3 Days in Siena: Discover the City’s Etruscan and Roman Origins

When thinking of Siena, the imagination immediately turns to medieval towers, Piazza del Campo, the Cathedral and the golden centuries between the 13th and 14th centuries. This image is accurate, yet incomplete. The history of Siena reaches much further back in time, into an Etruscan and Roman past that still emerges today within the city’s urban fabric.

Visiting Siena by following the traces of its most ancient history means reading the city through a different lens, going beyond what appears on the surface. It is an ideal itinerary to experience over three days, staying in the historic centre at Hotel Athena, the perfect starting point for exploring on foot a lesser-known yet deeply fascinating Siena.

The first day is dedicated to the city’s most ancient roots. Archaeological evidence tells of a Siena already inhabited during the Etruscan period, integrated into a network of exchanges connecting inland Tuscany with the Tyrrhenian world. With the arrival of the Romans, the city took on a more structured form: Saena Iulia developed according to the urban and administrative models typical of the time.

Walking through the historic centre today often means retracing paths laid more than two thousand years ago. Remains of walls, architectural materials and archaeological finds allow visitors to reconstruct this fundamental phase of Siena’s history, often less well known but decisive for understanding the city’s later evolution.

By staying at Hotel Athena, in the heart of the historic centre, it is easy to begin this journey on foot, guided by a city that preserves the traces of its origins in its underground spaces and ancient stones.

The second day is ideal for deepening your knowledge of archaeological Siena through its museums and historical collections. Ceramic artefacts, sculptures, inscriptions and everyday objects tell the story of an ancient yet dynamic community, shaped by cultural relationships, economic activities and continuous exchanges.

The National Archaeological Museum, located in Piazza del Duomo within the Santa Maria della Scala complex, represents a key stop on this journey. Here, alongside medieval masterpieces, the archaeological heart of Etruscan and Roman Siena is preserved, offering an essential yet evocative insight into the city’s deepest origins.

Visiting these spaces allows visitors to read urban history as a continuous process of transformation and stratification, enriching the understanding of the great medieval season that would later make Siena famous throughout the world.

The third day leads into the underground of Siena, discovering the Bottini, the ancient water supply system that runs beneath the city. Although a medieval engineering work, the Bottini reflect a long continuity in the management of urban space, partly inherited from Roman practices.

This intricate network of tunnels represents a true underground city, capable of revealing Siena’s most mysterious and surprising side. It is an ideal itinerary for those who love urban archaeology and wish to explore what usually remains unseen.

It is also the perfect moment to observe how archaeology is deeply integrated into the contemporary urban fabric: ancient traces emerge in palaces, along streets and within the foundations of buildings, creating a unique historical stratification.

Discovering Siena’s most ancient past over three days means truly understanding the city’s deep identity. A journey that brings together archaeology, museums, urban routes and hidden places, far from the most crowded circuits.

Staying at Hotel Athena, in the heart of the historic centre, allows guests to experience this journey slowly and consciously, moving on foot and returning each evening to a welcoming and elegant hotel. Our staff is always available to suggest itineraries, visits and in-depth experiences for those who wish to discover the most authentic Siena — a city whose roots lie in a very distant past that is still vividly alive.