rose window—20 feet across, made in 1288—is dedicated (like the church and the city itself) to the Virgin Mary. The work was designed by Siena’s most famous artist, Duccio di Buoninsegna (c. 1255-1319), and combines elements from rigid Byzantine icons (Mary’s almond-shaped bubble, called a mandorla, and the full-frontal saints that flank her) with a budding sense of 3-D realism (the throne turned at a three-quarter angle to simulate depth, with angels behind).
Duccio’s Maestà: Upstairs awaits a private audience with the Maestà (Enthroned Virgin, 1311), whose panels were once part of the Duomo’s main altarpiece. Although the former altarpiece was disassembled (and the frame was lost), most of the pieces are displayed here, with the front side (Maestà, with Mary and saints) at one end of the room, and the back side (26 Passion panels) at the other.
The Maestà was revolutionary for the time in its sheer size and opulence, and in Duccio’s budding realism, which broke standard conventions. Duccio, at the height of his powers, used every innovative arrow in his quiver. He replaced the standard gold-leaf background (symbolizing heaven) with a gold, intricately patterned curtain draped over the throne. Mary’s blue robe opens to reveal her body, and the curve of her knee suggests real anatomy beneath the robe. Baby Jesus wears a delicately transparent garment. Their faces are modeled with light—a patchwork of bright flesh and shadowy valleys, as if lit from the left (a technique he likely learned from his contemporary Giotto during a visit to Florence).
The flip side of the Maestà featured 26 smaller panels—the medieval equivalent of pages—showing colorful scenes from the Passion of Christ.
Panorama dal Facciatone: About 60 claustrophobic spiral stairs take you to the first viewpoint. You can continue up another similar spiral staircase to reach the very top. Standing on the wall from this high point in the city, you’re rewarded with a stunning view of Siena...and an interesting perspective. Look toward the Duomo and consider this: If Siena’s grandiose plans to expand the cathedral had come to fruition, you’d be looking straight down the nave toward the altar.
Siena is so hilly that there wasn’t enough flat ground on which to build a big church. What to do? Build a big church anyway and prop up the overhanging edge with the Baptistery. This dark and quietly tucked-away cave of art is worth a look for its cool, tranquil bronze panels and angels by Ghiberti, Donatello, Jacopo della Quercia, and others that adorn the pedestal of the baptismal font.
Cost and Hours: €4, covered by Opa Si combo-ticket, buy tickets near Duomo Museum entry, daily March-Oct 10:30-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:30-17:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing, 10-minute videoguide-€2.
The cathedral “crypt” is archaeologically important. The site of a small 12th-century Romanesque church, it was filled in with dirt a century after its creation to provide a foundation for the huge church that sits atop it today. Recently excavated, the several rediscovered frescoed rooms show off what are likely the oldest frescoes in town. Religious art exhibitions are sometimes held here.
Cost and Hours: €6, €8 during special exhibitions, covered by Opa Si combo-ticket, buy tickets near Duomo Museum entry, daily March-Oct 10:30-19:00, Nov-Feb 10:30-17:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing, entrance is halfway up the stairs between the Baptistery and Duomo Museum.
This museum, opposite the Duomo entrance, was used as a hospital until the 1980s. Its labyrinthine 12th-century cellars—carved out of volcanic tuff and finished with brick—go down several floors and during medieval times were used to store supplies for the hospital upstairs. Today, the hospital and its cellars are filled with exhibits (well-described in English) and can be a welcome refuge from the hot streets. Stop in for a cool and quiet break in the air-conditioned lobby, which offers a fine bookshop (with TI next door) and big, comfy couches, all under great 15th-century timbers. The complex also houses a minimalist children’s museum.
Cost and Hours: €10, daily March-Oct 10:30-18:30, Nov-Feb 10:30-16:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, €5 guided tours sometimes available Fri at 11:00 or on request, tel. 0577-534-511, www.santamariadellascala.com.
Visiting the Museum: It’s easy to get lost in this gigantic complex, so stay focused on the main attractions—the fancily frescoed Pellegrinaio Hall (ground floor), most of the original Fountain of Joy and some of the most ancient Byzantine reliquaries in existence (first basement), and the Etruscan collection in the Archaeological Museum (second basement), where the Sienese took refuge during WWII bombing. Just inside the complex (enter from the square) is the Church of the Santissima Annunziata.
From the entrance, walk down the lengthy hall to the long room with the colorful frescoes. The sumptuously frescoed walls of Pellegrinaio Hall show medieval Siena’s innovative health care and social welfare system in action (c. 1442, wonderfully described in English). Starting in the 11th century, the hospital nursed the sick and cared for abandoned children, as is vividly portrayed in these frescoes. The good works paid off, as bequests and donations poured in, creating the wealth that’s evident throughout this building.
Head down the stairs, then continue straight into the darkened rooms with pieces of Siena’s landmark fountain—follow signs to Fonte Gaia. An engaging exhibit explains Jacopo della Quercia’s early 15th-century Fountain of Joy (Fonte Gaia)—and displays the disassembled pieces of the original fountain itself. In the 19th century, after serious deterioration, the ornate fountain was dismantled and plaster casts were made. (From these casts, they formed the replica that graces Il Campo today.) Here you’ll see the eroded original panels paired with their restored casts, along with the actual statues that once stood on the edges of the fountain.
To visit the reliquaries, retrace your steps and follow the signs for Il Tesoro. Many of these Byzantine reliquaries are made of gold, silver, and precious stones. Legend has it that some were owned by Helen, Constantine’s mother. They were “donated” to the hospital shortly after the plague that decimated the city (and the rest of Europe), since the sale of reliquaries was forbidden.
Now, descend into the cavernous second basement. Under the groin vaults of the Archaeological Museum, you’re alone with piles of ancient Etruscan stuff excavated from tombs dating centuries before Christ (displayed in a labyrinthine exhibit). Remember, the Etruscans dominated this part of Italy before the Roman Empire swept through—some historians think even Rome originated as an Etruscan town. A new section covering Siena’s history is also on this floor.
The youngest of 25 children born to a Sienese cloth dyer, Catherine began experiencing heavenly visions as a child. At 16 she became a member of the Dominican order, locking herself away for three years in a room in her family’s house. She lived the life of an ascetic, which culminated in a vision wherein she married Christ. Catherine emerged from solitude to join her Dominican sisters, sharing her experiences, caring for the sick, and gathering both disciples and enemies. At age 23, she lapsed into a spiritual coma, waking with the heavenly command to spread her message to the world. She wrote essays and letters to kings, dukes, bishops, and popes, imploring them to find peace for a war-ravaged Italy. While visiting Pisa during Lent of 1375, she had a vision in which she received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ.
Still in her 20s, Catherine was invited to Avignon, France, where the pope had taken up residence. With her charm, sincerity, and reputation for holiness, she helped convince Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to the city of Rome. Catherine also went to Rome, where she died young. She was canonized in the next generation (by a Sienese pope), and her relics were distributed to churches around Italy.
Because of her intervention in the papal schism, today Catherine is revered (along with St. Benedict) as the patron saint of Europe and remembered as a rare outspoken medieval woman still appreciated for her universal message: that this world is not a gift from our fathers, but a loan from our children.
This huge brick church is worth a quick look. The spacious, plain interior (except for the colorful flags of the city’s 17 contrade, or neighborhoods) fits the austere philosophy of the Dominicans and invites meditation on the thoughts and deeds of St. Catherine. Walk up the steps in the rear to see paintings from her life. Halfway up the church on the right, find a metal bust of St. Catherine, a small case housing her thumb (on the left), and a glass box on the lowest shelf containing the chain she used to scourge herself. In the chapel (15 feet to the left) surrounded with candles, you’ll see Catherine’s actual head atop the altar. Through the door just beyond are the sacristy and the bookstore.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 7:00-sunset, gift shop tel. 0577-286-848, www.basilicacateriniana.com. A WC (€0.50) is at the far end of the parking lot, to the right as you face the church entrance.
Step into the cool and peaceful site of Catherine’s home. Siena remembers its favorite hometown gal, a simple, unschooled, but mystically devout soul who, in the mid-1300s, helped convince the pope to return from France to Rome. Pilgrims have visited this place since 1464, and architects and artists have greatly embellished what was probably once a humble home (her family worked as wool dyers). You’ll see paintings throughout showing scenes from her life.
Enter through the courtyard, and walk down the stairs at the far end. The church on your right contains the wooden crucifix upon which Catherine was meditating when she received the stigmata. Take a pew, gaze at it, and try to imagine the scene. Back outside, the oratory across the courtyard stands where the kitchen once was. Go down the stairs (left of the gift shop) to reach the saint’s room. Catherine’s bare cell is behind wrought-iron doors.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 9:00-18:00, Chapel of the Crucifixion closed 12:30-15:00 but church is open, a few downhill blocks toward the center from San Domenico—follow signs to Santuario di Santa Caterina—at Costa di Sant’Antonio 6, tel. 0577-288-175.
The main drag, Via Banchi di Sopra, is a cancan of fancy shops. Here are some things to look for:
Flags: For easy-to-pack souvenirs, get some of the large, colorful scarves/flags that depict the symbols of Siena’s 17 different neighborhoods (such as the wolf, the turtle, or the snail). They’re good for gifts or to decorate your home (sold in varying sizes at souvenir stands).
Sweets: All over town, Prodotti Tipici shops sell Sienese specialties. Siena’s claim to caloric fame is its panforte, a rich, chewy concoction of nuts, honey, and candied fruits that impresses even fruitcake haters. There are a few varieties: Margherita, dusted in powdered sugar, is more fruity, while panpepato has a spicy, peppery crust. Locals prefer a chewy, white macaroon-and-almond cookie called ricciarelli.
Finding a room in Siena is tough during Easter (April 5 in 2015) or the Palio (July 2 and Aug 16). Many hotels won’t take reservations until the end of May for the Palio, and even then they might require a four-night stay. While day-tripping tour groups turn the town into a Gothic amusement park in midsummer, Siena is basically yours in the evenings and off-season.
Part of Siena’s charm is its lively, festive character—this means that all hotels can be plagued with noise, even (and sometimes especially) the hotels in the pedestrian-only zone. If tranquility is important for your sanity, ask for a room that’s off the street, or consider staying at one of the recommended places outside the center. If your hotel doesn’t provide breakfast, eat at a bar on Il Campo or near your hotel.
These well-run places are a 10-minute walk from Il Campo.
$$$ Pensione Palazzo Ravizza is elegant and friendly, with 39 rooms and an aristocratic feel—fitting, as it was once the luxurious residence of a noble. Guests enjoy a peaceful garden set on a dramatic bluff, along with a Steinway in the upper lounge (Sb-€180, standard Db-€180, superior Db-€220, Tb-€255, family suites-€300, rates can vary, see website for room differences, rooms in back overlook countryside, air-con, elevator, guest computer, Wi-Fi, Via Piano dei Mantellini 34, tel. 0577-280-462, www.palazzoravizza.it, bureau@palazzoravizza.it). As parking is free and the hotel is easily walkable from the center, this is a particularly good value for drivers.
$$$ Hotel Duomo has 20 spacious and tidy but slightly dated rooms, a picnic-friendly roof terrace, and a bizarre floor plan (Sb-€105, Db-€130, Db suite-€180, Tb-€180, Qb-€230, elevator with some stairs, air-con, Wi-Fi, discounted parking-€20/day; follow Via di Città, which becomes Via di Stalloreggi, to #38; tel. 0577-289-088, www.hotelduomo.it, booking@hotelduomo.it, Alessandro). If you’re arriving by train, take a taxi (€12) or ride bus #3 to the Porta Tufi stop, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel; you can also arrange to have Alessandro take you to/from the train station or airport (with this book: train station-€10, Florence’s Vespucci Airport-€105, Pisa’s Galilei Airport-€165; he’ll also take you to nearby hill towns, e.g., Florence-€105 and Pisa-€165). If you’re driving, go to Porta San Marco, turn right, and follow signs to the hotel—drop your bags, then park in the nearby Il Campo lot near Porta Tufi.
Most of these listings are forgettable but well-priced, and just a horse wreck away from one of Italy’s most wonderful civic spaces.
$$ Piccolo Hotel Etruria, with 20 simple, recently redecorated rooms, is well-located and restful (S-€50, Sb-€60, Db-€100, Tb-€120-138, Qb-€145-166, higher rates are for peak-of-peak times, 10 percent discount with this book through 2015, optional breakfast-€6.50, air-con May-Oct only, elevator, Wi-Fi, at Via delle Donzelle 1-3, tel. 0577-288-088, www.hoteletruria.com, info@hoteletruria.com, friendly Conti family also run the Albergo Tre Donzelle, next door).
$ Albergo Tre Donzelle is a fine budget value with welcoming hosts and 20 plain but homey rooms. Although some of the showers have seen better days, these may be the cheapest rooms in the center. Il Campo, a block away, is your terrace (S-€38, D-€49, Db-€60, T-€70, Tb-€85, breakfast-€6.50, Wi-Fi in common areas; with your back to the tower, head away from Il Campo toward 2 o’clock to Via delle Donzelle 5; tel. 0577-270-390, www.tredonzelle.com, info@tredonzelle.com).
$ Hotel Cannon d’Oro, a few blocks up Via Banchi di Sopra, is a labyrinthine slumbermill renting 30 institutional, overpriced rooms (Sb-€71, Db-€90, Tb-€115, Qb-€136, these discounted prices good with this book through 2015, fans, Wi-Fi, a couple of blocks from the bus hub at Via dei Montanini 28, tel. 0577-44-321, www.cannondoro.com, info@cannondoro.com; Maurizio, Tommaso, Serge, and Rodrigo).
$ Casa Laura has eight clean, charming, well-maintained rooms, some of which have brick-and-beam ceilings (Db-€60, Db with air-con-€70, these prices through 2015 when you mention Rick Steves and book directly with hotel, Via Roma 3, about a 10-minute walk from Il Campo toward Porta Romana, tel. 0577-226-061, www.casalaurasiena.com, info@casalaurasiena.com).
$$ Antica Residenza Cicogna is a seven-room guesthouse with a homey elegance and an ideal location. It’s warmly run by the young and charming Elisa and her friend Ilaria, who set out biscotti, vin santo, and tea all day for their guests. With artfully frescoed walls and ceilings, this is remarkably genteel for the price (Db-€98, suite Db-€120, third bed-€15, air-con, guest computer, Wi-Fi, Via delle Terme 76, tel. 0577-285-613, mobile 347-007-2888, www.anticaresidenzacicogna.it, info@anticaresidenzacicogna.it).
$$ Palazzo Masi B&B, run by Alizzardo and Daniela, is just below Il Campo. They rent six pleasant, spacious, antique-furnished rooms with shared common areas on the second and third floors of an old building. While a bit pricey, the fine location and warm welcome are appreciated (D-€70, Db-€110 with this book through 2015 when you book directly with hotel, cash only, breakfast-€8, Wi-Fi, discounted parking at nearby Il Campo lot-€25/24 hours; from City Hall, walk 50 yards down Via del Casato di Sotto to #29; mobile 349-600-9155, www.palazzomasi.com, info@palazzomasi.it). The place is sometimes unstaffed, so it’s important to phone upon arrival.
$ B&B Alle Due Porte is a charming little establishment renting four big rooms with sweet furniture under big medieval beams. The shared breakfast room is delightful. The manager, Egisto, is a phone call and 10-minute scooter ride away (Db-€85, windowless Db with small bed-€65, Tb-€110, air-con in three rooms, Wi-Fi, Via di Stalloreggi 51, tel. 0577-287-670, mobile 368-352-3530, www.sienatur.it, soldatini@interfree.it).
$ Le Camerine di Silvia, a romantic hideaway perched near a sweeping, grassy olive grove, rents five simple but cozy rooms in a converted 16th-century building. A small breakfast terrace with fruit trees and a private hedged garden lends itself to contemplation (Db-€50-€80, rate depends on season, cash only, ask for a view room, add €5 for breakfast in cloister across the street, fans, Wi-Fi, shared microwave and small fridge, nearby parking-€12, free parking a 10-minute walk away, Via Ettore Bastianini 1—locals may know street by former name Via delle Scuole, just below recommended Pensione Palazzo Ravizza—see listing earlier, mobile 338-761-5052 or 339-123-7687, www.lecamerinedisilvia.com, info@lecamerinedisilvia.com, Conti family).
$ B&B Siena in Centro is a clearinghouse managing five good and centrally located private apartments. Their handy office functions as a reception area renting out about 15 rooms; stop by here to pick up your key and be escorted to your apartment. The rooms are generally spacious, quiet, and comfortable, but with no air-conditioning or Wi-Fi. Their website lets you visualize your options (Sb-€45-60, Db-€70-90, Tb-€90-120, reception open 9:00-13:30 & 15:00-19:00, later in high season, other times by phone request, Wi-Fi in office, OK to leave bags at reception, Via di Stalloreggi 14-16, tel. 0577-43041, mobile 331-281-0136 or 347-465-9753, www.bbsienaincentro.com, info@bbsienaincentro.com, Gioia or Michela).
These hotels are within a 10-minute walk northwest of Il Campo. Both Albergo Bernini and Alma Domus offer fine panoramas of the old town for reasonable prices.
$$$ Hotel Chiusarelli, with 48 classy rooms in a beautiful frescoed Neoclassical villa, has a handy location but is on a very busy street. Expect traffic noise at night—ask for a quieter room in the back (can be guaranteed with reservation). The bells of San Domenico are your 7:00 wake-up call (Sb-€105, Db-€160, Tb-€190, ask for 10 percent Rick Steves discount when you book directly with hotel, air-con, guest computer, Wi-Fi, across from San Domenico at Viale Curtatone 15, tel. 0577-280-562, www.chiusarelli.com, info@chiusarelli.com).
$ Alma Domus is a church-run hotel featuring 28 spartan but tidy rooms with quaint balconies, some fantastic views (ask for a room con vista), stately public rooms, and a pleasant atmosphere. However, the thin doors, echoey halls, and nearby church bells can be drawbacks, particularly on upper floors; ask for a room with double-paned windows or bring earplugs. Consider upgrading to a superior room on the main floor for slightly more (Sb-€48, Db-€90, Tb-€120, air-con, elevator, guest computer, Wi-Fi; from San Domenico, walk downhill toward the view with the church on your right, turn left down Via Camporegio, make a U-turn down the brick steps to Via Camporegio 37; tel. 0577-44-177, www.hotelalmadomus.it, info@hotelalmadomus.it, Luigi).
$ Albergo Bernini makes you part of a Sienese family in a modest, clean home with 10 traditional rooms. Giovanni, charming wife Daniela, and their three daughters welcome you to their spectacular view terrace for breakfast and picnic lunches and dinners (S-€55, D-€65, Sb or small Db with view-€78, Db-€85, less in winter, optional breakfast-€5/small or €9/big, Wi-Fi, on the main Il Campo-San Domenico drag at Via della Sapienza 15, tel. 0577-289-047, www.albergobernini.com, hbernin@tin.it). If you’re passing by, they’re happy to give you a peek at their terrace if you show this book.
These options, a 10- to 20-minute walk from the center, are great for drivers.
These two fine spots are about 200 yards outside the Porta Romana (for locations, see the map on here). To get to downtown Siena from here, catch minibus line A uphill to Piazza al Mercato, just behind Il Campo (€1.10). To reach the bus and train stations, take bus #2 (which becomes #17 at Piazza del Sale; when arriving, catch #17 from the station). If driving, from the freeway, take the Siena Sud exit, continue in direction Romana, then at the first light turn left, following Pta Romana/Centro signs for about half a mile until you see the big city gate.
$$$ Hotel Santa Caterina is a three-star, 18th-century place renting 22 comfy rooms. It’s professionally run with real attention to quality. While it’s on a big city street, it has a delightful garden terrace with views over the countryside (Sb-€125, four small Db-€125, Db-€165, split-level Tb or Qb-€215, prices promised with this book through 2015, can be cheaper in low season, garden side is quieter, air-con, fridge in room, elevator, Wi-Fi, parking-€15/day—request when you reserve, Via E.S. Piccolomini 7, tel. 0577-221-105, www.hscsiena.it, info@hscsiena.it, Lorenza and her crew).
$$ Hotel Porta Romana is at the edge of town, off a busy road. Some of its 15 rooms face the open countryside (request one of these), and breakfast is served in the garden (Sb-€90, Db-€110, extra person-€20, 10 percent Rick Steves discount if you book direct and pay cash, air-con in most rooms, Wi-Fi, free parking, inviting sun terrace, outdoor hot tub open April-Oct at no extra charge with this book, Via E.S. Piccolomini 35, tel. 0577-42299, www.hotelportaromana.com, info@hotelportaromana.com, Marco and Evelia).
These two places are in a villa-studded residential neighborhood across a gully from San Domenico Church. They’re about 5-10 minutes farther than the listings under “Near San Domenico Church,” earlier, but the extra walking gets you to a swankier address.
$$$ Hotel Villa Elda rents 11 bright and light rooms in a recently renovated villa. It’s classy, stately, pricey, and run with a feminine charm (Db-€129-159, about €20 more for view, extra person-€30, air-con, no elevator, Wi-Fi, garden and view terrace, closed Nov-March, Viale Ventiquattro Maggio 10, tel. 0577-247-927, www.villaeldasiena.it, info@villaeldasiena.it).
$$$ Hotel Villa Liberty, across a busy street from the fortress, is a former private mansion. It has 17 big, bright, comfortable rooms and some road noise (Sb-€88, Db-€156, Tb-€196, €18 more for superior room, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi, bar, courtyard, free and easy street parking, facing fortress at Viale Vittorio Veneto 11, tel. 0577-44-966, www.villaliberty.it, info@villaliberty.it).
$$ Hotel Minerva is your big, professional, plain, efficient option. It’s the most impersonal of my listings, with zero personality but predictable comfort. While its 56 rooms are boring, they don’t hide any unpleasant surprises. It works best for those with cars—parking is reasonable (€12/day), and it’s only a 10-minute walk from the action (Sb-€76, Db-€122, Tb-€168, bigger suites available at higher price, view room-€20 extra, air-con, elevator, guest computer, Wi-Fi, Via Garibaldi 72, tel. 0577-284-474, www.albergominerva.it, info@albergominerva.it).
$$$ Frances’ Lodge Relais is a tranquil and delightfully managed farmhouse B&B a mile out of Siena. Each of its six rooms is bursting with character (all well-described on their website). Franca and Franco run this rustic-yet-elegant old place, which features a 19th-century orangery that’s been made into a “better homes and palaces” living room, as well as a peaceful garden, eight acres of olive trees and vineyards, and great views of Siena and its countryside—even from the swimming pool (small Db-€170, Db-€190, Db suite-€220, Tb-€210-220, Tb suite-€280, Qb suite-€340, these prices promised to Rick Steves readers through 2015 if you book directly with hotel, possibly cheaper for longer stays, air-con, guest computer, Wi-Fi, free parking, Strada di Valdipugna 2—see map on here, tel. 0577-42379, mobile 337-671-608, www.franceslodge.it). To the center, it’s a five-minute bus ride (€1.60, they’ll call to arrange) plus a five-minute walk, or €10 by taxi. Consider having an al fresco dinner in the gazebo, complete with view (make your own picnic, or have your hosts assemble a very fancy one for €20/person).
The following accommodations are set in the lush, peaceful countryside surrounding Siena, and are best for those traveling by car (see map on here; for Il Canto also see map on here).
$$$ Borgo Argenina has seven rooms in a well-maintained, pricey splurge of a B&B. Run by helpful Elena Nappa, it’s 20 minutes north of Siena by car in the Chianti region (Db-€170, beautiful gardens, Wi-Fi, mobile 345-353-7673, www.borgoargenina.it, info@borgoargenina.it).
$$ Il Canto del Sole is a restored 18th-century farmhouse turned family-friendly B&B located about six miles outside the Porta Romana city gate. Run by Laura, Luciano, and their son Marco, it features 10 bright and airy rooms, a saltwater swimming pool, a game room, and bike rentals. Their two apartments with original antique furnishings fit six to eight people (Db-€120, Tb-€140, extra bed-€30, apartment-€180-220, ask for Rick Steves discount, air-con, Wi-Fi, free parking, free pickup/drop-off from train/bus station, dinner cooked on request, Val di Villa Canina 1292, 53014 Loc. Cuna, tel. 0577-375-127, www.ilcantodelsole.com, info@ilcantodelsole.com).
Sienese restaurants are reasonable by Florentine and Venetian standards. You can enjoy ordering high on the menu here without going broke. For me, the best €5 you can spend in Siena is on a cocktail at Bar Il Palio, overlooking Il Campo. For pasta, a good option is pici (PEE-chee), a thick Sienese spaghetti that seems to be at the top of every menu.
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
For only a few euros more, these four places deliver a more upscale ambience and generally better food than my later recommendations.
Antica Osteria Da Divo is the place for a dressy and atmospheric €45 meal. The kitchen is creative, the ambience is flowery and candlelit, some of the seating fills old Etruscan tombs, and the food is fresh, delicate, and top-notch. While the cuisine is flamboyant and almost over-the-top, Chef Pino and his wife Susanna serve up my favorite splurge dinner in town. Pino is a fanatic for fresh ingredients, enjoys giving traditional dishes his creative spin, and is understandably proud of his desserts. The wine is good, too—you can order it by the glass (€4-7) if you ask (€10-12 pastas, €20-26 secondi, €3 cover, Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Tue, reservations smart; facing Baptistery door, take the far-right street and walk one long curving block to Via Franciosa 29; tel. 0577-284-381, www.osteriadadivo.it). Those dining here with this book can finish with a complimentary biscotti and vin santo or coffee (upon request).
Taverna San Giuseppe offers modern Tuscan cuisine in a chic grotto atmosphere. While the vibe is high energy and casual, the food compares favorably with the slightly more upscale places listed here. The wine-and-cheese cellar in back is cut from an Etruscan tomb. Check the posters tacked around the entry for daily specials. Reserve or arrive early to get a table (€8-10 pastas, €15-20 secondi, Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Sun, air-con, 7-minute climb up street to the right of City Hall at Via Giovanni Dupre 132, tel. 0577-42-286, www.tavernasangiuseppe.it, Matteo).
Compagnia dei Vinattieri serves modern Tuscan dishes with a creative twist. In this elegantly unpretentious space, you can enjoy a quiet and romantic meal under graceful brick arches. The menu is small and accessible, and the young staff will help you match your meal with the right wine. Marco, the owner, is happy to take you down to the marvelous wine cellar (€9-10 pastas, €16-18 secondi, leave this book on the table for a complimentary aperitivo, daily 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-23:00, entries at Via dei Pittori 1 and Via delle Terme 79, tel. 0577-236-568, www.vinattieri.net).
Hostaria Il Carroccio, artsy and convivial, seats guests in a tight, sea-foam green dining room and serves elegantly presented, traditional “slow food” recipes with innovative flair at affordable prices (€8 pastas, €14-18 secondi, €30 tasting menu—minimum two people, cash only, reservations wise, Thu-Tue 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, closed Wed, Via del Casato di Sotto 32, tel. 0577-41-165, sweet Renata and Mauro).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Trattoria La Torre is a thriving, unfussy casalinga (home-cooking) eatery, popular for its homemade pasta, plates of which entice customers as they enter. The sound of its busy open kitchen adds to the conviviality. Ten tables are packed under one medieval brick arch. Service is brisk and casual, and despite its priceless position below the namesake tower, it feels more like a local hangout than a tourist trap (€8-9 pastas, €8-11 secondi, Fri-Wed 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, just steps below Il Campo at Via di Salicotto 7, tel. 0577-287-548, Lara Boccini).
Osteria del Gatto is a classic little hole-in-the-wall, thriving with townspeople and powered by a passion for serving good Sienese cuisine. Friendly Marco Coradeschi and his engaged staff cook and serve daily specials with attitude. As it’s so small and popular, it can get loud. Reservations are recommended (€8 pastas, €8-10 secondi, Mon-Fri 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, Sat 19:30-22:00 only, closed Sun, 5-minute walk away from the center at Via San Marco 8, tel. 0577-287-133).
Ristorante Guidoriccio, just a few steps below Il Campo, feels warm and welcoming. You’ll get smiling service from Ercole and Flora. While mostly filled with tourists, the place has charm—especially if you let gentle Ercole explore the menu with you and follow his suggestions (€9 pastas, €14-15 secondi, Mon-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Sun, air-con, Via Giovanni Dupre 2, tel. 0577-44-350).
Trattoria Papei is a Sienese favorite, featuring a casual, rollicking family atmosphere and friendly servers dishing out generous portions of rib-stickin’ Tuscan specialties and grilled meats. This big, sprawling place under brown tents in a parking lot is in all the guidebooks and often jammed—so call to reserve (€8 pastas, €9-13 secondi, daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, on the market square directly behind City Hall at Piazza del Mercato 6, tel. 0577-280-894; for 50 years Signora Giuliana has ruled her kitchen, Amedeo and Eduardo speak English).
Osteria Trombicche takes you back to another age—cheap and small, with tight indoor seating and two tiny outdoor tables from which to watch the street scene. Alessandro serves fast, hearty food to a local crowd. For strong, traditional flavors, try tripe on Thursdays and salted dried cod on Fridays (€7 ribollita—bean-and-vegetable soup, €6 panzanella—bread salad with tomato and basil, €8-10 mixed-vegetable antipasto plates, hand-cut prosciutto, Mon-Sat 11:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, Sun 11:30-17:00, Via delle Terme 66, tel. 0577-288-089).
La Taverna Di Cecco is a simple, comfortable little eatery on an uncrowded back lane where earnest Luca and Gianni serve tasty salads and Sienese specialties made with fresh ingredients by an Italian grandmother (€10-12 pastas, €12-16 secondi, daily 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-24:00, Via Cecco Angiolieri 19, tel. 0577-288-518).
Il Pomodorino is a lively restaurant with a great view of the Duomo from its outdoor terrace. Tasty €8 pizzas pair well with a beer from their wide selection. The more intimate interior has Italian proverbs on the walls (daily April-Oct 12:30-late, Nov-March 17:00-late, a few steps from the recommended Alma Domus hotel at Via Camporegio 13, tel. 0577-286-811, mobile 345-026-5865).
If you choose to eat on perhaps the finest town square in Italy, you’ll pay a premium, meet waiters who don’t need to hustle, and get mediocre food. And yet I recommend it. The clamshell-shaped square is lined with venerable cafés, bars, restaurants, and pizzerias.
To experience Il Campo without paying for a full meal, consider having drinks or breakfast on the square. Some bars serve food. And if your hotel doesn’t include breakfast or if you’d like something more memorable, Il Campo has plenty of options. A cappuccino and a cornetto (croissant) run about €5-6.
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Ristorante Alla Speranza has perhaps the best view in all of Italy. If you’re looking to eat reasonably on Il Campo, this is your place (€9-11 pastas and pizzas, €17-18 secondi, €3 cover, daily 9:00-late, tel. 0577-280-190, www.allasperanza.it). It’s smart to reserve the view table of your choice online or by phone—or simply stop by while you’re sightseeing in the square.
Il Bandierino is another decent option with an angled view of City Hall (€9-10 salads, €11-12 pizzas, €14-15 pastas; no cover but a 20 percent service fee, daily 11:00-23:00, tel. 0577-282-217, Tony).
Bar Il Palio is the best bar on Il Campo for a pre- or post-dinner drink: It has straightforward prices, no cover, decent waiters, and a fantastic perspective out over the square.
Dynamic little Osteria Liberamente has a trendy vibe and is popular with young people (fine wine by the glass, €7 cocktails with good tapas, daily 9:00-late, Pino).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Three places have skinny balconies with benches overlooking the main square for their customers. Sipping a coffee or nibbling a pastry here while marveling at the Il Campo scene is one of my favorite things to do in Europe. And it’s very cheap. Survey these three places from Il Campo (with your back to the tower, they are at 10 o’clock, high noon, and 3 o’clock, respectively).
The little Costarella Gelateria, on the corner of Via di Città and Costa dei Barbieri, has good drinks and light snacks, such as cute little €3.50 sandwiches, though the gelato tastes artificial (daily 8:00-late, Via di Città 33). While the restaurant is for regular service, you’re welcome to take anything from the bar out to the simple benches for a slight surcharge (just walk through the “table service only” section upstairs) and eat with a grand view overlooking Il Campo.
Bar Paninoteca San Paolo has a youthful pub ambience and a row of stools overlooking the square. It serves big €7 salads and 50 kinds of €4 sandwiches, hot and cold—not authentic Italian, but quick and filling (order and pay at the counter, food served daily 12:00-2:00 in the morning, live music on Fri night, on Vicolo di San Paolo, tel. 0577-226-622).
Key Largo Bar has two long, second-story benches in the corner offering a wonderful secret perch. Buy your drink or snack at the bar (no cover and no extra charge to sit on balcony), climb upstairs, and slide the ancient bar to open the door. Enjoy stretching out, and try to imagine how, during the Palio, three layers of spectators cram into this space—note the iron railing used to plaster the top row of sardines up against the wall. Suddenly you’re picturing Palio ponies zipping wildly around the corner (€4 cocktails, Sun-Thu 7:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 8:30-late, on the corner of Via Rinaldini). If you can’t get a seat on the outdoor benches, skip the nondescript interior.
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Antica Pizzicheria al Palazzo della Chigiana (look for the sign reading Pizzicheria de Miccoli) may be the official name, but I bet locals just call it Antonio’s. For most of his life, frenzied Antonio has carved salami and cheese for the neighborhood. Most of the day, a hungry line spills onto the street as people wait for their €4-5 sandwiches—meat and cheese sold by weight—with a good €10 bottle of Chianti (Italian law dictates that he must sell you a bottle of wine—cheap and good—and lend you the glasses). Even if you don’t eat here, you could pop in to inhale the commotion or peruse Antonio’s gifty traditional edibles (Mon-Sat 8:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, Via di Città 93-95, tel. 0577-289-164).
Pizza: Budget eaters look for pizza al taglio shops, scattered throughout Siena, selling pizza by the slice. One good bet, San Martino, a couple of blocks behind Il Campo, is a local-feeling spot with €2-3 slices and sandwiches (Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat 11:00-21:00, closed Sun, Via del Porrione 64). Pizzeria Poppi, near the recommended Hotel Etruria, is a funky stop filled with locals. With very few menu options, the choice is easy. Grab a ciaccino ripieno (stuffed “white” pizza—no tomatoes) and use Il Campo as a dining room (€1-2/slice, Mon-Fri 10:00-15:00 & 16:30-20:30, Sat 10:30-15:00 & 16:30-21:00, closed Sun, Via Banchi di Sotto 25—look for a white-and-blue Pizzeria sign at the corner of Via di Calzoneria).
Rosticcerie: For cheap takeout food, look for a rosticceria (explained on here). One affordable yet forgettable central option that feels at least partly untouristed is Rosticceria Vitti, near Piazza Gramsci’s bus terminus (point to what you want in the glass case, figure €5 for a light meal, Sun-Fri 9:00-21:30, until 16:00 off-season, closed Sat, Via dei Montanini 14/16, tel. 0577-289-291).
Supermarket: You won’t find many cheap grocery shops in the touristy center of Siena. But one handy (if fancy) option is Consorzio Agrario Siena. Ask them to make you up a panino. As this place specializes in artisanal Tuscan foods, both the quality and prices are high (Mon-Sat 8:00-20:30, Sun 9:30-20:00, a block off Piazza Matteotti, toward Il Campo at Via Pianigiani 5).
(See “Siena Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
For a special dessert or a sweet treat any time of day, stop by Nannini—considered the top-end pastry shop and the place to go for quality local specialties (Mon-Sat 7:30-21:00, Sun 8:00-24:00, aperitivo happy hour 18:00 until closing, Banchi di Sopra 24). Across the street is the wonderful Gelateria Grom (see “Nightlife in Siena” sidebar)—but you have my permission to sample every gelateria in town to pick your own favorite.
Siena has sparse train connections but is a great hub for buses to the hill towns, though frequency drops on Sundays and holidays. For most, Florence is the gateway to Siena. Even if you are a rail-pass user, connect these two cities by bus—it’s faster than the train, and Siena’s bus station is more convenient and central than its train station. (Note: Many travelers mistake old signs for a former bus company, Tra-In, as signs for trains or the train station. Those buses have nothing to do with the railway.)
Siena’s train station is at the edge of town. For details on getting between the town center and the station, see here.
From Siena by Train to: Florence (direct trains hourly, 1.5-2 hours; bus is better), Pisa (2/hour, 1.75 hours, change at Empoli), Assisi (10/day, 3.25-4.25 hours, most involve 2 changes, bus is faster), Rome (1-2/hour, 3-3.5 hours, change in Florence or Chiusi), Orvieto (12/day, 2.5 hours, change in Chiusi). For more information, visit www.trenitalia.com.
The main bus companies are Tiemme/Siena Mobilità (formerly called Tra-In; mostly handles buses to regional destinations, tel. 0577-204-111, www.sienamobilita.it) and Sena/Baltour (for long-distance connections, tel. 0861-199-1900, www.baltour.it). On schedules, the fastest buses are marked rapida. I’d stick with these. Most buses depart Siena from Piazza Gramsci; others leave from the train station (confirm when you buy your ticket).
Tiemme/Siena Mobilità Buses to: Florence (roughly 2/hour, 1.25-hour rapida/via superstrada buses are faster than the train, avoid the 2-hour ordinaria buses unless you have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery en route; if there are lines at bus-ticket office, tickets also available at tobacco shops/tabacchi; generally leaves from Piazza Gramsci as well as train station), San Gimignano (8/day direct, on Sun must change in Poggibonsi, 1.25 hours, leaves from Piazza Gramsci), Volterra (4/day Mon-Sat, no buses on Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d’Elsa, leaves from Piazza Gramsci), Montepulciano (6-8/day, none on Sun, 1.25 hours, leaves from train station), Pienza (6/day, none on Sun, 1.5 hours, leaves from train station), Montalcino (6/day Mon-Sat, 4/day Sun, 1.25 hours, leaves from train station or Piazza del Sale), and Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport (3/day, 1.75 hours, one direct, two via Poggibonsi).
Sena/Baltour Buses to: Rome (9-10/day, 3 hours, from Piazza Gramsci, arrives at Rome’s Tiburtina station on Metro line B with easy connections to the central Termini train station), Naples (2/day, 6.5 hours, one at 17:00 and an overnight bus that departs at 23:59), Milan (6/day, 4 hours, departs from Piazza Gramsci, arrives at Milan’s Cadorna Station with Metro access and direct trains to Malpensa Airport), or Assisi (daily at 17:30, 1.75 hours, departs from Siena train station, arrives at Assisi Santa Maria degli Angeli; from there it’s a 10-minute taxi/bus ride uphill to city center).
To reach the town center of Pisa, the train is better (described earlier).
Tickets and Information: You can buy tickets in the underground passageway (called Sottopassaggio la Lizza) beneath Piazza Gramsci—look for stairwells in front of NH Excelsior Hotel. The larger office (marked Siena Mobilità) handles Tiemme/Siena Mobilità buses (Mon-Fri 6:30-19:30, Sat-Sun 7:00-19:30). The smaller one is for Sena/Baltour buses (Mon-Sat 8:30-19:45; on Sun, when the Sena/Baltour bus ticket office is closed, buy tickets next door at Tiemme/Siena Mobilità office; Sena/Baltour office also has a desk selling Eurolines tickets for bus connections to other countries). Tiemme/Siena Mobilità is cash-only; Sena/Baltour accepts credit cards. You can also get tickets for both Tiemme/Siena Mobilità buses and Sena/Baltour buses at the train station (look for bus-ticket kiosk just inside main door—see here for hours). If necessary, you can buy tickets from the driver, but it costs €3-5 extra.
Services: Sottopassaggio la Lizza also has luggage storage (see here for details), posted bus schedules and WCs (€0.50).