Siena Cathedral

In 1348, the Black Death killed roughly half of Siena’s population and permanently ended the city’s ambition to build the largest cathedral in Tuscany. Construction of a vastly expanded new nave had begun in the 1330s; the abandoned walls and the roofless Facciatone facade still stand on the south side of the cathedral square today, marking what would have been the most ambitious Gothic building in Italy. What Siena ended up with instead, the cathedral that was originally planned as just the transept of that larger building, is still extraordinary.

The Building

The completed Duomo di Siena, consecrated in 1348, has a facade combining Romanesque and Gothic elements in white, green, and red marble. The originals of Giovanni Pisano’s sculptural figures from the facade are now in the Museo dell’Opera with copies in their place outdoors. The interior alternates horizontal black and white marble stripes across columns, walls, and floor, a pattern unlike any other church interior in Italy.

The building is open daily from 10:30am. The OPA SI Pass (around EUR 14) covers the Duomo interior, the Baptistery, the Crypt, and the Museo dell’Opera; adding the Facciatone climb is EUR 20. Book online to skip the peak-season queue. The pass is valid for three consecutive days from purchase.

The Marble Floor

Fifty-six inlaid marble floor panels depict biblical scenes, historical figures, and allegories, produced between 1372 and 1547 by a succession of Sienese artists. Most of the floor is covered for protection. It is fully uncovered once a year, typically for about two months from late August. Check the official Duomo website before booking your trip; visiting during the uncovering period is worth timing around.

The Piccolomini Library

Through a door in the north aisle, the Piccolomini Library holds ten large frescoes by Pinturicchio depicting the life of Pope Pius II, commissioned in 1492. The room was built to house a cardinal’s book collection and the ceiling is covered in grotesque decoration. The frescoes are in exceptional condition and this room sees a fraction of the visitors in the main church. It is included in the standard cathedral ticket and is the best quality-to-crowd ratio room in Siena. Most people walk past the doorway without going in.

Eating in Siena

The streets east of the Piazza del Campo have better value than the Campo itself, where restaurateurs know they have a captive audience. Osteria Il Grattacielo on Via dei Pontani is a standing-room-only lunch spot serving a fixed menu for around EUR 12; arrive by 12:30. The Consorzio Agrario Siena on Via Pianigiani sells Sienese food products and has a deli counter for takeaway.

Ricciarelli (almond biscuits) and panforte (dense spiced dried-fruit cake) are the local sweets. Buy them at any alimentari in the old town rather than the tourist shops near the cathedral, where the price difference is significant and the quality is the same.

Getting to Siena

The train from Florence to Siena requires a change at Empoli and takes about 90 minutes; it is not the obvious option. The direct express bus from Florence’s SITA bus station takes 75 minutes and costs EUR 8 to 10. That is the practical choice. From Rome, buses run from Tiburtina station in about three hours.

The Palio

If you’re in Siena in July (July 2nd) or August (August 16th), the Palio horse race circles the Piazza del Campo at high speed. It lasts 90 seconds. The months of ritual, political manoeuvering between the 17 city wards (contrade), and the accumulated competitive history of several hundred years are what make it significant. Watching from inside the central campo area is free but requires arriving very early and standing for hours. The race is controversial among animal welfare advocates; horses do sometimes fall and die, which is a fact worth knowing before you go.