Another day outside of Florence, this time visiting Siena, which is also part of the Tuscan region. Again, Italian locals have recommended that I see this city and make a full day trip out of it.
The most famous thing about this city is that it holds an annual horse race called the Il Palio around the city's main Plaza, the Piazza del Campo. I was unfortunately not here at the right time to witness this event though, as it is held in the summer months.
People have told me that you really get a sense of the Medieval Gothic architecture when you walk around Siena, and I definitely saw a lot of it as I walked through the city center, stopping first at the Piazza del Campo, a huge open area where people leisurely sit to converse with each other, read a book, or visit the Palazzo Publico.
I headed towards the Duomo (every city in Italy has a grand church to visit) where I bought an all-inclusive ticket for entrances into the church, crypt, baptistery, and museum. My favorite part of the day was walking to the top of the museum, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, and up a couple flights of very narrow spiral steps to an area outside, providing panoramic views of the city. I could see in the distance that there were beautiful, hilly, countryside spots just outside the city. I wish I could have seen more of the countryside of Tuscany, but I got quick glimpses of it on the bus ride here and back to Florence.
The most famous thing about this city is that it holds an annual horse race called the Il Palio around the city's main Plaza, the Piazza del Campo. I was unfortunately not here at the right time to witness this event though, as it is held in the summer months.
People have told me that you really get a sense of the Medieval Gothic architecture when you walk around Siena, and I definitely saw a lot of it as I walked through the city center, stopping first at the Piazza del Campo, a huge open area where people leisurely sit to converse with each other, read a book, or visit the Palazzo Publico.
I headed towards the Duomo (every city in Italy has a grand church to visit) where I bought an all-inclusive ticket for entrances into the church, crypt, baptistery, and museum. My favorite part of the day was walking to the top of the museum, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, and up a couple flights of very narrow spiral steps to an area outside, providing panoramic views of the city. I could see in the distance that there were beautiful, hilly, countryside spots just outside the city. I wish I could have seen more of the countryside of Tuscany, but I got quick glimpses of it on the bus ride here and back to Florence.
Siena's Duomo
Crypt
Baptistery
Panoramic Views outside the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Piazza del Campo
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