Are you planning a trip to Siena but you do not know anything about the place? You are looking for information to spend a nice day in the city of the Palio but you are afraid to leave something out?
Do not worry, follow our guide about the main streets of Siena and you will be sure to not miss anything!
Obviously the most famous tourist place of Siena is Piazza del Campo, or the meeting point of the three hills on which the city stands.
In this extraordinary and original shell-shape there are several monumental buildings such as the Palazzo Pubblico, reachable through vicolo San Pietro (which you will find to the right of the Fonte Gaia) at the height of the Croce del Travaglio.
La Croce del Travaglio is the meeting point of the three main streets that have always been characterizing the city of Siena: via Banchi di Sopra, via Banchi di Sotto and Via di Città.
Precisely because of its particular location, in practice the hub of the city, we advise you to consider the Croce del Travaglio as your starting point for any itinerary you want to undertake.
From the Croce del Travaglio you can move along Banchi di Sopra to discover the Third of Camollia (Via Banchi di Sopra, Via dei Montanini and Via Camollia), that marvelous area dotted with aristocratic palaces, in memory of a medieval Siena homeland of noble bankers and rich merchants.
Head also to the districts of Ovile and Fontebranda to discover the popular soul of Siena, where above all Santa Caterina da Siena was born. It is in this area that you will come across Palazzo Tolomei, the oldest building in Siena dating back to the 13th century and in the spectacular basilicas of San Francesco and San Domenico, which with its mighty overhangs the Fontebranda valley.
Instead, starting from the Croce del Travaglio along Banchi di Sotto, you can get into the Terzo di San Martino, famous for being the protector of travelers and pilgrims.
From this area that descends towards Porta Romana you can contemplate one of the most enchanting corners of Siena: the Castellare degli Ugurgieri, a wonderful medieval structure located between Via San Vigilio and Via Angiolieri.
In Banchi di Sotto you can also admire the sensational Palazzo Piccolomini and the Logge del Papa, a true model of Sienese Renaissance architecture.
Finally, always taking the Croce del Travaglio as a reference point, descend along Via di Città, the most elegant street in Siena and the secular and religious heart of Siena.
Originally called Via Galgaria, Via di Città is one of the most famous streets of Siena and connects the political center, or Piazza del Campo and Palazzo Pubblico, with the religious center, that is Piazza del Duomo.
Walking through this street you can admire the fabulous medieval buildings like Palazzo Monaldi, Palazzo Crocini and Palazzo Patrizi, the latter seat of the Accademia degli Intronauti.
Continuing along Via di Città, you will see Palazzo Marsili, built in the fifteenth century in Gothic style by Luca di Bartolo Lupini, and the fifteenth-century Palazzo Marsilia-Libelli, whose design is still a subject of debate.
In fact, for some Palazzo Marsilia-Libelli was built by Vecchietta, for others by Urbano da Cortona.
Via di Città flows into Piazza di Postierla, better known with the name of the Quattro Cantoni, in reference to the fact that the main streets of the Terzo di Città meet here.
From Piazza di Postierla you can continue along Via del Capitano, where Chigi Palace at the Postierla and Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, now called Piccolomini-Clementini, built at the end of the 13th century.
After passing Via del Capitano you will find in Piazza del Duomo, immersed in a surprising atmosphere of solemnity that is the background of the monumental marble cathedral.
In front of the Cathedral you will notice the ancient complex of the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, which in medieval times was a hospital while today it hosts a dynamic cultural center.
Taking again as a point of reference Via di Città, you can follow the itinerary that leads to the oldest part of Siena, Castelvecchio.
You get there from the steep Costarella dei Barberi, from which you can contemplate the extraordinary panorama of Piazza del Campo framed by Palazzo Pubblico.
In the common jargon with the name Costarella dei Barbieri we mean the point between Piazza del Campo and the Duomo, called the Mossa.
La Mossa is also a very important place in the economy of the Palio di Siena, as it is considered the point of departure and arrival of the horses participating in the spectacular race that takes place twice a year: July 2 and August 16 .
If you want a hotel in Siena with parking and near Piazza del Campo, choose the Albergo Minerva, our 3-starred hotel in the downtown of Siena with many rooms with panoramic views.
Browse the site and book directly via phone and you will always have the best price guaranteed.