The view from the bastion of the Fortress

19 luglio - panorama da fortezza

Admire Siena from one of the city’s most romantic spots.

The Fortezza Medicea, also known as Forte di Santa Barbara, is a fort erected between 1561 and 1563 by order of the Duke of Florence Cosimo I de’ Medici.
The entrance to the Fortress is on the north-eastern side, near the Lizza Gardens. Along the top of its walls, there are wide walkways with trees and benches.

The fortress develops within a vast quadrangular perimeter, between four bastions named San Francesco, San Filippo, La Madonna and San Domenico.
Views of the modern city can be enjoyed from the first three bastions.
Looking out from the bastions, you can see the San Prospero quarter. After a section of the city walls was demolished on 16 May 1920, the quarter was immediately favoured by the city’s bourgeoisie bankers. A little further, beyond Porta Camollia, you can see the neat row of small palaces up to the crossroads of Palazzo Diavoli, where the countryside used to begin before the construction of the popular Petriccio district.

From the San Domenico bastion, you can enjoy breathtakingly beautiful views of historic Siena. From here, you can make out the Torre del Mangia tower, the silhouette of the Cathedral and the Basilica of San Domenico.

The whole city skyline will be in front of you.

The view is splendid at any time of day, but towards evening the warm colours of the sunset meet the rooftops of Siena and this place is transformed into one of the most romantic spots in the city.

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