Siena is one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval cities, a UNESCO World Heritage site packed with Gothic architecture, major art collections, and deep-rooted traditions. The city’s historic centre is built on three hills and connected by narrow stone alleys that open onto the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s finest medieval squares. Most major attractions cluster within the walled centro storico, making Siena easily walkable. This guide covers the essential sights with practical details on tickets, hours, and tips. For more context on the city’s layout, see the {u_link(article_links.get(“neighborhoods”, SIENA_LINK + “/siena-best-neighborhoods/”), “Siena neighborhoods guide”)}.
Things to Do in Siena: Historic Sights & Landmarks
Piazza del Campo
The Piazza del Campo is the heart of Siena and one of the most striking public squares in Europe. Its distinctive shell shape slopes downward toward the Palazzo Pubblico, divided into nine pie-shaped sections representing the Council of Nine that governed Siena from 1287 to 1355. The square is ringed by cafes and restaurants including the historic Caffè Fonte Gaia near the Fonte Gaia fountain (a 19th-century copy; the original marble panels by Jacopo della Quercia are in Santa Maria della Scala). Entry to the piazza is free and it is open 24 hours. Twice each summer the Palio horse race transforms the Campo into a dirt track with tens of thousands of spectators. For the best photos, visit at dawn when the piazza is empty, or at sunset when the brick facades glow golden. Sit at a cafe on the perimeter for a spritz (€8-12) but know you are paying for the view , standing at the bar costs half as much.
Torre del Mangia
The Torre del Mangia rises 87 metres (285 feet) above Piazza del Campo, offering the best panoramic view of Siena’s terracotta rooftops and the Tuscan countryside beyond. Built between 1325 and 1348, it was designed to match the height of the Duomo’s bell tower as a symbol of balance between civic and religious power. There are exactly 400 steps to the top with no lift , the climb is narrow and steep in places. The entrance is through the Cortile del Podestà inside the Palazzo Pubblico. Tickets cost €10 for the tower alone, or €20 for a combined ticket with the Museo Civico (recommended). Hours are daily 10:00 to 19:00 (until 16:00 in winter, November through February). Last entry is 45 minutes before closing. The tower closes in rain or high wind. Only 25 people are allowed up at a time, so expect a queue of 20-40 minutes in peak season. Arrive at opening time or after 16:00 for shorter waits. Children under 6 are not permitted.
Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral)
Siena’s Duomo is a masterpiece of Italian Gothic architecture, built between 1215 and 1263 with a facade of white, green, and red marble. The interior features black-and-white striped marble columns (the colours of Siena), an inlaid marble mosaic floor with 56 panels by 40 artists (uncovered fully only from late June through July and late August through October), and the Piccolomini Library with detailed frescoes by Pinturicchio. The pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1265-1268) and Donatello’s bronze statue of St. John the Baptist are other highlights. Do not miss the Piccolomini Library , it is through a door on the left side of the nave and is included in standard admission. The OPA Si Pass costs €18 (high season March-October) or €13 (low season) and includes the Duomo, Piccolomini Library, Museo dell’Opera, Baptistery, and the Facciatone viewpoint. Purchase separately: the Porta del Cielo (“Gate of Heaven”) rooftop tour costs an additional €5-8 and takes you onto the cathedral roof for views. Opening hours: daily 10:30 to 19:00 (March-October), 10:30 to 17:30 (November-February). Closed during religious services on Sunday mornings. Modest dress required (shoulders and knees covered).
Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery)
The Baptistery sits beneath the Duomo’s choir and is accessed from Piazza San Giovanni behind the cathedral. Built between 1316 and 1325, it features a magnificent hexagonal baptismal font with gilded bronze panels by Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Jacopo della Quercia , the same artists who later created Florence’s famous baptistery doors. The frescoes on the vaulted ceiling were painted by Vecchietta in the 1450s. Entry is included with the OPA Si Pass or costs €5 on its own. The same opening hours apply as the Duomo complex. The Baptistery takes about 20 minutes to visit and is often quieter than the cathedral itself.
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
Housed in what was intended to be the right aisle of a never-completed “New Cathedral” (work stopped after the Black Death in 1348), this museum contains the original sculptures from the Duomo’s facade, including works by Giovanni Pisano. The highlight is Duccio di Buoninsegna’s enormous Maestà altarpiece (1308-1311), a masterpiece of Sienese painting that once stood on the cathedral’s high altar. Climb to the top of the Facciatone, the unfinished facade wall of the New Cathedral, for the best panoramic view of the Duomo itself and the city. The climb is about 130 steps and the view is comparable to the Torre del Mangia but with a better angle on the cathedral. Included with the OPA Si Pass. The museum is open daily 10:30 to 19:00 (until 17:30 in winter).
Santa Maria della Scala
Facing the Duomo across Piazza del Duomo, Santa Maria della Scala was one of Europe’s first hospitals, founded in the 9th century to care for pilgrims travelling the Via Francigena to Rome. It operated continuously until the 1990s and is now a vast museum complex. The highlight is the Pellegrinaio (Pilgrims’ Hall), a long hall with 15th-century frescoes showing the hospital’s daily life , medical care, feeding the poor, and receiving pilgrims. Other sections include the Oratory of Santa Caterina della Notte, an archaeological museum in the basement tunnels, and the Children’s Art Museum. Tickets cost €9 (full price). Open daily except Tuesdays, 10:00 to 19:00 (until 22:00 on Saturdays mid-March through October). Last entry 45 minutes before closing. Plan 2-3 hours for a thorough visit.
Palazzo Pubblico & Museo Civico
The Palazzo Pubblico has been Siena’s town hall since the late 13th century and houses the Museo Civico, one of Italy’s finest collections of medieval secular frescoes. The Sala dei Nove (Room of the Nine) features Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government (1338-1339), a landmark of European art , it was the first major secular painting commission since antiquity and depicts the effects of good and bad governance on city and countryside. The Sala del Mappamondo contains Simone Martini’s Maestà (1315) and Guidoriccio da Fogliano frescoes. Tickets cost €10 or €20 combined with the Torre del Mangia. Open daily 10:00 to 19:00 (until 16:00 November to February).
Basilica of San Domenico
This large brick Gothic church on the western edge of the centro storico is dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena, the city’s patron saint. Inside the Cappella di Santa Caterina you can see the saint’s preserved head and thumb (macabre but historically significant), along with frescoes by Sodoma depicting her life. The church itself is austere but imposing, with a single-nave design built between 1226 and 1265. Free entry. Open daily 7:30 to 18:30. Located a 10-minute walk from Piazza del Campo up Via della Sapienza.
Pinacoteca Nazionale (National Gallery)
Housed in the 14th-century Palazzo Buonsignori, the Pinacoteca Nazionale holds the most important collection of Sienese painting from the 13th through 17th centuries. Works by Duccio, Simone Martini, the Lorenzetti brothers, Sodoma, and Beccafumi trace the evolution of the Sienese school from Byzantine-inspired gold-ground panels to Renaissance naturalism. Tickets cost €6. Open Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 to 19:30, Sunday 8:30 to 13:30, closed Monday. Plan about 90 minutes. The museum is rarely crowded, offering a quiet break from the busier sights.
Fortezza Medicea & Enoteca Italiana
The Medici Fortress was built in 1561 after Florence conquered Siena, designed more to control the Sienese than defend them. Today its ramparts are a public park with walking paths, benches, and views over the city. Inside the fortress, the Enoteca Italiana is Italy’s national wine library and tasting room, offering over 1,600 Italian wines by the glass from €3-8. You buy a prepaid card and use self-serve dispensers. Open Monday 12:00-20:00, Tuesday-Saturday 12:00-23:00. The fortress grounds are free and always open. The park hosts outdoor cinema in summer and the Siena Jazz Festival events.
