Today we did a day trip to Siena about 15 minutes from the country house. Another UNESCO World Heritage site, Siena doesn’t disappoint with its medieval buildings and the famous piazza known as Il Campo.

In July and August every year, The Palio takes place.

It’s a horse race like none other and done right in the piazza itself. We find as we arrive that preparation are already under way for a special Palio to mark the 100 year anniversary of the end of the First World War. The ochre rich sand is hard packed to a thickness of of almost a foot for the horses to race on.

You can walk across it to reach the center of the piazza and hardly leave a mark.

Trial runs are set to begin to determine ten of the 17 Contrade or city wards will race.riders will run bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours. 

The architecture of the city leaves us spellbound and the goods in some of shops provides laughter. It seems that the penis also rules in Siena like it did in Pompeii!

You must go in and visit the Cathedral and not miss the mosaic floors and the Piccolomini Library within.

The marble mosaic floors are masterpieces by various artists from the 14th and 19th centuries.

The Library displays a rich collection of books and illustrated manuscripts from the collection of Pope Pius II.

The frescoes on the walls and ceilings are vivid and stirring, depicting scenes from the life of Aeneas Silvia’s Piccolomini (Pope Pius II).

So if you prefer a quieter but as enriching experience as Florence, we highly recommend making Siena as one of your stops on your Italy trip.