Siena Trip Overview
A two hours enchanting walk, discovering Siena most beloved legends. Starting Point Basilica of Saint Dominic, where the detached head and finger of the holy Saint Catherine wait to tell You the story of the girl that changed not Siena, all Europe and church history. Second stop at the Malavolti Arch to gaze at the only ancient roman architectural feature left in place. Learn how and why Siena is closely tied with Rome. You will learn the fate of Mariotto and Ganozza, the story Shakespeare was inspired by in writing his Romeo and Juliet. We will turn around the romantic couple palace, Palazzo Mignanelli. Next stop: Piazza del Campo. Walking around this UNESCO site You will listen to the story of the first town hall bellman, who gave his nickname to the tower. We will stop to launch a copper coin into Fonte Gaia and listen to its waters telling us the story of the never found and mysterious Siena’s river and learn about the pixies that live in its underground galleries.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 hours
Starts: Siena, Italy
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Siena Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Siena, Toscana, Italy
A two hours enchanting walk, discovering Siena most beloved legends. Starting Point Basilica of Saint Dominic, where the detached head and finger of the holy Saint Catherine wait to tell You the story of the girl that changed not Siena, all Europe and church history. Second stop at the Malavolti Arch to gaze at the only ancient roman architectural feature left in place. Learn how and why Siena is closely tied with Rome. You will learn the fate of Mariotto and Ganozza, the story Shakespeare was inspired by in writing his Romeo and Juliet. We will turn around the romantic couple palace, Palazzo Mignanelli. Next stop: Piazza del Campo. Walking around this UNESCO site You will listen to the story of the first town hall bellman, who gave his nickname to the tower. We will stop to launch a copper coin into Fonte Gaia and listen to its waters telling us the story of the never found and mysterious Siena’s river and learn about the pixies that live in its underground galleries.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Basilica Cateriniana Di S. Domenico, Piazza San Domenico, 53100, Siena Italy
Starting Point Basilica of Saint Dominic, where the detached head and finger of the holy Saint Catherine wait to tell You the story of the girl that changed not only Siena but all Europe and church history. A mystic women, married to the Lord, that managed to transform our world forever.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Piazza Salimbeni, 53100, Siena Italy
Second stop at the Malavolti Arch, at the end of Via dei Montanini just before Salimbeni Square, to gaze at the only ancient roman architectural feature left in place in the city, the last testimony of our roman legendary ancestors. Learn how and why Siena is closely tied with Rome, with its flag black and white, and the mythological origin of the horse race, still nowadays going on, the Palio.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Palazzo Tolomei, Piazza Tolomei 11, 53100, Siena Italy
Our third discovery will be the fatally cruel story of Pia dei Tolomei, in front of the palace that saw her as an infant and that still bears the rhymes Dante dedicated to her in his Divine Comedy.
Going on with unlucky lovers You will learn the fate of Mariotto and Ganozza, the story Shakespeare was inspired by in writing his Romeo and Juliet. We will turn around the romantic couple palace, Palazzo Mignanelli, listening to their voices still hauling in the wind during moonless nights, gazing at the mighty towers their story was set in… (or so they say!)
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Piazza del Campo, 53100, Siena Italy
Next stop: Piazza del Campo. Walking around this UNESCO site You will listen to the story (half a story, half a legend…) of the first town hall bell man, who gave his nickname to the tower (and it’s the second still standing tallest medieval tower in Europe!).
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Fonte Gaia, Piazza Il Campo 21, 53100, Siena Italy
We will stop to launch a copper coin into Fonte Gaia (Joyfull Fountain) and listen to its waters telling us the story of the never found and secretly hidden, mysterious Siena’s river, and learn about the pixies that live in its underground galleries. Traditionally, a magic herb was springing from the square that provided help in fighting these magical creatures, but since people ceased to believe in magic, this plant cannot be found in the square anymore…
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Piazza del Mercato, Siena Italy
The estragon, or tarragon, was used against evil creatures and used to be trade in the nearby Piazza del Mercato: here we may see the place where witches were tortured and burnt, and where still nowadays Siena’s most famous vampire, Niccolò di Tuldo, strolls by at night. Discover with us not only their story, but also how our culture was shaped and what can be learned by our antique terrors and legend narrative.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Orto Botanico di Siena, Via Pier Andrea Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena Italy
So, we chase our salvation heading towards the Botanic Garden or the Museum of the Phisiocritics Academy, in order to find some …estragon!!
Before reaching our destination, we will walk by the four cantons crossroad where witches used to meet up to leave the city for their nocturnal assemblies, we will see the Holy Virgin with the black raven, that keeps the city safe from pestilence, and hear the story of the mysterious head of father Giomo, gazing at us from Via delle Cerchia and waiting for us hidden in the Botanic Garden.
Duration: 30 minutes
