Siena was our final stop on our Italian trip and by that time we were dead on our feet. It was so nice to arrive in this small town where everything seems to slow down. We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Italia which was located just outside of town, close to the railway station. After what seemed like an endless amount of escalators we finally reached our hotel to drop our bags and head into town.
Siena was once the capitol of Tuscany, before the Black Death lead to its defeat by Florence. The ancient walled town is located right in the heart of the Tuscan hills, making it easy to see why it was once the capitol! The town is perhaps most famous for the Palio di Siena, a twice yearly horse race taking place in the Piazza dell Campo. What attracts most visitors though is its beautiful Duomo. Although it does not match Florence’s Duomo in size, the sheer magnificence lies in its beauty and the detail both inside and on its exterior is absolutely breathtaking.
Whilst the Duomo might have been what first attracted us to Siena, it is its Panforte or Siena Cake which guaranteed its spot on our itinerary. If we had more time (read money) we would have loved to attend a Panforte tasting but instead we stocked up on this delicacy at one of Siena’s many delis.
We spent the rest of the afternoon nursing our tired feet on the Piazza del Campo after which my fiancé decided to scale the Torre del Mangia for some magnificent sunset shots. From there you can admire the dome, the countryside, the Piazza del Campo and the beautiful colours of Siena.
We finished our short time here with a traditional Italian dinner at a small restaurant inside the city walls before retiring to out hotel. What a great way to end this magnificent adventure!
P.S. I’d like to thank my fiancé for all these beautiful pics. You can see more of his shots on his Instagram account.
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