City of Siena
“I look at the old palaces of Siena, ancient houses where I want to live one day, with a window of my own, overlooking the rooftops colored clay, the green shutters on the windows, as if trying to decipher where is this secret that Siena murmurs and I will continue to feel, even though I do not understand, to the end of life” (José Saramago)
Art, history, theater, music, food and, of course, the Palio. Siena will welcome you with a wide range of proposals, making your stay an unforgettable experience.
City Center
Siena city center is among the places on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1995. It is the city of the eternal surprise, a masterpiece of skill and art, where the buildings, the churches and the palazzi have been designed with the purpose of being perfectly inserted into the urban structure project, with the aim of forming a part of the cultural design where they are located.
Art is what most influenced the city structure, one of the most famous tourist sites: Piazza del Campo, the Cathedral, the Public Building, attract visitors from all over the world.
Another Siena strong points for tourists is the food and wine sector. In the Enoteca, located in the caves of the XVI Cent fortress, one can try not only the famous Chianti wine, but also all the wines produced in Italy; the Cinta Senese is a top quality kind of pork, from which salamis, ham, and other specialties are produced; the Siena cakes, ricciarelli, panforte, cavallucci and panpepato are often made following the middle age recipies.
Palio of Siena
A Medieval legacy is what on July 2nd and August 16th deeply affects Siena life and is always a catharsis. The Palio is raced by jockeys that bareback mount horses assigned by lot to every Contrada; each Palio 10 Contradas race, according to a mechanism of draws and alternations dating from 1721.
The three days of testing and the day of the splendid parade, followed by the race, are the highlight of the social life of the Contradas, seventeen cities in the city, each with a territory, a population, a constitution, a Chair of dignitaries elected periodically, a Museum, and its own traditions and history. The Contrada is a natural extension of the family, of the home.
The building of the suite belongs to the Contrada della Civetta (Owl), but the owners belong to the Contrada della Pantera (Panther).