::Benvenuti nel sito ufficiale del Comune di Siena::

In front of you is the big church of San Francesco, built in the 12th century, where Bernardino Albizzeschi became a Franciscan friar in 1402. He would go on to become the famous St. Bernardino, and the Oratoryon the right side of the square is dedicated to him. Follow the itinerary among the hilly streets of this neighborhood until you come to the church of Santa Maria in Provenzano, built at the end of the sixteenth century to house an image of Our Lady which had brought about miracles. The July Palio is dedicated to her. Now keep walking until you get to Vicolo del Castellare, which means alley of the castle, and go into the historic little square. > castlewas a kind of fortress, formed by a stone wall with one or more towers. Be careful, because the spirit of Giovanni Ugurgieri, who died heroically during the battle of Monteaperti (1260), still wanders about these walls. Now go down to the street called Banchi di Sotto. In the Middle Ages this street was lined with 'banchi' or counters, where merchants sold their wares and above all, money changers changed money from one currency to another.

If you walk down the Vicolo dei Pollaioli, which means alley of the poultry sellers, you come out in the heart of the city, Piazza del Campo. It is shaped like a large shell, paved with red bricks and divided into nine sections. It is called Il Campo, which means the field, because a long time ago it was a large field where markets, fairs, assemblies, and festivals were held. Palazzo Pubblico was built at the end of the 13th century to house the Nine Governors who were in charge of the Republic of Siena. Inside the palace is the Civic Museum. I advise you to go in there, because you will see many art works featuring kings, queens, ladies, knights, virtues, and monsters. In front of the palace you see a column holding a She-wolf with the twins Senius and Aschius, who were the sons of Remus. According to a famous legend, in the 8th century B.C., the twins ran away from Rome to escape their cruel uncle Romulus. They ran and ran, and finally stopped near a river called Tressa, and built a city. To thank the gods Apollo and Diana, the twins lit a big fire on the altars. To their great amazement, the smoke became white and black, the colors of the coat of arms of the city they had just founded--Siena. To the left of the Palace is the Torre del Mangia, which means Tower of the Eater, because the man whose job it was to ring the bells every hour was nicknamed Mangiaguadagni, because of his high salary. But there are others who say he got the name because he spent all his earnings eating and drinking in the taverns! The tower is 102 meters high. Are you ready to climb up? Be careful because the 400 steps are quite steep, but the view you will see from up there is worth all your effort.

Now go down Vicolo delle Scotteto reach the ghetto, the area of the city where the Jews were forced to live starting in the sixteenth century. No. 14 on Vicolo delle Scotte is the Synagogue, where Jews gather to read the Holy Scriptures and to pray. Walk along Vicolo della Fortuna, which means alley of good luck, and if you want to, you can stop in the little park to play. Then go on along Via Salicottountil you get to Piazzetta A. Franchi, where you can admire the view of the Orto de' Pecci. The square contains the Fontanina della Torre, the little fountain of the tower, where children born in the contrada of the Tower are baptized as contrada members.

Along Via dei Pispini you will see a Fountain, which gets its name from the little spouts through which the water flows into the fountain. These are called "pispinelli." Over time the pispinelligave the name also to the grand city gate 4 called Porta Pispini, built in the middle of the thirteenth century. Coming back up the street from the gate, at no. 164 you will find the Children's Art Museum. This is the ideal place to play and learn about art at the same time, through exhibits, animated tours, and workshops. Now go into Piazza Manzoni, where a sweeping view of the city opens up before your eyes. Can you recognize some of the monuments? You are now in front of the basilica of San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi. Inside it you can see the painting that the Florentine artist Coppo di Marcovaldo made in 1261 to regain his freedom. He had been taken prisoner by the Sienese in the Battle of Monteaperti the year before, and since he did not have the money to pay his ransom, he painted this picture instead, and they set him free.

If you go through the big gate of the former psychiatric hospitaland go carefully down the dirt path, you come to the Orto de’ Pecci. Just think how close we are to the Piazza del Campo, and yet here we are in a green oasis inside the city walls. Here you can play soccer or watch a fantastic show of 5 falconry. Now go along the steep street in front of you to the Piazza del

Mercato, the Market Square. The Sienese call the covered pavilion in the middle of the square the "big turtle, " because its roof looks like a turtle shell.tartaruga.

Now you are on Via G. Dupré. Along this street, on March 19, which is Father's Day in Italy, the contrada of the Wave celebrates Saint Joseph, who was Jesus' earthly father. Stands up and down the street sell rice fritters, toys, and the traditional little carts with the colors of the contrada. Go under the Arco di San Giuseppe, Saint Joseph's Arch, and walk along towards the Orti dei Tolomei. Here you can play for a while, taking advantage of the nice grass. Did you notice a big sculpture in the middle of the olive trees? The artist who made it called it "The Drop," but the Sienese call it The Pearbecause of its shape.

Now come out on Via P.A. Mattioliand walk uphill for a short stretch. On your left you will come to the entrance to the Orto Botanico, the Botanical Garden, where there are lots of special plants, such the "living stones", made up of two fat leaves camouflaged to resemble rocks. The garden has a ghost that wanders through the valley at night. His name is Giomo, who died heroically in battle in 1207. But there are lots more things to discover! If you like minerals, fossils, insects, and birds, and want to see a two-headed calf and other stuffed animals, then go into the Accademia dei Fisiocritici(a little father along after the Botanical Garden) and you will see how your grandfathers' grandfathers studied. A whale skeleton will welcome you to the museum! Now you are at the Prato di Sant'Agostino, which means Saint Augustine’s Meadow, where there are benches, swings, and a splendid view over the city. Before continuing on our course, you can go on a treasure hunt inside the church of Sant'Agostino. You can have fun discovering the art works, artists, saints and mysterious relics inside this great church.

Now walk along Via delle Cerchia, which means Street of the Hoops. At no. 15, you can see a marble head of Giomo (remember who he was?). Stop in front of the church of Santa Luciaand imagine that it is the middle of the winter, on December 13th, when Siena celebrates the feast day of the saint who protects eyes. These streets fill up with children and stands selling little bells with the colors of the Contradas. Now go down Via delle Sperandie, where you can pretend to be explorers. If you go along the little path on your left at the end of the street, and look among the trees, you will discover an ancient fountain that only the most daring explorers know about. It is called the Nuns' Fountain, because the nuns used to wash their clothes there. Now keep going towards Porta San Marco, Saint Mark's Gate. Along this street you may run into painters and young artists who are painting the beautiful Sienese countryside unfolding before your eyes. Do you want to try your hand at it too? Here we are at Porta San Marco, built in the thirteenth century. Siena still preserves today the ancient gates and walls (some almost thirty feet high!)1 that defended the city from enemy attacks.

Now walk along Via San Marcountil you get to a wide space called the Pian dei Mantellini, which means plain of the little cloaks. It has this name because the monks in the church of San Niccolo' al Carminehere wore short cloaks. Now go on along the Via del Fosso di Sant’Ansano, a quiet street with a splendid view over the valley below. In this area, according to legend, a pot of boiling oil was prepared in order to kill Ansanus, but when he was put in the oil, it miraculously stopped boiling. Ansanus is now the patron saint of Siena. Now go up the steep dark street called Vicolo di San Girolamo, or St Jerome's alley, and you will come out in the cathedral square, called Piazza Duomoin Italian. The Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built starting in the 12th century. It is completely covered with marble and decorated with statutes of kings, prophets, Sibyls, and a few monsters. Inside, even its floor is a great work of art! It looks like a great puzzle made up of pieces of colored marble. In front of the cathedral is the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. The ancient building, built starting in the eleventh century, has now been transformed into a vast museum. You can see where pilgrims were taken in during the Middle Ages, how the sick were treated, and you can go down into the secret labyrinths dug out of the tufa rock, where excavated Etruscan and Roman materials are now preserved. Try to find the place where Saint Catherine used to spend the night after taking care of plague victims all 9 day. Here’s a hint: there is a skull right by it! When you get to Piazza Jacopo della Quercia, you will wonder what is that strange structure that is so big and impressive. The Sienese call it the Facciatone, and it is what would have been the facade of the new cathedral that the Sienese wanted to build. But the black plague struck in 1348, killing a large part of the population, and also the building was showing signs of stability problems (did you see how big and tall the pillars are?), so the project was abandoned. Part of the new structure was incorporated into the Museo dell'Opera, the Cathedral Museum, which houses Duccio's great masterpiece, the Maestà. You can also climb up inside the Facciatoneand take some nice pictures. Are you ready to count the steps?

Now come down the steps, being very careful.
Even Saint Catherine slipped on them, but people say it was because the devil pushed her.
Did you find the cross marking the spot where the saint fell?
On your left is the Baptistry, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
Inside it is a baptismal font made by the most important Italian sculptors of the Renaissance. Now the time has come when you need your flashlight. To get to the Vicolo delle Carrozze, the alley of the carriages, there is a dark passageway, so be very careful where you put your feet.
Go on down Via di Diaccetoand look at the splendid view over the Fontebrandaneighborhood.
The fountain, one of the most beautiful and ancient in Siena, was built between the 12th and the 13th centuries. Right in the little square next to it, you can see the children of this contrada, the Oca, or the Goose, practicing the drum or learning to twirl a flag.

Every Contrada, from March to October, teaches its young people this art that is handed down from generation to generation. Follow the sound of the rolling drums to discover the other places in the city where these lessons are given. At Sienartefice, you can watch many craftspeople at work.

Now go up the steps under the rocky outcropping on which the church of San Domenicois built. Its a steep climb, but by now you are in good shape! In the past, the Vicolo di Caporegiowas a simple dirt path called Costa del Serpe, or Snake Alley, probably because there were snakes among the vegetation.
Now you are in fronj of the Dominican church, built in the 13th century, full of artistic masterpieces, where the relic of the head of Saint Catherine of Siena is preserved. Continue to the Parco delle Rimembranze, or Park of Remembrance, a place where there are other surprises in store for you: the "labyrinth" of hedges, the "benches" of water, and if that's not enough, you can play with the " barberi track," the Sienese children's favorite game. The "barberi" (which also means "horses") are wooden balls painted with the colors of the Contradas.
The track is a sculpture by Riccardo Grazzi, which in the upper section represents Piazza del Campo and is made up of a spiral of three rings corresponding to the three turns around the square during the Palio horse race.
Do you want to try to play it?

The sixteenth century fortressis the ideal place to hide among the bushes, trees, and fountains. Go now to the park at La Lizza, where you can walk about under the trees, sit on the benches, or play on the bronze horses by Sandro Chia.

In the Lizza fountain you will see goldfish, ducks, and turtles, but also Romeo, the royal swan who lives in the grotto. In the winter, an ice-skating rink is set up here.

Aross Piazza Gramsciand go down the steep street called Vallerozzi. Then turn left on the covered alley called Via del Lavatoio, being careful of the steps. The name of this little street means Laundry Street, and it was used by the women of the Vallerozzi neighborhood to go down to the Fonte Nuova d'Ovileto wash their clothes. The fountain, built at the end of the 13th century, is recognizable by its large pointed arches.

Pass by next to the late fifteenth century church of San Rocco Confessore, where there is the little fountain of the She- Wolf, the Fontanina della Lupa.
Continuing along Via Vallerrozzi, you come to the thirteenth century Porta d'Ovile. Then walk on the steep Via del Comune, one of the most picturesque streets in Siena, with the houses stacked next to each other like a staircase, At the top of this steep climb, you can rest on the bench in front of the little fountain of the Caterpillar.
Do you see anything strange about the building in front of you? Yes, a woman is looking out the window, and hanging in front of her is a pomegranate with a little caterpillar on top of it. This is a sculpture by Pier Luigi Olla, made for the Contrada of the Bruco, the Caterpillar.