Siena Shopping

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While you are resting you can pick up a gelato and shop for souvenirs, post cards, and other suitcase stuffers.
There are also shops with local crafts throughout Siena. You can even get a pair of shoes made to the exact specifications of you feet.
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What to pay: Prices for these things are pretty much the same no matter where in Italy you are.

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For those shopaholics out there Siena has plenty of shops to keep you amused. If you are after clothing, check out the fancy boutiques on Bianchi di Sopra and on Via di Citta.

There are tempting food shops at every turn, filled with colourful pasta, biscuits & other sweet treats, cheeses and cured meats. On top of this they all sell a large selection of Tuscan wines....I could browse for hours! One particularly interesting shop is Antica Drogheria Manganelli (at Via di Citta 71-73). They have been making their tasty panforte since 1879.

What to buy: For market fans, if you happen by on a Wednesday you can check out the big, lively market held in front of the Fortezza. The market sells everything from clothing to food to junk - a great place for a browse or to stock up on fresh produce if you are self catering.

There is also an antique market which is held in Piazza del Mercato on the 3rd Sunday of every month.

I don't remember the name of this store but it was on the main street to the Campo. I'll look it up I promise. But they sold all types of beautiful scarves. And they were less expensive than the other shops near the Campo. I bought a cashmere scarf for 13 euros. Sigh. I should have bought more. A guest at our hotel in Florence was the one to suggest we look for this store. She didn't know the name of it but was able to describe where it was located.

Any sweets shop in Siena as well as most kiosks.

What to buy: Do buy panforte in Siena from which it traditionally comes. There is a great variety of flavours and types so do buy a variety.

What to pay: Panforte is quite expensive. Expect prices of 20-30 Euros per kilo. If you buy pre-packaged, then it will be more expensive but it is certainly possible to buy a wedge off the round.

I've listed the name of the bakery that makes these (and other) wonderful cookies, but I'm positive you can buy them at other shops in Siena. Ricciarelli are a traditional Christmas cookie, special to Siena. They're so good, however, that they are now made year 'round to satisfy the hungry public. They're a type of macaroon that tastes a bit like the ameretti cookies, except they're softer and larger. Delicious!

What to buy: Ricciarelli!

What to pay: ~6 Euros for a container of 20 or so.

When I think of shopping in Italy, I think of Rome, Florence and Milan. Siena is not to be overlooked, because it has its share of designer shops, too.

After crossing over the Piazza G. Matteotti (shown in this picture), you can make your way down Via Bianchi di Sopra where you'll find the shops of Prada, Gucci, Armani, Ferragamo, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Damiani, Cartier, Versace, and Hermes, to name a few.

Me? I bought 2 CDs and a camera flash card. And they weren't even Louis Vuitton.

I loved to (window)shop in this town. The shops were all so lovely. Most shops were quite small, looked very old and picturesque with old furniture and the store windows were decorated in the typical way, I had seen in many other towns in Tuscany.

I don't remember the name of this cute little fruit stand, but it was right on the main shopping street of Siena. Everything looked so colorful and fresh. A great place to pick up some snacks for a picnic in the piazza.