Day 01
Walking Tour of Siena and Its Palio Traditions
- Begin your visit from Piazza del Campo, the city's beating heart, the place where the horse race takes place and where the Palazzo Pubblico is located, now home to the town hall and the Civic Museum. Learn the history of this square, considered the profane place of Siena. At the beginning, it was a real field; then it became a square and the meeting point of the citizens.
- Head towards the Owl Contrada, where the Ugurgieri castle is an extraordinary medieval place, considered the heart of the Contrada.
- Explore a place considered sacred to the Sienese: a Contrada Museum. Inside are the prizes won since the Middle Ages, the historical costumes, and the Contrada's treasures. The museum is run directly by the Contrada members, who open their doors to visitors to help them truly understand the city of Siena and what the Palio means to them.
- The tour continues towards the Church of Santa Maria in Provenzano, the main church for the July Palio. The church often remains unnoticed by those who visit Siena because they do not know its importance.
- After walking through the streets of the Giraffe Contrada, visit the Basilica of San Francesco, located just outside the city walls. It is one of the most important and greatest basilicas of Siena, built at the beginning of the 13th century. This church, divided into two districts, holds the story of a miracle linked to the disappearance of the Sacred Hosts (Sacre particle), which were found many years later still intact. The typically Gothic church preserves the frescoes of the brothers Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti, coming from the ancient cloister next to the church.
