For Siena we have a range of great tours to offer and we will start off with meeting Trecciolino and his farm...

 

 

Feel like a guest in the Farm of Gigi Bruschelli named Trecciolino, the successful jockey of the Palio di Siena! ..."I was born in Siena and I belong to the Contrada Della Torre, one of the 17 guilds in the Palio of Siena. In the past years, I was looking to learn more about the life of the protagonists of the Horse Race, that is the jockeys, so I met the young man who grew in my neighborhood and became the smartest jockey in the Palio Horse Race in Siena and who is still considered the King of the Race. Gigi Bruschelli named Trecciolino. I started learning about his life and exploring the farm where he trains his splendid horses every day and thanks to him and his wife Annarita I can now, with great respect in a very friendly atmosphere, visit the farm with my guests and learn all about the details in Gigi’s career and his horse training techniques". You will be accompanied by our guide and will enjoy true Tuscan hospitality. Quote, reference 4452.

 

 

A Guide to the Palio: The Palio horse race dedicated to the Madonna di Porvenzano in July and to the Madonna Assunta in August, is one of the events in Italy you shouldn’t miss. In Siena, its inhabitants look forward to it with passion and emotion for the whole year. For this reason, it is always possible to plan a visit focused on the secrets of the Horse Race, the jockeys, the horses and the many stories and legends Siena is rich in.  If booked in advance, our guide will take you through the Contrade, the 17 districts and you can take part in the dinners and banquets and participate in the trial races and the Great day on July 2 and August 16 with the Parade and the events leading up to the RACE.  Our guide will be very proud to show you her territory, the Contrada of the Torre with an Elephant on the coat of arms. The last time they won was in 2005, with the jockey Trecciolino on Berio the horse! We can also accommodate all your requests for seats at one of the prestigious palaces in Piazza del Campo, where you will get to truly enjoy the palio at its best. Quote, reference 4452.

 

 

A Palio Package to Enjoy: The Palio di Siena is one of the most famous horse races in Italy and is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16. The origins of this race are medieval, and the first modern Palio took place in 1656. The race takes place with ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours representing ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards – the riders circle three times around the Piazza del Campo, one of the symbols of Siena. The race is preceded by a magnificent pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which includes (among many others) Alfieri, flag-wavers, in medieval costumes. We are offering clients the unique opportunity to experience the Palio from a truly exclusive position, from the windows of one of the most beautiful apartments overlooking the square. Don’t miss the chance to join us and to be part of the excitement of such a unique event!! Quote, reference 3942.  

The package includes:

 

• Accommodation in the selected room type (minimum 3 nights). It is possible to choose from a superior room to a prestige room, junior suite to a suite...

• Buffet breakfast

• Welcome amenity in your room on arrival

• One typical dinner for two in the restaurant with a wine selection included

• Return transfer to Siena on the day of the Palio

• A window space overlooking the Piazza del Campo

• Cocktails and refreshments during the afternoon

• At the end of the event, a light buffet dinner with a selection of local specialties

• One SPA treatment per person (50 min. face or body), chosen on the advice of the expert SPA staff

• Access to the “acqua benessere” indoor water area   of the SPA: Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, swimming pool with toning hydro massage, swimming pool with a high saline density for a relaxing, draining effect, Kneipp program, sensorial showers with chromo therapy and natural essences, relax area.

 

 

 

Other Ideas for your Escapade to Siena....

 

Active & Curious: Siena may offer you unexpected itineraries, far off the beaten track but always near the monuments and artworks of Siena,  the capital of Gothic and Medieval architecture. You will climb up and down the streets, visiting the workshops of artisans and relaxing in the valleys inside the city walls, the medieval fountains and the territories of the 17 districts of the Palio di Siena Horse Race.  You will visit an osteria where  you will taste local wines and enjoy the ribollita soup or the panzanella salad. All with our excellent guide. Quote, reference 4452. 

 

 

Siena Photo Tour: Do you enjoy bringing home some great shots of your travels? Our guide will lead you in seach of secret views in Siena and its region, inside Noble Palaces, Medieval Towers and special gardens and castles at sunrise or sunset. Very special events in Tuscany will offer you a great opportunity to shoot interesting photos. If you are interested we may also join a workshop with a professional photographer. Quote, reference 4452.

 

 

Classic Siena: It’s your first time in Siena and in its region and you wish to know the city's artwork, history, traditions and great food and wine just like discovering a treasure through the eyes of a "Senese". Excellent! We will start our tour discovering Siena's history from  Medieval to Contemporary Italy in front of the Basilica of San Domenico where we will learn more about Saint Catherine of Siena's life,  reach her Sanctuary and the Cathedral of Siena, consacrated 900 years ago to Mary Mother of Jesus. One of the most beautiful Gothic Churches in Italy where Michelangelo, Donatello and Bernini were commissioned. We will walk through the narrow medieval streets to reach  Piazza del Campo the main square in Siena where  we will be immersed in a magical medieval atmosphere learning everything about the Palio Horse Race that takes place here on July 2 and August 16 every year. We will follow the paths of the Governors of Siena of the past and the present visiting the City Hall and discovering the frescoes named the Majesty by Simone Martini and The Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti or reaching the top of the Mangia Tower to enjoy the 360 °view. We will learn about our painters and sculptors and  after this tour, you will totally understand what it means to belong to a Contrada di Siena district …! Quote reference 4452.

 

Many more great tours are available... allow us to inspire you.....

 

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DID YOU KNOW?

St Catherine of Siena's life is one which is truly amazing. She died young at the age of 33 and died in Rome. Her hometown of Siena wanted her back, however, they were not able to smuggle the whole body past the guards in Rome, so they only took her head. They were however stopped and ended up praying to Catherine to ask for protection. When the guards checked the bag, they found hundreds of rose petals. When they then got back to Siena, the head was back in the bag and her head was placed in the church of San Domenico, together with her dismembered thumb. The rest of St Catherine's remains are in Rome, with rumours that her foot may be in Venice!