Ten reasons to book a Siena hotel
Ten reasons to book a Siena hotel … this superb Tuscan city was a major imperial power in the early Middle Ages, vying with rivals Pisa and Florence for sway in central Italy. All had empires of sizes hard to believe today. The 21st century finds Siena in superb shape - an attractively unspoiled medieval core, but with all the comforts and pleasures of modernity. You’ll eat, drink and shop very well in Siena!
The centre of Siena has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. For this remarkably unspoiled medieval ‘centro storico’ we can in part at least thank the Black Death. Siena was a major power in the early Middle Ages, and had a university as early as 1203. But after the plague in 1348, this major imperial power declined, its population fell sharply, and the medieval centre was unspoiled by expansion. The areas around the centre still have a semi rural feel to this day.
The Duomo: Siena’s cathedral is one of the triumphs of Italian Romanesque Architecture. Begun in the 1100s, with the facade completed in 1380. Within see the lovely octagonal pulpit by Nicola Pisano, Ghirlandaio frescoes and the font with bas reliefs by Donatello, Ghiberti, Jacopo della Quercia and other 15th century sculptors. Look for a Siena hotel near the Duomo.
The Piazza del Campo: not a square but a scallop shell shaped open space at the heart of the town. Magnificent, huge, and the venue for the twice yearly Palio. buildings on the square include the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia.
The Palio: the furious bare back horse race that pits the various wards of the town (or ‘contrade’) against each other. Ascot this isn’t. A breathless and adrenaline pumping spectacle that brings the Middle Ages to life - the rivalry is very real. You’ll find the price of a Siena hotel room at a premium during the Palio.
The Palazzo Pubblico: Siena’s town hall, a magnificent exercise in Italian medieval architecture, begun in 1297. The Gothic monolith, surmounted by the skyscraping Torre del Mangia, suggests how great the confidence and ambition of the Sienese government was before the sad decline of several hundred years. Superb frescoes are to be seen within the Palazzo Pubblico. The palace apparently inspired the Odense City Hall in Denmark.
The Torre del Mangia. At the time, the tower was the highest structure in Italy, and designed to be taller than the one in rival Florence. Hubris, hubris … Siena’s greatest days were arguably already behind her. The design was used as the basis for the Grimsby Dock Tower on England’s east coast - like Siena but without the weather or cuisine. Look for a Siena hotel near to the Piazza del Campo.
The Orto Botanico dell’Università di Siena: superb botanic gardens at the University of Siena (one of Europe’s oldest universities, and dating from 1240).
Superb patrician villas in the city, many of them built by the great Baldassarre Peruzzi (7 March 1481—6 January 1537). Among them see the Villa Chigi, Castle of Belcaro, Villa Celsa, Villa Cetinale and Villa Volte Alte.
Siena’s marvellous churches, including the Basilica dell’Osservanza, Santa Maria dei Servi, San Domenico, San Francesco, Santo Spirito, San Martino and the Sanctuary of Santa Caterina, incorporating the former home of St Catherine of Siena. Look for a Siena hotel either in the centre of town or in the beautiful Chianti countryside outside.
Siena’s municipal coat of arms … forget lions rampant and dancing unicorns on battlements, Siena has the confidence to have the world’s simplest shield. Top half white, bottom half black and, er, that’s it. Beautifully simple and rather evocative of the licorice allsort delight that is Siena’s cathedral.
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