Siena

Many people know Siena for a single event: the Palio, the horse race held in the Piazza del Campo since the Middle Ages. It's a powerful symbol, but it reduces an entire city to a spectacle lasting only a few minutes, twice a year.

As Contrade, the true social fabric

Siena is divided into seventeen Contrade, historic districts with their own flag, patron saint, museum, and identity. Being born in a Contrada still defines, for many Sienese, part of their personal identity, something rare to find in any other Italian city of this scale. The Palio is the visible expression of this structure, but the rivalry and sense of belonging between Contrade extends throughout the year.

A city that has stood still in time, by choice.

Unlike Florence, Siena lost political and economic power after being defeated by Florence in 1555. This historical "freeze," followed by little urban development in the following centuries, is the reason why Siena's historic center preserves an almost intact medieval layout, now recognized by UNESCO.

Connection with Lucca

Siena is about a two-hour drive from Lucca, making it a full-day destination, usually combined with San Gimignano or Val d'Orcia. The two cities share a common trait: historical resistance to absorption by Florence, each preserving its own identity in its own way to this day.

Planning to combine Siena with San Gimignano or Val d'Orcia in the same day? See the suggested itinerary in Explore Tuscany.