Everything You Need to Know About Siena (Italy)

Strolling around Siena in the mid morning sunlight and stopping to have a cool gelato on the steps of the Duomo is just one of  those delightful experiences that firmly imprint on your memory.

And nothing could dampen our fond memories of Siena, even though our car was broken into and our traveling companion, a stuffed dog named Chili, and Paula’s driving glasses were taken. This was the only unpleasant incident we experienced during our time traveling around Europe.

So onto ‘What you need to know about Siena’

Siena (also often spelled Sienna) is the capital of the province of Siena and is in Tuscany, Italy.  In 1995, the beautiful, historic City centre was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  This means that the state still owns Siena but it is considered of International importance to preserve the site.

Brief History of Siena

Siena was first inhabited by an Etruscan tribe called the Saina.  They made a settlement there from around 900 BC to 400 BC, building irrigation channels to improve the land.

During the rule of the Emperor Augustus, the Romans took over and called the town Saena Julia.  This is where Siena got its emblem of a female wolf suckling the baby twins, Romulus and Remus.  Rome itself was named after Romulus and legend has it that Siena was founded by the son of Remus, Senius.

Siena didn’t do well under Roman rule mostly due to its situation.  It was off the beaten track and so traders passed by.  It was so isolated that Christianity didn’t reach there until 400 AD.  About 100 years later, the Germanic Lombards invaded Sienna, re-routing roads and bringing prosperity to the town.  It also served as a resting place for pilgrims travelling to and from Rome.

In 774, the Lombards surrendered to Charlemagne and many abbeys were founded during this time.  The feudal system lasted until 1115 with the death of Countess Matilda and the area was broken up into several smaller regions.

However, Siena continued to prosper and became a large centre for money lending and trading wool.  It was originally run by the Bishop but during a dispute with a neighbouring city, Arezzo, the Bishop gave away a lot of power in exchange for help.  This culminated in Siena declaring independence and by 1179 it had its’ own written constitution.

This began the period that started the building of the Siena that exists today.  Most of the construction of the Cathedral (called the Duomo) was finished in the early 1200′s.  The Piazza del Campo became the centre with new streets built to lead to it.  Siena’s University, still famed today for law and medicine, was founded in 1240.  Throughout the 1200′s and 1300′s, Siena was a rival to Florence in the Arts and many examples of late Medieval and early Renaissance art still exist today.

Siena still keeps its ‘ward’ or area set-up from medieval times.  Each ward has its own identity, an animal emblem or mascot and its own boundary.  During the annual horse race in the Piazza del Campo, these ward rivalries can be seen in action!

What should I go to see if I visit?

The Duomo – This is Siena’s Cathedral.  Building began in the twelfth century and the façade was finally finished in 1380.

It is one of the greatest examples of Italian Romanesque architecture and is very unusual for a Christian Cathedral because it has an axis running north to south.  This is because the original aim was for it to be the largest Cathedral ever built and it would have a north south transept and an east west aisle as all Cathedrals do.

However, after the transept and the east wall were built, there was no money left in the budget and so building came to an abrupt halt.

The east wall still exists today and visitors may climb it by means of an internal staircase.

The Cathedral also houses a famous Gothic pulpit built in the 1260′s.

Piazza del Campo - the town square which includes the gothic Palazzo Pubblico which is the Town Hall and also an art museum housing some fine medieval pieces.

The Torre del Mangia - a tower in Piazza del Campo built between 1325 and 1348.  The clock was put onto the tower in 1360.   The tower and the Duomo were purposely built to exactly the same height to show that the Church and the state were equal in power.  The tower walls are around 11 feet thick and the stairs to the top are cramped allowing for one way traffic only.  Only 25 visitors are allowed up the tower at any one time.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena – the oldest bank in the world.  Founded in 1472 and still operating today with around 28,000 employees.  It is on the Piazza Salimbeni in the building called Palazzo Samlimbeni.  It houses an amazing art collection and pricelss historical documents sadly not often on view to the public.  However, it is well worth a visit.  How often do you get to step inside a medieval bank?

Sanctuary of Santa Caterina – and the home of Saint Catherine of Siena.  It holds a crucifix which dates back to the late 12^th Century from which Catherine is said to have been given her stigmata, as well as a 15^th Century statue of the Saint.  Catherine lived from March 1347 to April 1380 and was the youngest of 25 children.  At age 19 she experienced a ‘marriage’ to Christ and dedicated her life to him, corresponding with contemporary luminaries including Pope Gregory XI.  She called him ‘Papa’ in many of the 300 letters which survive.  Her body is buried in Rome.  In 1940 Pope Pius XII named her as a joint patron saint of Italy (along with Saint Francis of Assisi).  She is also the patroness of the American sorority, Theta Phi Alpha.

Gardens - including the Orto Botanico dell’Università di Siena, a famous botanical garden.

Jazz - the Siena Jazz School which is housed in the Medicean Fortress, runs courses and concerts all year round.  Concerts are held in the town squares and in other towns in the province of Siena.

If you love history and art then Siena is a dream place to visit.  Make sure it’s on your itinerary for a trip you’ll never forget. We had a lovely time strolling around taking in the beauty of Siena and the surrounding countryside.

Filed under: Italy • Siena

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