For a Whole Day

Siena: Located some 50km (31 miles) south of Florence, medieval Siena is often seen as the female counterfoil to Renaissance Florence. At her heart lies the magnificent shell-like piazza, Il Campo, scene of the famous bareback horse race, Il Palio, which whips the town into a frenzy, twice a year. One day is not long enough for one to appreciate all that this tiny, walled city has to offer. Must-sees include the humbug-striped cathedral decried by Ruskin as ‘a piece of costly confectionery’ and the majestic Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) topped by the soaring Torre del Mangia. Named after the medieval bell-ringer, the tower should be climbed for magnificent views of the city and hills beyond. Inside the town hall is the Museo Civico, where tourists flock to see Simone Martini’s Guidoriccio (the famous Sienese captain and standard-bearer of the city) and Lorenzetti’s Effects of Good and Bad Government (a vivid allegory painted against the backdrop of 14th-century Siena). The city’s best-loved work, Duccio’s Maesta, lies in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. The devotional picture of the Madonna, enthroned among saints and angels, once graced the cathedral altar, her blue robes setting off the church’s starry vaults. No visit is complete without a wander through Siena’s cool, warren-like streets that wind around Il Campo, like arteries feeding the city’s pulsating heart. Visitors can drop into one of the city’s pasticceria for a slice of Sienese panforte or mingle with the students, seeping up the sun in the Campo, over a slice of freshly baked pizza.

From Florence, Siena is best reached by bus. No cars are allowed into the city and Siena’s train station is on a branch line, making it necessary to change. Coaches depart from the station on Via Santa Caterina every hour (journey time – approximately 1 hour). The Siena tourist office is located at Piazza del Campo 56 (tel: (0577) 280 551; fax: (0577) 270 676; e-mail: aptsiena@siena.turismo.toscana.it; website: www.siena.turismo.toscana.it).