What to do in Siena during Christmas holidays

If you are thinking that December isn’t the best moment of the year for visiting Siena, reading this article you’ll probably change your mind: Tutto il Natale di Siena, (All the Christmas of Siena) the calendar of events scheduled in Siena in December has been published; this is a series of events that will take place from 1st December to January 31st to allow tourists and residents to experience one of the most beautiful destinations in Tuscany by joining in shows, concerts, cooking classes, guided tastings, exhibitions and other exclusive events both in the squares, in the historic palaces of the town and in the lesser known venues.

We celebrate this special calendar, advising you what to do in December and especially during Christmas holidays, Siena is the ideal place where to spend it!

Extraordinary openings and secular traditions

Sant’Ansano I, Sailko [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

December 1st coincides with the beginning of the Anno Contradaiolo: at 5:00 pm all Sienese contrada start in parade from Piazza del Campo to the Duomo, where the Mass is held. On the same day, we recommend visiting the Historical Museum at Misericordia di Siena, in Via del Porrione 49, since inside the Museum are collected works of art of various authors of Sienese school and objects used by Archconfraternity throughout its history.
The museum is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 until 17th January.

For concerts, keep an eye on the Chigiana Music Academy, at Palazzo Chigi Saracini, in Via Città, especially if you are fond of classical music, as this is the perfect venue for this kind of show.

Among the recurring events, we recommend the ice-skating rink at Giardini La Lizza, open every day until January 7th, a must if you are on holiday with children or if you want to enjoy skating outdoor.

This time of year is also suitable for cooking lessons, because it’s nice to learn how to cook the typical Sienese delicacies with the help of an expert chef and taste the dishes made by your own hands.
There are two opportunities: you can book a cooking class at The International Chef Academy of Tuscany in Via Lippo Memmi 25 or those at the Scuola di Cucina di Lella in Via Fontebranda 69, both are very high quality cooking classes and recommended for those who have always dreamed of cooking a speciy of Tuscan cuisine. We have already talked about in the post How to Join a Cooking Class in Siena.

About traditions, Mercato nel Campo it’s a fair that will take place on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd December in Piazza del Campo, with over 160 stands that will offer the best handicraft products and deli of the Sienese tradition.

Here, in fact, you will find products from Italy and Europe, displayed asa a medieval market in the XIV century.
This 10th edition of Mercato nel Campo is inspired by the topic “Borghi d’Italia”. At the Cortile del Podestà you can follow a sensorial path dedicated to wine, a valid pretext for savoring one of the most valuable Sienese treasures.

The events calendar will take place in the most popular venues in the city, such as the jazz club Un Tubo, and the traditional parties such as New Year’s Eve at Piazza del Campo (please note that the detailed program has not yet been announced) and the gospel concert on 1st January.
Check out the official program here to schedule your stay www.enjoysiena.it and follow us for the next updates.

Credits preview photo: www.radiosienatv.it