Palazzo PubblicoAbout Palazzo Pubblico
The Palazzo Pubblico is Siena’s historic city hall on the Piazza del Campo, constructed beginning in the late 13th century as the seat of the republican government. It remains a principal civic monument and museum in Siena’s historic center.
The palace houses the Museo Civico with important fresco cycles, including Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s “Allegory of Good and Bad Government” (c. 1338-1340) in the Sala della Pace and works by Simone Martini. The palace exterior and the adjoining Torre del Mangia provide prominent city views and are central to public life around the Piazza del Campo.
Constructed in phases from the late 1200s, the building served the podestà and the governing councils of medieval Siena. The adjoining Torre del Mangia was raised in the 14th century as a civic tower and became an emblem of Siena’s communal identity.
The Palazzo Pubblico sits on the west side of Piazza del Campo in Siena’s historic center in Tuscany, facing the shell-shaped square where the city’s biannual Palio horse race takes place.
- Function and location: Built from the late 13th century as Siena’s city hall and still fronts the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the main civic square used for the Palio horse race.
- Artworks: Contains major medieval fresco cycles by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Simone Martini that are key works of Italian Gothic painting and civic art.
What to See#
- Sala della Pace (Lorenzetti frescoes): Sala della Pace contains Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s early 14th-century frescoes known as the “Allegory of Good and Bad Government,” painted around 1338-1340 and celebrated for their civic and landscape imagery.
- Torre del Mangia: Torre del Mangia, the palace’s tall civic tower, dates from the 14th century and is accessible to visitors who climb its stair to obtain panoramic views over Siena and the surrounding countryside.
- Museo Civico: Museo Civico occupies former government halls and displays civic treasures, frescoes by Simone Martini and other Sienese masters, and municipal archives.
Best Time to Visit Palazzo Pubblico
Best visited in spring or autumn for pleasant weather and thinner crowds; avoid Palio race dates if you want to steer clear of huge crowds.
Weather & Climate near Palazzo Pubblico
Palazzo Pubblico's climate is classified as Hot-Summer Mediterranean - Hot-Summer Mediterranean climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 3°C to 29°C. Moderate rainfall (772 mm/year).
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Acceptable | 3° - 9° | 5° | 62 mm | partly cloudy | 89% | 1.5 m/s | 0.2 low | 9.2h |
| February | Acceptable | 3° - 11° | 6° | 60 mm | partly cloudy | 85% | 1.9 m/s | 0.3 low | 10.3h |
| March | Acceptable | 5° - 13° | 8° | 63 mm | partly cloudy | 81% | 2.2 m/s | 0.6 moderate | 11.8h |
| April | Good | 7° - 17° | 12° | 70 mm | partly cloudy | 77% | 2.1 m/s | 1.0 high | 13.3h |
| May | Very Good | 11° - 22° | 16° | 58 mm | partly cloudy | 71% | 1.9 m/s | 1.5 high | 14.5h |
| June | Excellent | 15° - 25° | 20° | 53 mm | some cloud | 61% | 1.9 m/s | 1.9 very high | 15.2h |
| July | Ideal | 17° - 29° | 23° | 30 mm | mostly sunny | 54% | 2.0 m/s | 2.0 very high | 14.9h |
| August | Ideal | 17° - 28° | 23° | 40 mm | mostly sunny | 57% | 1.8 m/s | 1.6 very high | 13.8h |
| September | Excellent | 14° - 24° | 19° | 65 mm | partly cloudy | 66% | 1.7 m/s | 1.0 high | 12.4h |
| October | Good | 11° - 19° | 15° | 88 mm | partly cloudy | 78% | 1.6 m/s | 0.6 moderate | 10.9h |
| November | Acceptable | 7° - 14° | 10° | 101 mm | overcast | 87% | 1.6 m/s | 0.2 low | 9.5h |
| December | Acceptable | 3° - 10° | 5° | 82 mm | partly cloudy | 89% | 1.7 m/s | 0.1 low | 8.8h |
How to Get to Palazzo Pubblico
Palazzo Pubblico sits on Piazza del Campo in the heart of Siena. Take a regional Trenitalia train to Siena station; the square is an uphill walk of roughly 800-1,000 m (about 10-15 minutes) from the station. By car, Siena is about 75 km south of Florence (roughly 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic).
Tips for Visiting Palazzo Pubblico
- Visit first thing after opening to see the Civic Museum's frescoed rooms (including Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government) before Piazza del Campo fills with tour groups; buy a timed ticket online to skip ticket-line queues.
- If you plan to climb the Torre del Mangia, book the tower slot separately or as a combined ticket with the museum-tower access is limited and fills up on busy days.
- Don't miss the Museo Civico's upper rooms and the Sala del Mappamondo for views into Siena's medieval civic life; these interior highlights are easy to overlook when most visitors stay at street level.