Siena Archives ⋆ The Passenger

July 17, 2026July 17, 2026

India or Italy?

Our journey did not begin in Italy, at least not in spirit. It was meant to take us far beyond Europe, across continents, towards Sri Lanka via India – a trip we had carefully planned and eagerly anticipated. Yet, as so often happens in travel, events beyond our control intervened. Air India abruptly cancelled our return flight to Europe, citing kerosene shortages and price surges linked to escalating geopolitical tensions following Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran. The airline’s decision was shrewd: by cancelling only the return leg into the EU, they avoided compensation obligations, while effectively forcing us to abandon the entire itinerary.

July 5, 2026July 19, 2026

Palio

The Palio di Siena is a vivid, centuries-old horse race held in the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the civic heart of Siena. Rather than a sporting event in the modern sense, it is a communal and ritual spectacle where contrade – the city’s historic neighbourhood wards – compete fiercely for honour and prestige. The race itself is a short, intense sprint around the piazza, ridden bareback by jockeys who often ride horses they barely know. The atmosphere is theatrical: flags, banners, medieval costumes and drumming transform the city into a living pageant, so the Palio reads as much as a public celebration of Sienese identity as it does a competition.

July 5, 2026July 19, 2026

Conchiglia

Piazza del Campo is the beating heart of Siena, and one of the most distinctive medieval squares in Italy. Its broad shell-like form came from the natural slope where the city’s streets once converged, and over time it was carefully shaped into a harmonious civic space rather than a simple market place.

July 5, 2026July 19, 2026

Black and white

The Duomo of Siena is one of Italy’s most striking cathedrals, built over several centuries as the city’s wealth and ambition grew. Its origins go back to the 12th century, with the building consecrated in 1179, and major work continuing through the 13th and 14th centuries.

July 5, 2026July 30, 2026

Musei dell’Accademia dei Fisiocritici

The Natural History Museum in Siena is one of the city’s most intriguing cultural stops, especially if you enjoy places where science, history and old-world atmosphere come together. It is closely tied to the Accademia dei Fisiocritici, a scientific academy founded in 1691, and the museum’s collections grew over the centuries through donations, acquisitions and careful preservation.