Description
This Siena walking tour with Duomo tickets takes two hours, and it suits anyone who wants the old town explained on the spot. An authorized English-speaking local guide leads you along narrow cobbled streets in a medieval centre listed by UNESCO.
On the way you stop at the Basilica di San Domenico to hear about St Catherine, patron of Italy, and the guide tells you about the Republic of Siena. The Palio, the bareback horse race around Piazza del Campo, gets its own explanation, along with the Contrade, the neighbourhoods that wait all year to take part.
- Palazzo Salimbeni, today the oldest bank in the world
- Palazzo Tolomei, an imposing private Gothic building
- The main square, its monuments and its fountain
- A word on the town's food traditions
The walk ends at the Duomo. With skip-the-line tickets, the guide takes you inside to the chapels and to works by Donatello, Michelangelo and other artists. Shoulders and knees must be covered for the church, and comfortable shoes help on the cobblestones.