Pretty doesn’t begin to describe the Tuscan town of Siena. Perched on top of a hill overlooking rolling green fields with the Tuscan sun glowing down upon it, this Italian wonder is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Once you visit it’s easy to understand why.
The medieval architecture, extravagant cathedrals and terraced houses that cascade down the hill are a dream to photograph. The atmosphere conjured up within the Piazza del Campo and along the winding streets almost says a welcoming ‘Ciao’ as you wander around. Colourful laundry hangs from window sills and cobble stoned pavements lead the way to historic corners of country charm.
I visited Siena on a whim and jumped off my train to Florence to quickly explore for three hours with my camera. I don’t recommend this at all though…as soon as I saw the skyline of Siena I knew I needed a few days to explore and capture the many magical offerings. Be sure to give yourself at least a weekend to soak it all up! The town is relatively easy to explore if like me you are visiting on a tight schedule just be sure to have some idea of what you want to see and know how to get back to the train station…
Below are a collection of photographs from my three hour dash around the historical sights and streets one afternoon in Autumn… The Wandering Lens will be back in Siena later this year so keep an eye out for a more definitive guide and perhaps photographs from the traditional Il Palio Di Siena!
The town of Siena and Piazza del Campo photographed from atop the Duomo di Siena.
The Skyline of Siena with Duomo di Siena sitting on top of the hill.
Wandering the old streets of Siena
Duomo di Siena
Definitely buy a ticket to climb the narrow walls of Duomo Nuovo Panorama in the Duomo di Siena complex…the BEST view over the town!
The incredible interior of Duomo di Siena
The ceiling of Duomo di Siena.
Views from the Panoramic viewing wall of Duomo di Siena over the Tuscan rooftops.
Torre del Mangia overlooking the Piazza del Campo.
Torre del Mangia
Hello! I’m the founder and photographer behind The Wandering Lens.
With 17+yrs experience as a professional travel and landscape photographer, all advice found on this site is from my personal experience on the road. I hope it’s useful for your own travels and would love to hear in the comments about your trips and experiences around the world.
Blog Comments
Francesca
August 14, 2015 at 6:23 pm
I live in Siena so… thank you so much for showing the beauty of my home.
Patrick
January 14, 2018 at 11:37 am
Pretty amazing pictures for only being there three hours! We will be going to Siena in a few months, can you tell whether it’s better to photograph the Duomo in the morning or in late afternoon? Or at least, what time of day you took these photographs.
Thank you!
Lisa Michele Burns
January 14, 2018 at 11:58 am
Thanks Patrick! Great to hear you’re heading to Siena in a few months, it’s such a photogenic part of Italy. I was in Siena in the afternoon so can’t really advise whether the morning is better or not. The warm afternoon light however is my favourite time to photograph any destination and Siena is granted with a beautiful location perched high looking over the surrounding countryside meaning you get gorgeous light right up until sunset.
Have a great trip!