Ever so often I admire a beautiful facade of a church in Siena wondering what's behind it. And then it's impossible to find out since many churches open up for mass only, which takes place once or twice a week or none at all. And obviously, you're not supposed to do your sightseeing and wandering art watching during prayer time.
At times it's better that way. Some Italian churches have the most incredible facades plastered onto gloomy or downright depressing interiors. Whereas in other occasions one finds a painting or fresco by a beloved Renaissance artist hidden away in a simple looking church.
To open up more of Siena's artistic treasures to the cultural traveler, a handful of lesser known churches have adopted daily opening times during high-season. From May to end of October you'll be able to visit Sant'Agostino, San Martino, San Niccolò del Carmine, Basilica di Provenzano and Santo Spirito, five of Siena's bigger churches which are normally closed to the public (for details check exact time table and map below).
Apart of their architectural features, these churches are well worth the exploration, since the small detour to get to them will also take you off the beaten path and into some of Siena's most beautiful (and least crowded) neighborhoods.
TIME TABLE FOR CHURCH VISITS FROM MAY TO END OF OCTOBER:
Detailed info and contact for guided visits on the Viae Siena website.
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| Exploring Siena off-the-beaten-path: Sant'Agostino church |
At times it's better that way. Some Italian churches have the most incredible facades plastered onto gloomy or downright depressing interiors. Whereas in other occasions one finds a painting or fresco by a beloved Renaissance artist hidden away in a simple looking church.
To open up more of Siena's artistic treasures to the cultural traveler, a handful of lesser known churches have adopted daily opening times during high-season. From May to end of October you'll be able to visit Sant'Agostino, San Martino, San Niccolò del Carmine, Basilica di Provenzano and Santo Spirito, five of Siena's bigger churches which are normally closed to the public (for details check exact time table and map below).
Apart of their architectural features, these churches are well worth the exploration, since the small detour to get to them will also take you off the beaten path and into some of Siena's most beautiful (and least crowded) neighborhoods.
TIME TABLE FOR CHURCH VISITS FROM MAY TO END OF OCTOBER:
| Chiesa di Santo Spirito, Chiesa del Carmine, Chiesa di Sant’Agostino | ||||
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| Closed on Wednesday |
| Basilica di Provenzano | ||||
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| Closed on Saturday |
| Chiesa di San Martino | |||||
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| Closed on Sunday |
Detailed info and contact for guided visits on the Viae Siena website.