The ancient Middle-age administrative divisions, called contradas, are still the backbone of this city. This itinerary leads us through the old districts where the trade guilds carried out their own activities. No wonder the headquarters of the condradas are to be found in the most secluded lanes of Siena. Every contrada has a church, a museum and a stable where the horse is kept during the four days before the race. Visiting them is useful to better understand the incredible fascination of the Palio. In the old vaulted structures of the condradas the Sienese organise the most important event in the year.
Half day tour - maximum 3 hours. Check Rates
If you would like to visit a Contrada museum it is suggested you make it known
Attention : for groups attending the guided tour to the places of the Palio on the days of the Palio (2nd of July and 16th of August) we will apply the INCENTIVE RATE :
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Siena Unesco City Site With its magnificent Campo square and its imposing Cathedral, Siena opens its heart to you Guided tours Hiking |
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Palio and Contrads The roll of drums and flag-waiving follow the Sienese people throughout all their life. The contradas are ancient medieval districts but still the backbone of this city |
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San Gimignano and the Vernaccia Wine |
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Colle Val d’Elsa and Crystal From Arnolfo di Cambio to Jean Nouvel, this city will impress you with its energy and capacity to renovate itself. Colle owes its richness to the Elsa river, which first allowed for the development of its wool industry, followed by paper manufacturing, and today the production of crystal
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Certaldo and Boccaccio Friar Onion wanted to impress his followers with the feather of the Archangel Gabriel, but he found only lumps of coal and smartly he passed them off as relics of the martyrdom of Saint Laurence
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Vinci and the Museum of Leonardo To understand the genius of Leonardo you must visualize his creations, and thanks to the museum dedicated to Leonardo in the ancient castle of Counts Guidi this will be possible |
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Volterra From lucomony to prison to mental hospital, this has always been a town known for its alabaster. Today, it is known as the town of vampires thanks to New Moon of the famous Saga Twilight |
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Chianti Shine and Wine You will not only find Chianti DOC and DOCG wines, but also castles and little boroughs hidden among the vineyards of Sangiovese, Malvasia, Trebbiano e Colorino |
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Montagnola and Mount Maggio Marble quarries and heroic episodes of partisan resistance make those places, still unknown to tourists, extremely fascinating Guided tours |
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Saint Galgano and the Sword in the Rock A town of only ruins now, but long time ago it was a very healthy abbey just a few steps from the place where Saint Galgano converted himself and his sword became a cross |
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Buonconvento A hospice for pilgrims and a place of death for Henry the VII, Buonconcvento has been declared one of The Most Beautiful Boroughs in Italy |
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Monte Oliveto Mother House Known as a place of spiritual retirement for Saint Bernanrdo Tolomei, and a place of high artistic value thanks to the frescoes of Luca Signorelli and the eccentric Sodoma |
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Asciano and the Sienese Clay Hills The landscape of the Ambrogio Lorenzetti is famous for the fresco of the Good Government is still evident when you cross this part of Tuscany, scattered with gullies and biancanas |
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Pienza and Pope Pio II Dream of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, its own jewel among the olive trees, Pienza will surprise you with its Renaissance shapes and its Medieval charm |
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Saint Quirico and the Orcia Valley Saint Quiric is documented as stop XII by the Bishop of Canterbury, during his journey back from Rome in the year 990 |
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Bagno Vignoni Saint Catherine tested her faith here and Michel de Montaigne described it as miserliness |
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Montalcino and Brunello Wine A region known for not only its wine, but for tourism as well. In the Fortress is where the Sieneses sheltered to escape the Florentine lordship |
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Saint Antimo Abbey A mystic place where the Gregorian chants resound and where you will be overcome by a disarming peace |
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Montepulciano and Nobile Wine In his Bacchus in Tuscany, Francesco Redi wrote “Montepulciano is the king of every wine”, he referred to the taste or to the fact that noble people were involved in the production; we let you believe what you prefer |
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Chiusi e gli Etruschi And now we should tell about the Italian [labyrinth] that Porsenna, king of Etruria made for himself as a tomb, and at the same time to exceed the vanity of foreign kings. But as gorgeousness is over the imagination …., Plyni the Elder Naturalis Historiae |
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Chianciano and the Spa Our grandfathers would have referred to it with an Italian rhyme Chianciano fegato sano (healthy liver) but this thermal city has come a long way, and it is now a posh spa spot |
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Cetona The pretty little alleys going around the hill top take us away from a very far past which is from the Stone Age |
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Amiata Mountain and Abbadia San Salvatore From the sacred wood for the Etruscans to the powerful Benedictine abbey of Saint Salvatore during the time of Charlemagne, from the little medieval hermitages where Saint Bernardino served his novitiate, to the Jurisdavidic devotees of David Lazzaretti in the XIX c., Amiata is for everybody the Sacred Mountain |
