Siena, Tuscany walking tour on east side

travel videos & photos at: https://townsofeurope.com/ with text, maps & links.
We’re going to take you on an extensive walk in little lanes in the residential neighborhoods on the east side of town strolling along via di Pantaneto which is the eastern extension that main lane, via Banchi di Sotto, which later changes names again to Via Roma. In this neighborhood you'll find the Siena University, one of the first in Europe when it was established in the year 1240. And naturally you'll find quite a few young people here and inexpensive restaurants, and a very casual kind of atmosphere. Even though Siena is a historical town, almost an outdoor museum, it's very much a residential community as it has been for about 1000 years. The dog has a right to walk freely because, well, he's at a street called Dog and Cat. The little alleys are called vicolo, and they are charming and quiet and peaceful places to live. It's really quite amazing how the Italians figured this out hundreds of years ago, in fact the way the cities developed in the Middle Ages often made more sense than the way we develop today, with our massive traffic congestions and remote suburban sprawl. Here you've got a compact town with lots of people living together in pretty high density, and yet you have quiet little lanes like this that would be a wonderful place to live. And then around the corner in easy walking distance you've got your shops, your piazza, you've got the church, you've got schools nearby – everything you need is in easy walking distance. Take advantage of this excellent historic preservation because it presents a golden opportunity for some extensive walking in the many little back alleys. Casual strolls could easily keep you busy for several hours. There is so much more to see in this town beyond the major sites. Exploring off the beaten track, away from the tourist centers and shopping streets, can be a very rewarding experience for the intrepid traveler. And to help navigate through these winding pedestrian lanes – you might get a little lost but there are usually street names up on the buildings, and get a good map. It’s a small town, so you can’t get too lost. And if you should get disoriented while you’re out walking, that’s a great excuse to stop a local and ask them for some directions. You might even get into a friendly conversation. A view of the Church of San Giorgio. We are down at the Piazza del Mercato, the ancient market square which still today has outdoor produce market several times a week. Otherwise it's kind of a parking lot surrounded by very old pastel colored residential buildings. This Mercato is a lovely nook of the city, just two blocks south of the Campo, the main busy square, and yet 95% of the visitors never get here. On the map you'll see the approximate route. We have just been walking along that main lane, via di Pantaneto, via Roma. And now we're going to continue walking on other nearby lanes, especially Giglio and Rossi, and various alleys that will lead us there and take us around. For those travelers who love to get away from the shops and stroll through quiet residential alleys, Siena offers many more possibilities. These little byways are your gateway to enter the authentic side of Siena. You can get free information from the official tourist office while you're there and they have brochures that will help you find your way. They outline various walks that you can take on your own, and also available as downloads from their website. The name of that official tourist office website is enjoysiena.it and it's got different itineraries suggested for you – if you have three days they've got an outline, or two days, or three hours, or one day. But something you don't find even on their website or in the tourist guide books are these simple little residential neighborhoods and yet this can be a most rewarding part of your visit. The church of San Francisco was first built from the year 1228 and expanded from the original Romanesque into the larger Gothic style we see now in the 14th and 15th centuries. The vast interior could handle large crowds of the faithful. We are finishing up our tour of Siena with a stroll along another wonderful lane, via dei Rossi, which leads back to the main street, via Banchi di Sopra, and from there you can find your own way home. A typical but unusual for you site that you'll run into is somebody twirling a flag around. They are practicing because this is one of the great traditions of Siena. They'll put on a performance at various festivals and parades in full costume. We are going to leave you with images of these young lads practicing their rituals that have been handed down for 1000 years in Siena – a wonderful look into the future with the young generation carrying on traditions that are been hammered out over countless centuries.