Siena’s gardens

A holiday between art and nature

Siena offers not only art, beauty and culture: those who visit the city, in fact, can also enjoy the many green spaces that give breath and life to the city. Both within and outside the walls it is easy to find smaller or larger corners of nature where the citizens of Siena love to stroll, meet, work-out, enjoy the cool summer or participate in cultural events. If you are planning to visit Siena in Summer, perhaps during the Palio, you can not miss a stop in the parks and gardens that are worth a visit, just as churches and museums.

Siena’s most beautiful green areas

The Fountains of the Nuns of Sao Paolo is located in Via Sperandie 47, in a hidden location on the slope below the street, a dozen meters below the convent. At this fountain, housed in a room of 7 m X 5 m, the nuns went to wash their clothes. Today, this space can be visited thanks to the restoration work initiated by the La Diana association. Are you curious to visit a vegetable garden born in the Middle Ages and remained intact since then? If so, the Orto de’ Pecci is the right place for you. Just 300 meters from Piazza del Campo, this place represents the abundant presence of urban gardens in the city: more or less large, located between the houses or in the immediate surrounding area, these spaces of medieval origin were used for cultivation. Fortunately, urban gardens have always been considered treasures to protect and some of them, like that of the Pecci, have arrived to this day. Today, in the place where an inn was located in the past centuries, there is a tavern where you can eat simple and good food, cheap and surrounded by greenery. A great place for families with children too. When talking about a countryside in the city, it’s worth mentioning the Orto dei Tolomei in the southwestern area of Siena, once belonging to the Convitto dei Tolomei. Here it is nice to stop to rest, eat a sandwich, stroll or just enjoy the magnificent view. In summer, there are also concerts and cinema events. If you are a fitness enthusiast, you can take advantage of the Unità d’Italia park, with gym equipment available to visitors, but also, for the less sporty, tables and barbecues. From there, with a pleasant walk, you can arrive at the Medicean Fortress. The Botanical Garden is also available: Founded in 1784 at Porta Tufi, inside the walls, it houses typical Tuscan plants, and also aquatic, exotic and fruit plants.