Siena: Where Should I Go On Holidays This Christmas?

Thinking of spending Christmas abroad this year? Want to get away from the chaos of the festivities and endless obligations so you can just enjoy yourself over the Holidays? Then why not consider a Christmas getaway in Tuscany? Tuscany is the ideal location for a Christmas break as it boasts pretty towns that are even more picturesque when all dressed up for the festive season, delicious foods that make for excellent Christmas feasts, lots of unique Christmas traditions, and plenty of yuletide cheer. One particularly beautiful Christmas getaway destination in Tuscany is Siena. The charming city of Siena, with its lovely historic centre and penchant for going all out for the Holidays is just about as idyllic a spot as you could get for a very special Christmas. Just find a luxury villa in Siena and get planning the Christmas of your dreams!

Starting on the 16th of November 2019 and continuing right through to the 6th of January 2020, Siena will play host to a calendar of fun events and a selection of wonderfully Christmassy attractions. This includes the opening of the Christmas Village and the City of Entertainment in Piazza Matteotti, the Giardini della Lizza, and Piazza Madre Teresa di Calcutta, where you will find Santa’s House and can bring little ones that might be in the group to meet the main man himself, an ice-skating rink, bumper cars, a playground, and lots of other fun attractions that can entertain everyone in the family! Santa’s House is located inside the Fortezza Medicea and is where you can, of course, meet him as we noted but you can also explore the Claus' home and the office in which elves are sorting Christmas letters, as well as go and visit the reindeer barn, and meet characters from beloved fairytales at the Christmas Factory.

Then, on the 1st of December, the Christmas lights around town are officially turned on for the season, illuminating the already-beautiful historic centre of the city and making it all the more lovely. This year, there is a new addition to the traditional lighting display used to illuminate the city with “A Spectacle of Lights”. This will see new types of lights, light projections, and video mapping added to really pick out and enhance the pretty streets and ancient squares of the town. The video mapping will take place in Piazza Matteoti from December 7th 2019 to January 6th 2020 and will be dedicated specifically to delighting audiences of children and another will take place in the Piazza del Campo on the 14th until the 26th of December 2019 with a more general audience in mind.

In addition to all of this, there will be a variety of art events taking place around Siena such as an exhibition of different Nativity scenes from all over the globe in the Magazzini del Sale. On the 13th of December the traditional mass dedicated to the memory of Santa Lucia will take place in the Church of Santa Lucia and there will also by a traditional fair of craft and other Christmassy products typical of Siena in Pian dei Mantellini. It is traditional to buy a ceramic bell with the colours of your contrada (or the district of Siena in which you are from) but as a guest in the city you could buy one with the colours of the district in which you are staying or you can buy another traditional type of item, a handmade nativity scene figure.

Finally, be sure to also hop on the Christmas Train to take you around town as you explore all of the festive events that Siena has to offer such as the magical Christmas tree lightings of the pretty tree in the stunning Piazza Salimbeni on the 1st of December 2019 and the Piazza Podestà on the 15th of December. With so much to see and do, Siena really is an ideal place in Tuscany to spend Christmas in 2019! Find a luxury villa in Siena and plan your trip today.