Siena 锡耶纳
April 7, 2026
We continued our day trip from Florence with a visit to Siena, a beautiful hilltop town in Tuscany. After getting off the train, we crossed the street into a shopping mall and took a series of escalators all the way up the hill, which saved us a lot of climbing.
Once at the top, we leisurely wandered through the narrow streets of the old town, admiring the beautifully decorated shop windows. Every now and then, we stopped at a pastry shop or gelato store to see whether anything tempted us. It was one of the most charming old towns we had ever experienced. But the most exciting destination of the day was Siena Duomo, with its striking dark green-and-white striped exterior, one of the very few churches in the world with such a distinctive design.
If the exterior of the Duomo impressed us, the interior left us speechless. The walls and ceilings were richly decorated with magnificent artwork. Everywhere we looked, there was something to admire—above us, around us, and beneath our feet. The floor, in particular, was extraordinary, made up of intricate marble panels depicting biblical scenes and historical figures. The Piccolomini Library was equally impressive.
We also joined a tour that took us up into the upper levels of the cathedral, where we enjoyed panoramic views of the city.
Afterward, we visited the Duomo Museum, which displayed historic artifacts of even greater value than many of those still inside the cathedral itself. The highlight of the museum visit was climbing to the unfinished façade, where we were rewarded with another amazing view of Siena and the surrounding countryside.
We had dinner in town, and afterward, as we walked back to the train station, the sun was beginning to set. The view at sunset was absolutely beautiful. We had a wonderful time in Siena.
2026年4月7日
昨天去了比萨斜塔和卢卡，今天又是另外一个一日游，从佛罗伦萨出发来到托斯卡纳山城锡耶纳。一个小时多一点的火车，很快就来到锡耶纳。下火车后，我们走进街对面的商场，乘坐一段接一段的自动扶梯一路向上，轻松省去了爬坡的辛苦。
到了山顶后，漫步在古城狭窄的街巷中，不时欣赏那些装饰精美的橱窗，我们还会随意停进一家甜品店或冰淇淋店，看看有没有什么想吃的。这里是我们所体验过的最迷人的古城之一。而当天最令人期待的目的地，当然是锡耶纳主教堂。它那深绿色与白色相间的条纹外观格外醒目，在世界上也属少见，令人一见难忘。
如果说主教堂的外观已经让我们惊叹，那么它的内部更是让我们几乎无语了，整座教堂的墙壁与天花板都布满了精美的装饰与绘画，令人目不暇接。抬头仰望是华丽繁复的艺术，低头俯视则是同样震撼的大理石地面。教堂地板由一块块精雕细刻的大理石镶嵌画组成，描绘了《圣经》故事和历史人物，极具艺术与历史价值。皮科洛米尼图书馆同样令人印象深刻。
我们还参加了登高参观的导览，登上主教堂的高处，从上方俯瞰整座城市，景色十分开阔。之后我们又参观了主教堂博物馆，那里收藏了许多比教堂内现存展品更具历史价值的文物。而博物馆参观中最精彩的部分，是登上那座未完成立面的高处，眺望锡耶纳古城与周边托斯卡纳风光，视野极佳，令人难忘。
晚上我们在城里吃了晚餐。饭后步行返回火车站时，正好赶上夕阳西下。落日余晖洒在山城之间，景色美得让人舍不得离开。这一天，我们在锡耶纳度过了一段非常美好的时光。