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- Destinations
- Europe
- Italy
- Siena
Siena
Siena is a popular holiday destination. The red-brown stone of
this medieval city throngs around Italy's finest old square, the
Piazza del Campo. As old as the square itself are the traditions
reverberating off its pavements twice yearly during the Palio delle
Contrade. It is Italy's most colourful festival with rehearsals,
processions and pageantry leading up to the climactic bare-back
horse race around the Piazza. It is taken very seriously as it
provides an outlet to the fierce rivalries that have raged for
centuries among the town's 17 medieval districts.
All of Siena's streets are a delight to explore while on holiday
but some of its most notable landmarks include the Torre de Mangia,
Palazzo Pubblico, the Duomo, Palazzo Piccolomini, Pinacoteca
Nazionale and Museo dell'Opera. Torre del Mangia is the bell tower
to the left of Palazzo Pubblico which stands at 330ft (102m), the
second highest in Italy. It is named after the first bell ringer
who was known for his infuriating idleness. The Palazzo Pubblico
still serves as Siena's town hall although sections of it are open
to the public.
The Palazzo Piccolomini, built in 1460 for the prosperous
Piccolomini family, contains Sienese state archives and financial
records. The Pinacoteca Nazionale gallery is noted for its
collection of works by artists of the Siena School. Siena's
spectacular Duomo is unsurpassed amongst Italy's churches, built in
full Gothic style. The carved pulpit panels, by Nicola Pisano, are
magnificent depictions from The Life of Christ. Many of the
original statues on the church's façade are copies; the originals
are in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Information & Facts
Language
The official language of Italy is Italian. English is
understood in the larger cities but not in the more remote parts of
the country.
Money
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency, which is divided into
100 cents. Those arriving in Italy with foreign currency can obtain
Euros through any bank, ATM or bureaux de change. ATMs are
widespread. Travellers cheques can be exchanged with ease in the
large cities, not so in the smaller towns. Credit cards are
accepted in upmarket establishments and shops around the cities.
Banks are closed on weekends, but tend to have better rates than
casas de cambios.