SIENA & DUOMO WALKING TOUR
Group Experience
Tour the historical city center of Siena with an expert local guide.
See all the main sights of town and skip the line at the Duomo cathedral to visit the rich, art-filled interiors.
Meet your guide in front of the church of San Domenico in Siena at 10:30am, easy to find even if you are arriving from out of town with your own car, as there is parking in the vicinity.
We begin by taking a look at the magnificent Basilica of San Domenico to admire its architecture and art, as well as the important relic that it contains, of the patron Saint of Italy and Europe: Saint Catherine, who was born in Siena.
Continue to explore Siena’s medieval streets and squares and listen as your guide points out the most important historical buildings linked to the city’s main houses of power. Marvel at Rocca Salimbeni, housing the most ancient bank in the world, Monte dei Paschi, home to the main offices and an impressive collection of archives and works of art.
Walk with us to Palazzo Tolomei, which is said to be the oldest private palace in Siena and see the imposing stone tower of Palazzo Chigi Saracini, a mid-12th century palazzo built by the powerful Marescotti family.Currently, this building is the seat of the prestigious Accademia Musicale Chigiana, a music school founded in 1923.Admire one of Italy’s most beautiful piazzas, the Piazza del Campo built in the shape of a shell, with the impressive Palazzo Comunale or Town Hall with its imposing bell tower, the Torre del Mangia. This is the square that enjoys one of the most famous medieval tournaments, the Palio horse race, held twice a year by the city’s Contrada neighborhoods and is to this day, the heart and soul of this magnificent medieval city.
End the tour with a guided visit to one of the most spectacular cathedrals in Italy, the Siena Duomo (Cathedral), with its rich interiors that span the centuries. Your guide will escort you into this breathtaking monument to see impressive masterpieces by Donatello, Bernini and Michelangelo. Admire the exquisite Gothic architecture, the ancient pulpit, and visit the chapels. Walk below the naves and marvel at the Renaissance busts of popes and the intricate marble decorations and stained-glass windows.
