Top Dog-Friendly Attractions in Siena

The shell-shaped 14th-century main square at the heart of the walled UNESCO city, designed as the meeting point of the three terzi (Camollia, Città, San Martino) and paved with red brick in nine wedges radiating from the Palazzo Pubblico. Hosts the twice-yearly Palio horse race (2 July and 16 August) when 10 of the 17 contrade race bareback around the perimeter. The Torre del Mangia (102 m, 1325-1348) rises from the south side, the Fonte Gaia fountain by Jacopo della Quercia (1419) marks the upper rim. Leashed dogs welcome on the Campo and on all the surrounding terraces year-round, except during the Palio race itself.

The cathedral square at the highest point of the walled city, dominated by the white-and-black marble striped Duomo Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (1215-1263) with the unfinished Facciatone (the failed 14th-century plan to make this the largest Gothic cathedral in Christendom) on the east side, the Battistero di San Giovanni (1316-1325) below the apse and the Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala across the square. Free public access to the square year-round. Leashed dogs welcome on the square and the Facciatone walls year-round; the indoor Cathedral, Battistero and Piccolomini Library admit only assistance dogs.

The 17 historic contrade (Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre, Valdimontone) each have their own piazzetta, contrada fountain (where infants are baptised into the contrada), oratory church and contrada museum with the Palio banners (palii) won over the centuries. Walking the contrada loop (3-4 km, signed) is a unique medieval Sienese ritual where you see colour-coded contrada flags on every house front, contrada animal symbols on the fountains and contrada-specific bars and shops. Leashed dogs welcome year-round on all contrada lanes and at all contrada fountains; contrada museum interiors admit dogs at the discretion of the volunteer warden.