Looking for a villa near Siena?

Siena is the great rival of Florence, and the comparison is older than the Renaissance. It is a city of brick, of a shell-shaped square, of a horse race that divides the city into contrade, and of a medieval centre that UNESCO protects as a whole. This guide explains what Siena is and where Roc Villa Bay is.

Where Siena is

Siena is a provincial capital in central Tuscany, inland from the coast, built on a group of hills between the valleys of the Arbia, Merse and Elsa. It is not a seaside town. The city's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its skyline is defined by the Torre del Mangia and the dome of the cathedral.

Roc Villa Bay is in Castiglioncello, on the Tyrrhenian coast in the province of Livorno. Siena and Castiglioncello are both in Tuscany, but they belong to different landscapes: the inland hills and the coastal promontory.

What Siena is known for

The Piazza del Campo is one of the most beautiful public spaces in Italy: a shell-shaped square paved in red brick, sloping towards the Palazzo Pubblico. Twice a year it hosts the Palio, a horse race between the city's contrade that is both a sporting event and a civic ritual. The Duomo, with its striped marble and its inlaid floor, is another defining monument.

Siena's medieval character is unusually intact. The city grew rich on banking and trade in the Middle Ages, and its art — Duccio, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone Martini — belongs to the same period. The surrounding countryside, the Crete Senesi and the Val d'Orcia, is among the most photographed in Tuscany.

Roc Villa Bay as a different base

Roc Villa Bay is a private seafront estate in Castiglioncello with four bedrooms, three private units, more than 4,000 m² of Mediterranean garden and two private accesses to the sea. It is a house for families and small groups, with a sandy beach reached by a private path and a rocky cove reached by stone steps.

Siena is an inland city that rewards time: the square, the cathedral, the museums and the contrade deserve more than a rushed afternoon. A coastal base can include Siena as a long day out, but if Siena is the centre of your trip, staying in or near the city is more sensible.

Who should choose Siena

Choose Siena if you want medieval art, the Palio, the Piazza del Campo and the surrounding hills, and if you prefer an inland base. Choose Castiglioncello if the sea is the centre of the holiday and Siena is an excursion. The art cities guide places Siena alongside Florence and the smaller Tuscan towns.

The villas near Tuscany index lists the other destinations we cover.

Practicalities

We do not publish distances or drive times. If you are planning to visit Siena from the coast, tell us your dates and starting point and we will confirm the practicalities. Start with the enquiry form.