Things to Do at Torre del Mangia

Torre del Mangia rises 88 metres above Siena's Piazza del Campo, a slender exclamation point of red brick capped with white travertine. You will see it from almost every corner of the old town, and that is the whole idea. When the Sienese finished it in 1348, they made sure its summit matched the Duomo's bell tower across town. A deliberate statement: civic power and church power stood level. The tower takes its odd name from its first bell-ringer, Giovanni di Balduccio, nicknamed 'Mangiaguadagni' (roughly, 'profit-eater') for spending his habit of spending wages on food and wine. The nickname stuck to the tower long after he left. Climbing it sticks with people. You squeeze through a narrow stone staircase, 400 or so steps spiralling through cool, damp air smelling of old mortar. Walls press close. Tall visitors duck instinctively. Halfway up, a small landing lets you catch your breath and hear the piazza below, then the staircase narrows again before opening into the bell chamber. The bronze bell, cast in 1666 and called Sunto, still rings on civic days. Step onto the viewing platform and wind slaps you, along with one of Tuscany's finest urban panoramas. Terracotta roofs tumble outward, the Duomo's striped marble tower stands eye-level, and on clear days the Crete Senesi roll south in pale clay and dark cypress. The Rinaldi brothers, Muccio and Francesco, designed the tower and built it between 1338 and 1348, finishing just as the Black Death hit Siena. Poignant timing. The city that raised this proud marker of prosperity lost roughly two-thirds of its population within months. Siena never regained the swaggering wealth that had made the tower possible.

Siena's historic centre is largely pedestrianised, so you'll be walking to Torre del Mangia regardless of how you arrive in town. From the train station (Stazione di Siena), hop on the short escalator-and-bus connection up to the old town in about 15 minutes. Prefer to walk? Budget 25 to 30 minutes uphill. But only if you're not loaded with luggage. From the main bus terminal at Piazza Gramsci, it's a downhill stroll of roughly 10 minutes through the medieval lanes. Drivers, park at one of the perimeter car parks (San Francesco, Il Campo, or Santa Caterina). The historic centre is a ZTL (limited traffic zone) and tickets for unauthorised driving are eye-watering. From any car park, follow signs to Piazza del Campo. The tower is impossible to miss once you're close.