Siena

Siena Travel Guide

• About Siena

Gloriously Gothic and effortlessly civilised, intimate Siena is Tuscany’s most seductive calling card. This compact, Italian city is endlessly intriguing, from the shell-shaped Campo to the galleries full of doe-eyed Madonnas and sad-eyed saints. Born middle-aged, Siena is an antidote to fashion lists. It has smugly looked the same for 900 years and has no truck with trends. In essence, it’s Italy’s last surviving city-state: a provincial capital with the psychology of a village and the grandeur of a nation. Siena is the counterpoint to nearby Florence. It’s as medieval as its rival is Renaissance. It’s the feminine foil to Florentine masculinity: Siena paints Madonnas; Florence prefers the machismo of Michelangelo’s David. Change is anathema to the Sienese, but what is there to alter? The rose-brick cityscape is too coherent to tweak. The locals have been giving lessons in living since the enlightened city council first set the tone in the 13th century. Its hearty food and wine still converts hardened sinners and the biannual Palio horse race continues to command the passion of the population. Today, romantics drift along medieval alleys suffused with melancholy charm. Tall, flush-brick palaces conceal world-class art collections. Culture vultures slaver over the turreted town hall and the theatrical mansions. Mystical churches and monumental fountains are simply part of the furniture; quaffing Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino wines in the Medici Fortress an everyday joy. Tomorrow they might tour the vineyards by Vespa or take a Tuscan cookery course in a countryside kitchen. Carved into Etruscan cellars, the city’s homely inns are full of foodies salivating over truffles and wild boar pasta. Siena is a chiaroscuro city, from its striped marble Cathedral to its black-and-white city emblem. Tunnelled backstreets open into the brilliant, light-bathed Campo, where all roads eventually lead. Locals liken it to the enveloping cloak of the Madonna, the city’s patron saint, yet Italians know it as a city ‘a misura d’uomo’ (a city ‘made to the measure of man’). When your horizons shrink to a single neighbourhood bar, you will have discovered the Sienese spirit. It’s time slow down and start walking.

• Siena History

A vital commercial and banking centre, Siena was a regional powerhouse until pesky Florence took the crown. Legend has it that Siena was founded by Senius, the son of Remus. You can see statues of a she-wolf suckling the mythical twin brothers throughout the city. The truth is that Siena started life as an Etruscan settlement, later becoming a Roman colony called Sena Julia. It was the Lombard kings who really brought Siena into its own however. By the 12th century, Siena was flourishing as an independent community. Siena grew wealthy, as it was an important stop on the Via Francigena – the pilgrim route from France to Rome. The influx of travellers and merchants led to the establishment of hostels, shops, a university and banking facilities. Constantly at loggerheads with fierce rival Florence, Siena overpowered the Florentine army at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. The Ghibellines lost power soon after however, and outbreaks of the Black Death beginning in 1348 killed two-thirds of the city’s population. Despite these setbacks, Siena continued to build fine piazzas, churches and towers, and in 1472, the powerful Monte dei Paschi Bank was established. In 1487, Pandolfo Petrucci snatched power. He and his descendants ruled the city with an iron fist until, following a lengthy battle, Siena surrendered to Spain in 1555. To Siena’s chagrin, Philip II of Spain handed the city over to arch rivals Florence a couple of years later. In 1861, Siena was integrated into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy. Today, the city is a thriving market town and tourist magnet, thanks to its beautiful medieval architecture and extraordinary art treasures.

• Did you know?

The Palio bareback horse races have been held in Siena since the mid-17th century. Monte dei Paschi Bank is the oldest surviving bank in the world. The Historic Centre of Siena was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.

• Weather in Siena

Summer temperatures vary between 25°C-35°C (77°F-95°F) in Siena and July and August brings key events such as the Palio horse race and International Jazz Festival. Autumn brings more comfortable temperatures whilst the city is still brimming with events and arts festivals. But if you’re in the city in October, pack your waterproofs and wellies as showers are frequent and temperatures begin to drop. Winters are very cold and temperatures drop to single digit figures. Meanwhile. Spring is a pleasant time to visit when the city’s flowers are beginning to bloom and many street festivals get into full swing.

Things to see in Siena

Attractions

• Piazza del Campo (Siena Main Square)

One of the biggest medieval squares in the world, this unique shell-shaped piazza has been the centre of Sienese life since 1300. Lap up the scenes from a café on the curved side. On 2 July and 16 August, the Sienese relive their medieval heritage with the Palio, a huge bareback horse race. Address: Piazza del Campo, Siena. Opening times: Daily 24 hours. Admission Fees: No Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Duomo (Siena Cathedral)

The Gothic facade is a riot of green, pink and white marble, like a glorious iced cake, while inside the black-and-white banded walls reach up to the starry blue vaults. The best time to visit is when the intricate marble inlaid paving, created by major Sienese craftsmen between 1372 and 1562, is on display. Address: Piazza del Duomo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 286 300 Opening times: Mon–Sat 10:30–19:00. Website: www.operaduomo.siena.it Admission Fees: No Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Palazzo Pubblico and Museo Civico (Town Hall and Civic Museum)

This Gothic masterpiece has been the seat of the city government since 1310. Inside, the Museo Civico showcases medieval city art with a moral message for all masters. Painted on the walls is one of the world’s most famous allegories: Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government, painted in 1338. Address: Piazza del Campo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 292 232 Opening times: Daily 10:00–19:00. Website: www.comune.siena.it/Museo-Civico Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala (Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala)

Opposite the cathedral, Santa Maria della Scala feels like a secret city within a city. It began as a hospital a thousand years ago and continued as one until it was reborn as a magnificent museum. The art-studded complex embraced frescoed churches, granaries and a pilgrims’ hostel, which can all be visited on a tunnel-like trail. Address: Complesso museale Santa Maria della Scala, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 228 744 Opening times: Daily 10:00-19:00. Website: www.santamariadellascala.com Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Libreria Piccolomini (Papal Library)

For many, this Renaissance masterpiece is the most touching of Sienese treasures. The jewel-like library was built in 1495 by the future Pope Pius III, to honour his uncle Pope Pius II, and his collection of Humanistic books. Painted by Pinturicchio in 1509, the frescoed vaults show scenes from the Pope’s life. Address: Piazza del Duomo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 286 300 Opening times: Mon–Sat 10:30–19:00, Sun 13:30–18:00 Website: www.operaduomo.siena.it/libreria-piccolomini Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum)

The Cathedral Museum celebrates Sienese art and boasts beguiling views from the parapets. Nicola Pisano’s octagonal marble pulpit from 1226 is a Gothic masterpiece, as are his original statues for the cathedral facade. Climb the ramparts for a dazzling panorama where the sunset vista sums up Siena: a red brick medieval masterpiece. Address: Piazza del Duomo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 286 300 Opening times: Daily 10:30-19:00. Website: www.operaduomo.siena.it/museo-dellopera Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Pinacoteca Nazionale (National Picture Gallery)

This is the place to overload on Sienese art. The early rooms are full of Madonnas, whether apple-cheeked, pale, remote or warmly human, while Lorenzetti’s Madonna deiCarmelitani is a sweeping cavalcade of local life. Styles here are mystical, lyrical and softly-coloured, even the landscapes. The art also evokes the intimacy and inwardness of medieval Siena, a mood that persists today. Address: Via di San Pietro 29, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 281 161 Opening times: Mon-Sat 09:00–19:00. Website: www.pinacotecanazionale.siena.it Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• Torre del Mangia (City Tower)

Flanking the Palazzo Pubblico, this slender medieval tower must be seen from on high to appreciate its harmony and chromatic perfection. Clamber up the 87m-high (285 ft) tower for magnificent views of the pink piazza and russet rooftops. It was designed to be as tall as the cathedral to signal that state and church had equal status. Address: Piazza del Campo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 292 342 Opening times: Daily 10:00–19:00 Website: www.comune.siena.it/La-Citta Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

• City backstreets

Focusing on Siena’s major monuments shouldn’t blind you to the beauty of its backstreets. Here, the city history unfurls like a medieval banner. Siena’s compactness makes it easy to explore, so visitors can weave through medieval alleys and stumble across sculpted fountains and surprisingly rural views. Address: Siena. Opening times: Daily 24 hours. Admission Fees: No Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: Yes

• Cripta e Battistero di San Giovanni (Cathedral Crypt and Baptistery)

When the labyrinthine Cathedral Crypt was discovered during restoration works in 1999, Biblical frescoes from the Sienese School also came to light – resplendent in vivid shades of blue, gold and red dating from 1280. The 14th-century Baptistery here is a vaulted, frescoed affair, with a magnificent baptismal font in marble and bronze. Address: Piazza San Giovanni (by the Cathedral), Siena. Telephone: +39 577 286 300 Opening times: Daily 10:30–19:00. Website: www.operaduomo.siena.it/battistero.htm Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes UNESCO: No

Tourist Offices

• APT Siena

Address: Piazza Duomo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 280 551 Opening times: Daily 09:30-18:00 Website: www.terresiena.it

• Siena Tourist Office

APT Siena, is in the Santa Maria della Scala museum. It can advise on events and guided walks, and offers the usual array of maps and leaflets.

Tourist passes

Valid for three days, the:

• Opa Si Pass at Museo dell’Opera

Telephone: +39 577 286 300 Website: www.operaduomo.siena.it offers discounted entry to the Cathedral, Library, Baptistery, Crypt and Museo dell’Opera. The Museo Civico Pass from the Civic Museum allows entry to the museum and the Torre del Mangia.

Things to do in Siena

• Catch a steam train to quintessential Tuscany

Chug off to a food fair or autumn truffle market in UNESCO World Heritage country via steam train. The Val d’Orcia, south of Siena, is quintessential Tuscany. Lap up the neat vineyards, clusters of cypresses and farms perched on limestoneridges. Treno Natura Telephone: +39 0577 280 551 Website: www.treno-natura-toscana.it offers day trips, book well in advance.

• Climb the stairway to Heaven at Siena Cathedral

Clamber around the rooftops and rafters of Siena Cathedral with: ‘Gateway to Heaven’ tour Telephone: +39 577 286 300 Website: www.operaduomo.siena.it This new tour ascends the spiral staircases of Porta del Cielo to show off its starry vaults and incredible panorama of Siena’s skyline. Other high points include the Torre del Mangia and Museo dell’Opera roof.

• Devour the pastry shop crawl

The Sienese have a sweet tooth, and the city’s pasticcerie (pastry shops) have been exporting piquant panforte (fruit and nut cake) since medieval times. They were once the preserve of nuns, who guarded their secret recipes, but now anyone can enjoy them. Nannini Telephone: +39 577 236 009 Website: www.grupponannini.it Pasticceria Bini  ( Telephone: +39 577 280 207 ) sell the city’s best.

• Head to the vineyards on a Vespa

If you’re tired of museums and Madonnas, head for the plonk-producing hills on a classic Italian moped. The Siena Vespa Tour  ( Website: www.Siena-Vespa-Tour-Including-Lunch-at-a-Chianti-Winery ). Hits the Chianti trail and includes rustic lunch on a wine estate. You can even ride pillion with a guide if you think you might overdo the white wine.

• Improve your lingo and linguine at the same time

Brush up your Italian while mastering Tuscan recipes and exploring the city. Scuola Dante Alighieri is Siena’s best language and cookery school Telephone: +39 0577 49533 Website: www.dantealighieri.com Classes are set up so mornings are spent grasping the Italian tongue while in the evening, Tuscan cookery lessons teach you to reward your tastebuds.

Siena tours and excursions

Siena tours

• Wine tasting tours

There is an abundance of wonderful wines among the Tuscan hills, but it’s hard to know where to start and, more pressingly, what to drink. Luckily, the plonk experts at Grape Tours take the hassle out of both with trips to vineyards, their surrounding countryside and quiet medieval villages. Running from Tuesday until Friday, different days take in different regions. Wine tastings and lunches included. Telephone: +39 349 866 2988 Website: www.siena-wine-tour.com 

• Walking tours

A variety of walking tours are offered by Guide Siena with themes that include a general introduction to the city sights, religious architecture, pilgrimage routes in Siena and exploration of the city walls. Telephone: +39 577 43 273 Website: www.guidesiena.it

Siena excursions

• San Gimignano

One of the most popular full-day excursions from Siena is a visit to the medieval walled town of San Gimignano, famous for its ancient towers, built when wealthy families fortified their homes in the Middle Ages. It can be reached by bus from Siena in an hour. Telephone: +39 577 940 008 Website: www.sangimignano.com

• Val d’Orcia

A half-day excursion can be taken into the rolling countryside of the Val d’Orcia to the south of Siena.

• The Val d’Orcia railway ( Website: www.ferrovieturistiche.it ) runs round trips on vintage trains in peak season. Times vary, so check with the operator.

Shopping in Siena

Siena is full of enticing Tuscan food shops, chic boutiques and quirky craft stores. Tuscan treats, such as oil, wine, pastries and cheeses, are the best buys, though the most transportable are Sienese pastries. When footsore, retreat to a café to sample the best. Exotic spices reached Siena along the Via Francigena pilgrims’ route, and still find their way into the medieval recipes used today. Visit Antica Drogheria Manganelli, Via di Città 71 for panforte (Italian fruit and nut cake) and ricciarelli almond biscuits. Consider getting wine shipped home. The Enoteca Italiana in the Medici fortress on Piazza Liberta showcases Tuscan wines and sells famous drops like Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The wine centre is open Mon-Tues 12:00-19:30, Wed-Sat 12:00-24:00.

• Key areas

The main shopping streets are Via Banchi di Sopra and Via di Città. Don’t expect glitzy malls, shopping centres and outlets. Sienese shopping is like the city: low-key and small-scale.

• Markets

The main market curves around the Fortezza Medicea on a Wednesday morning. Browse for cheap clothes, leather bags and foodstuffs. The melancholy Piazza del Mercato hosts an antiques market every third Sunday.

• Shopping centres

On Piazza Matteotti, Oviesse department store sells inexpensive clothes. Porta Siena shopping centre is on Piazzale Carlo Rosselli, facing Siena train station. Although open daily, it is uninspiring, but handy for the supermarket. Given Siena’s heritage concerns, there are no shopping centres in the historic centre.

• Opening hours

Most shops are open 09:30–13:00 and 15:30–19:30. Many close on Monday morning.

• Souvenirs

Bianco e Nero, Via dei Fusari 21, is a quaint shop for quirky Sienese ceramics made by local potter Sonia Staccioli. The glazed pots gleam in bold shades of blue, green and apricot.

• Tax information

VAT, Value Added Tax (known as IVA) is paid on goods. Refunds are available to non-EU citizens on some goods for personal use but it is a lengthy process. The shop needs to be part of the Tax Free Italy programme and to provide you with a stamped Tax Refund Receipt. Reimbursement can be claimed at the Italian Customs office.

Restaurants in Siena

Siena is a foodie destination, with dishes designed to bring out the richness of the wine. Expect most restaurants to serve traditional Tuscan cuisine, robust peasant cooking. Dishes are rarely elaborate or excessive. Expect macho T-bone steaks, peasant soups, wild boar stews, truffle sauces, hearty cheeses and divine cakes. As is customary, chefs will cook with olive oil, not butter. Sienese cuisine has a few specialities too: the Cinta Senese pig has been producing the region’s finest pork since Etruscan times; the local pasta is stumpy spaghetti, known as pici; and sauces with mushrooms or truffles are prized in the right season. The local desserts are richly exotic, washed down with sweet Vin Santo (holy wine). Red wines from Siena Province are legendary too; try a drop from Brunello, Montepulciano or Chianti. Even in Siena’s elegant restaurants, the atmosphere tends to be rustic and homely. Some eateries have transformed their Etruscan cellars into additional dining rooms, and the city’s cosy ambience is generally matched by reasonable prices. The Siena restaurants below have been hand-picked by our guide author and are grouped into three pricing categories: Expensive (over €80) Moderate (€30 to €80) Cheap (under €30) These Siena restaurant prices are for a three-course meal for one, with half a bottle of house wine, tax and service. A coperto (cover charge) of €2-5 might be added, and possibly a service charge of 10-15%. If so, this must be stated in the menu. If service is not included, consider a tokenistic tip (under 5%). Most Italians only round up the bill by a few Euros.

Expensive

• Antico Osteria Da Divo

Cuisine: Creative Tuscan This romantic restaurant adjoins the medieval city walls, and dining in its vaulted Etruscan caverns is much like eating in an Etruscan tomb. The menu is Tuscan with a twist, so starters include bruschetta with fresh tomato, or liver-encrusted crostini (topped toasted bread). Florentine steak, fried courgette flowers and wild boar might follow, but more creative is the polenta and chestnut tart with black truffle. The truffle-tasting menu features truffles from the Crete Senesi area, the moonscape south of Siena. Try the Parmesan risotto with truffle shavings or the potato gnocchi and truffles. Address: Via Franciosa 25- 29, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 286 054 Website: www.osteriadadivo.it

• Osteria La Taverna di San Giuseppe

Cuisine: Tuscan This is the perfect Sienese inn, combining a mellow atmosphere with old-school Tuscan food. The ‘tavern’ is convenient for the Campo and set in a softly-lit brick-vaulted dining room. This being Siena, there are also medieval and Etruscan wine cellars. The cavern-like space showcases robust Tuscan home-cooking, and typical dishes include authentic ribollita, a hearty peasant soup, beef stew, and Florentine steaks. Pasta is another strength, whether chunky pici or the ribbon-like pappardelle, which are often served with wild boar. A cosy but casual setting is matched by friendly service. Address: Via Giovanni Dupré 132, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 42 286 Website: www.tavernasangiuseppe.it

• Osteria Le Logge

Cuisine: Creative Tuscan Just off the Campo, this gastronomic inn serves light, creative takes on Tuscan classics. The restaurant is set in an old-world pharmacy and herbalist’s shop, with an authentic dark-wood and marble interior. Regulars particularly appreciate the antipasti and pasta first courses, such as ravioli with mint and Tuscan pecorino cheese. Other popular dishes include duck and fennel, stuffed guinea fowl, pigeon terrine, and the imaginative vegetable dishes. Expect an excellent wine list featuring prominent Tuscan plonk, including award-winning bottles from the owner’s Montalcino estate. Address: Via del Porrione 33, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 48 013 Website: www.giannibrunelli.it

Moderate

• Osteria La Sosta di Violante

Cuisine: Tuscan Siena-style pastas, meat dishes & desserts with creative contemporary flourishes, plus local wines. This minimalist, chic spot is unusual for Siena but Osteria La Sosta successfully straddles several camps. By day, it goes from being a breakfast bar to a tearoom, then a good-value lunch spot, with a dish of the day. Evening brings a full menu but also caters for grazers happy with antipasti and organic wine. Typical dishes include chicken-liver bruschetta, lasagne, vegetarian pilaf and leek and courgette pie. Steak, swordfish and seafood pasta are also on offer. Smooth service and background jazz complete the picture. Address: Via Pantaneto, 115, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 43 774 Website: www.lasostadiviolante.it

• Enoteca I Terzi

Cuisine: Tuscan This reliable inn and wine bar is about the mood as much as the food. Exposed brick walls set the tone for a place that incorporates a medieval tower. Open until late, the inn is laidback and welcoming, and although it has a changing menu, the food always revolves around traditional Tuscan recipes. Regulars come for filling antipasti, pasta, grills and local Chianina steak. Another popular dish is pici al ragu, meat sauce with the chunky spaghetti favoured in Siena. The inn prides itself on not imposing a cover or service charge. Address: Via dei Termini 7, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 44 329 Website: www.enotecaiterzi.it

• Osterie Le Sorelline

Cuisine: Tuscan On the surface, Osterie Le Sorelline is an unpretentious neighbourhood trattoria, but the quality of the cooking takes it to another level. Confident Tuscan dishes are turned out with a smile as lovers of pasta praise the ravioli with butter and sage and the tagliolini noodles with black truffles. In autumn, choose the pici pasta with mushrooms, especially the porcini mushrooms. Other winning choices include the grilled pecorino cheese (a hard cheese made from ewes), the wild-boar dishes or any of the steaks. If you can’t face the no-frills interior, then dine outside. Address: Via dei Rossi 76, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 42 148 Website: www.osterialesorelline.it

Cheap

• Gino Cacino

Cuisine: Tuscan delicatessen This delicatessen and snack bar Is handy for a tasty lunch on the run. Set near the Campo, on one of the city’s prettiest squares, Gino Cacino is run by an affable Tuscan foodie. The specialities include meat or cheese-filled paninis, washeddown by a glass of wine. Gino’s devotion to cheese means he’s dubbed the ‘King of Parmesan and Pecorino.’ Try the cheeses before you decide, but don’t miss the gorgonzola or Taleggio (a semi-soft, crusted cheese). Other fillings include Sienese salami and porchetta (pork roast), or artichokes and tomato salad. Address: Palazzo del Mercato 31, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 553 885 Website: www.ginocacinodiangelo.blogspot.it

• Osteria il Vinaio

Cuisine: Tuscan Family-run stop for seasonal Tuscan dishes, like pici pasta & white bean soup, plus a deli counter. Farewell to the days of nibbling on a few olives instead of dinner, this convivial, bare-brick wine bar is not afraid to turn its hand to decent Tuscan food. It started with well-sourced cheeses and cold cuts, along with bruschetta and crostini (topped toasted bread), but hot dishes have recently popped up on the menu. Depending on the day, it could be filling ribollita (hearty bread and vegetable soup), roast meats or wild boar stew. Wine is still the raison d’etre here, so even the Chianti will be a well-priced Chianti Classico. Address: Via Camollia, 167, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 49 615 Website: www.osteriailvinaio.it

• Osteria Il Carroccio

Cuisine: Traditional Tuscan This well-run, quaint trattoria serves simple but full-bodied Tuscan dishes. Tuck into cured meats, Florentine T-bone steak and pork casserole. Osteria Il Carroccio proudly offers meaty home-cooking, with a Slow Food ethos. Round off a meal with pear and chocolate tart or with Sienese ricciarelli biscuits (almond cookies) and Vin Santo dessert wine. This is as far removed from faddish ‘creative’ cuisine as you can get, and surprisingly convenient for the Campo. Address: Via Casato di Sotto 32, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 41 165

Siena Nightlife

Despite being left-wing, the Sienese are deeply conservative and slaves to civic order. Boisterous bars are swiftly closed down while discos don’t get licences. As a result, Sienese nightlife is sleepy, not wild, cosy not cool, cultured not crass. The low-key locals party quietly, except during the festive Palio season. Nightlife is more about mellow bars, cosy vaulted inns and impromptu guitar sessions. Supper and a stroll to spin out the evening is all most Sienese need. They were born middle-aged and it’s catching. You’ll soon start listening to your footsteps, not your smart phone, as walking restores the medieval rhythms of city life. Make a virtue of the mellowness and shrink your horizons to a favourite neighbourhood bar, that’s what the Sienese do. The city is stronger on music than ballet or theatre. Drop into the Siena tourist office on Piazza Duomo to find out about upcoming events and local listings. Live music takes place in several theatres, churches (Sant’Agostino), historic palaces (Palazzo Chigi-Saracini) and city squares (Piazza del Duomo, Piazza del Campo).

Bars in Siena

• Bar Il Palio

This bar has front-row seats overlooking Europe’s loveliest square, the shell-shaped Campo in all its medieval glory. Whether Il Palio is a suntrap or a tourist trap doesn’t really matter: it’s simply the place to be, especially at sunset. This is the perfect terrace for sundowners, coffee or liqueurs. Ignore the touristy food and focus on the setting. Sip a spritz, classic cocktail or crisp white wine whilst watching the swallows soar and soaking up the cityscape. Here you can sense the Sienese in all their smugness. Address: Piazza del Campo 46-9, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 282 055

• Caffe del Corso

Set on the main drag en route to the Campo, this café is a magnet for the cocktail crowd. Via Banchi di Sopra is a staging post on the classic evening stroll, so call in at Caffe del Corso for a drink, even its decent pizzas might persuade waverers to make a night of it. The mood changes as night falls with lingering coffee-drinkers giving way to a more fun-loving crowd. Address: Via Banchi di Sopra 25, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 226 656

• Enoteca Italiana

Siena’s 16th century fortress is home to a weighty wine bar and upmarket restaurant. The intriguing fortification is also a venue for the Siena Jazz festival in summer. The lounge bar is the setting for serious wine-tasting sessions, but you can just opt for rustic Tuscan treats, especially cheeses and cold cuts, washed down with well-selected plonk, sipped on the summery terrace. Address: Fortezza Medicea, Piazza Libertà, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 228 811. Website: www.enoteca-italiana.it

• Pasticceria Nannini

This celebrated bar and pasticceria (pastry shop) is run by the Nannini dynasty. Tuck into its Christmassy panforte, a rich, exotic cake bursting with honey, almonds, hazelnuts, candied peel, nutmeg and cinnamon. Panpepato (a darker version of panforte) is even spicier. The sugar-coated, almond-scented ricciarelli biscuits here are far lighter. It’s not clear what St Lawrence, the Sienese saint of sweets, would make of rock star Gianna Nannini, whose family runs this traditional pastry shop that’s open till late. Address: Via Banchi di Sopra 24, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 236 009 Website: www.grupponannini.it

Live music in Siena

• La Chigiana

This is Siena’s beacon of excellence, both a classical music venue and a renowned music school. Set in a former medieval palazzo (watchtower), La Chigiana is also deeply Sienese. The institution masterminds winter classical concerts as well as two summer festivals, the Settimana Musicale in July and the Estate Musicale Chigiana in July and August. Address: Palazzo Chigi-Saraceni, Via di Città 89, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 22 091 Website: www.chigiana.it

Theatres in Siena

• Teatro dei Rinnovati

This 16th-century theatre is set inside the Palazzo Pubblico, the seat of the Sienese Council. This is the most historic setting for classical music, opera, dance and drama. The interior is dashingly resplendent with four tiers of regal boxes, soft burgundy chairs and a charitable restoration from the 1950s. Address: Palazzo Pubblico, Cortile del Podestà , Piazza Il Campo, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 292 265 Website: www.teatridisiena.it

• Teatro dei Rozzi

This is Siena’s second major theatre, staging Italian and foreign drama (in Italian) as well as ballet and musicals. With room to seat nearly 500, this grand theatre is another magnificent ode to sincere renovation in Siena, after much of it was damaged in WWII. Address: Piazza Indipendenza 15, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 46 960 Website: www.teatridisiena.it

Culture in Siena

• Gelateria Grom

This superb ice cream parlour is what passes for decadence in sleepy Siena. This ‘pure’ Piedmontese brand seduces with healthy Sicilian lemons and hand-picked hazelnuts, with naughty nougat toppings and lashings of whipped cream. Grom stays open until midnight on summer weekends. Address: Via Banchi di Sopra 11, Siena. Telephone: +39 577 289 303 Website: www.grom.it

Siena Food And Drink

Food In Siena

• Liver crostini

Delicious slices of crispy Tuscan bread, covered with a pate made from chicken spleen and livers. There are different ways of making them. Some make a stir-fry with all the herbs and spices and add chopped livers.

• Pappardelle

Pappardelle with hare sauce is one of the most traditional and tasty first courses of Tuscan cuisine and in particular of the city of Siena. It is a true hymn to flavour and simplicity, prepared with a few skilfully balanced ingredients.

• Ribollita

Ribollita is a typical Tuscan peasant dish; a recipe born out of the need not to throw anything away, not even stale bread. A poor dish.

• Wild boar stew

This rich and hearty wild boar ragu recipe comes from Tuscany. However, wild boar ragu with pasta is popular in a number of other Italia.

• Ricciarelli biscuits

Ricciarelli are typical Sienese desserts made with almonds, sugar and egg white. For this reason, they are also appreciated by those who are intolerant to gluten. The almonds chosen for our cantucci are of the highest quality and give our product an inimitable taste, enhanced by the wisdom of our pastry chefs.

• A Pici

Pici are a typical variety of pasta made from flour and water, with an elongated shape (almost like spaghettoni) of about 30 centimeters’ length, and about as wide as bucatini pasta. This particular variety hails from Siena, but is also widespread throughout Tuscany.

Drink In Siena

• Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino in the Tuscany wine region. Though it was initially considered to be made from a separate grape variety named Brunello, it was later discovered that the grape used in the production of the wine is in fact Sangiovese.

• Vino Nobile di Montalcino

This prized Italian wine is produced in the hilly vineyards surrounding the city of Montepulciano. The principal grape variety in its production is Sangiovese—locally known as Prugnolo Gentile—with a minimum of 70% percent. Though the character of the wines may vary depending on the final composition of grapes and age, the best examples of Vino Nobile are typically rich and savory, and while young varieties display notes of ripe red fruit and spices, aged wines develop more robust and earthy flavors of tar, smoke, and leather.

• Rosso di Montalcino

This red Italian wine is made with 100% Sangiovese grapes, and it is produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino. The wine was created as a fresher and younger expression of Brunello di Montalcino wines, which are produced in the same area. Rosso di Montalcino wines need less aging time and result in well-structured wines that display similar intensity as Brunello, but retain their fruitiness and typical notes of blackberries and forest fruit that are occasionally accompanied by hints of vanilla and spices.

• Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is an Italian appellation named after the key grape used in its production (Vernaccia) and its place of origin—a small Tuscan town of San Gimignano. The wines produced in the region are usually straw yellow, but as they age, they tend to develop golden hues.

• Vin Santo di Montepulciano 

Vin Santo di Montepulciano is an Italian wine that belongs to the group of renowned Vin Santo dessert wines. White Montepulciano is typically produced from a minimum of 70% Grechetto (Pulcinculo), Malvasia, and Trebbiano Toscano grapes, while the red variety, known as Occhio di Pernice, is primarily based on Sangiovese grapes.

• Rosso di Montepulciano

These red Italian wines are produced in the province of Siena with a minimum of 70% Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) grapes. They were created as a youthful expression of the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is produced in the same designated area. Rosso di Montepulciano is usually aged for six months, and it typically displays fruity notes of red and dark berries, which are occasionally complemented by subtle floral aromas.

• Moscadello di Montalcino

Hailing from Montalcino, this white Italian wine is primarily based on Moscato Bianco grapes. Dry white wines produced in the region are well-balanced, harmonious, and light, with typical aromas of summer fruit and honey. Their subtle sweetness and fruity nuances make them work well with dry desserts and blue cheese varieties.

• Aperol

Aperol contains only 11% alcohol, and although it is mixed with prosecco it is diluted by soda water and ice.