Bottini, the underground town of Siena

Who doesn’t know Siena ? The tourists who come to our region always stop in Siena, which is famous for the beauty of its historic centre, the magnificent Duomo, the famous Piazza del Campo, and the Horse race, il Palio, that takes place in July and August of every year. But not so many people know about the Bottini. I love Siena and I know it very well. A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Bottini.

The Bottini is a series of tunnels, more or less 14 miles, built under the streets in the past and used as a way to bring the water to the houses. It is a smart engineering water system that collects water from the countryside and brings it inside the town below street level. The name Bottini comes from the form of the ceiling of the tunnels. Today it is no longer used to bring water to the buildings and it has been restored and opened to the public. I recommend a visit as it is a very evocative and unique connection to the past.

One of the entrances is Fonte Gaia, the fountain in the main square, the Piazza del Campo.
Guided visits are by reservation and tickets cost only 10€. It is definitely worth it. You can find all the info at the following link:  www.comune.siena.it/La-Citta/Cultura/Strutture-Museali/Bottini.