The atmosphere in Siena is vibrant with expectation in the days leading up to the big race; stroll about the city centre savouring the atmosphere of this ancient traditional competition, and see this truly unique event for yourself.

Tuscany abounds in abbeys, Romanesque country churches, hermitages, medieval castles, and enchanting gardens. Particularly unusual ones are the roofless Abbey of San Galgano and the Hermitage of Montesiepi, home to the famous sword in the stone. The Abbey of Sant’Antimo is renowned for its services in Gregorian chant, while the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore features a beautiful library, pharmacy, and frescoed cloister. “Castiglion che Dio sol sa” is a little abandoned castle in the woods. Then there is the seventeenth-century Villa Cetinale, with its wonderful gardens and grounds, and the beautiful Scala Santa, a staircase carved into the rock leading to the hermitage. Celsa Castle, dating back to the 1300s, is surrounded by luxuriant forests and renowned for its garden, grounds and chapel. The Boboli Gardens in Florence offer a great example of an Italianate garden, a true open-air museum of architecture and sculpture. The Botanical Gardens of Siena are an oasis of peace and tranquillity right within the city walls, abounding in rare botanical species: Italy’s only terraced botanical garden. Chianti Sculpture Park offers a splendid combination of contemporary art and nature, and hosts a number of concerts and cultural events throughout the year.