Unusual Siena: places to see not included in the common tours
Discovering an Unusual side of Siena, by visiting places not included in the common tours, may be the desire of many tourists and may help to better define the identity of this beautiful Tuscan city. Let’s see the places worthy of a visit to the City of the Palio besides the customary and inevitable destinations such as, for example, Piazza del Campo, the Duomo, the Medici Fortress and the Basilica di San Domenico.
Discover the unusual side of Siena
The sites that make up our tour to discover the Unusual Siena consist of religious buildings, a corner of urban horticulture, a characteristic alley and an unthinkable museum.
In addition to the places that we will soon get to know, the magnificent Siena also includes many other deserving destinations of the utmost importance but which often, due to lack of time, are not included in the most common tourist itineraries.
Orto de’ Pecci
The Orto de’ Pecci, located in Via Porta Giustizia, is the accurate reconstruction of a medieval style garden. In this green area in Siena it is possible to admire officinal, aromatic, edible and dyeing plants.
Among the plant species that grow on site you can find Dill, Lavender, Mandrake, Artemisia, Reseda, Saffron, various types of shrubs and other plants typical of the medieval period (tomatoes and potatoes, for example, are not present because discovered after the Middle Ages).
The Orto de’ Pecci represents a green parenthesis in the heart of Siena because it is just 500 meters from Piazza del Campo.
Basilica di San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi
Starting from the Orto de’ Pecci, to continue our tour to discover the unusual Siena, it could be interesting to move towards the Basilica of San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi, about a ten minute walk away .
This religious building of Siena is located in a very quiet area and is characterized by an amazing mix of styles; in fact, the chapels are in Gothic style, the nave is of Renaissance inspiration, the facade is from the 15th century and other elements are baroque.
Church of Santa Maria in Provenzano
Another religious architecture that is not included in the classic Siena tours like the beautiful Duomo and the Basilica of San Domenico is the Church of Santa Maria in Provenzano.
This building, however, is of great importance because it is named after the Madonna which is commemorated on the occasion of the Palio of July 2. After winning the race, the winning contenders arrive at this church carrying the drape and intoning odes to the Madonna as a sign of gratitude.
Torture Museum
Located in the Chiasso del Bargello, near Piazza del Campo, the Torture Museum is an exhibition of great historical value. The various settings of the exhibition, of course, are set up with tools used in past centuries to give vent to the worst expressions of human nature.
In addition to the City of the Palio, in the province of Siena two similar museums are also found in the beautiful town of San Gimignano and Montepulciano.
Vicolo degli Orefici
Although it may seem a narrow alley like many other, the Vicolo degli Orefici is characterized by some interesting aspects.
Along its path, in fact, ancient tower houses of considerable height are clearly visible and many believe that this characteristic alley was originally part of the Via Francigena.
At this point you might wonder what unites the Orto dei Pecci, the Basilica di San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi, the Church of Santa Maria in Provenzano, the Torture Museum and the Vicolo degli Orefici. The answer lies in the fact that they are all located just 10-20 minutes from the Relais degli Angeli, one of our structures in the historic center of Siena, a few hundred meters from Piazza del Campo.
Take advantage of this extraordinary coincidence: the proximity of the Relais degli Angeli with Piazza del Campo will allow you to discover, in a few minutes and comfortably on foot, both the most common city beauties and the sites of the Unusual Siena we just saw!