Siena in 2 Days: The Cathedral, Art and Medieval Streets

Begin inside the striped-marble cathedral for its carved pulpit and the frescoes in the Piccolomini Library. The library forms part of the cathedral visit, with scenes from the life of Pope Pius II.

Continue into the cathedral museum for sculpture and Duccio’s Maestà. The route to the Facciatone viewpoint goes through this museum, bringing the unfinished cathedral walls into the visit.

Across the cathedral square, the former hospital houses frescoes and museum collections. Focus on the Pellegrinaio’s scenes of hospital life, then choose the other galleries that interest you.

Finish the art day with Sienese painting, especially the gold-ground religious panels of the medieval school. The gallery lies a short walk south of the cathedral complex.

Start in the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, then enter the Palazzo Pubblico’s civic museum. Look for Simone Martini’s Maestà and Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s frescoes of Good and Bad Government, with scenes of medieval city and country life.

Climb the tower beside the Palazzo Pubblico for the view over the Campo, tiled roofs and surrounding countryside. It is a separate ticketed visit from the museum, with a long staircase to the top.

Walk north through the shopping streets to the square framed by the headquarters of Monte dei Paschi. The buildings provide a short architecture stop on the route towards San Domenico.

Finish at the large brick basilica associated with Saint Catherine of Siena. The church and the surrounding terraces give this end of the walk views back towards the cathedral.

Choose the medieval public fountain beneath San Domenico for a short detour into the lower streets. Its stone arches and basins show the water supply behind the hilltop city.

An alternative church visit northeast of the Campo, with a large brick interior and medieval paintings. It fits a walk through the eastern old-town streets.

Choose a longer outdoor walk around the fortress and its raised paths northwest of the old town. The ramparts give views towards the cathedral and work as an alternative to another museum visit.

Choose the university’s botanical garden south of the historic centre for planted terraces and trees on the hillside. Pair it with the southern streets as a quieter alternative to part of the art day.

Walk out to the northern city gate for the entrance once used by travellers arriving from Florence. It is an exterior landmark beyond the main central loop, best paired with a longer northern walk.