Via di Città (City Street), Siena

The City Street is one of the main streets of old Siena. Today it is a pedestrian street that is flanked by many well known historical buildings and home to many shops, restaurants and cafes. The City Street was once called the Shoemakers Street due to the presence of many shops of shoemakers. At one end of the street is a square called the Quattro Cantoni which is the meeting point of the three main streets of the city. In the old days, it was a common practice for the high society of the city to go for an evening stroll on the street.

Of the three main streets of old Siena, the City Street has the most stately and elegant buildings in the city. Among the beautiful buildings along the City Street are: the Patrizi Place that dates back to the 14th century; the music academy at the Chigi-Saracini Palace; the Palace of Papesse, a Florentine renaissance style building that houses a contemporary arts center; the Gothic style Marsili Palace and the Loggia of Mercanzia, the Sienese equivalent of a chamber of commerce.

Today the picturesque pedestrian street is the main shopping and dining destination in Siena.