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Unusual Siena
The charm of the Palio, the austere presence of Torre del Mangia and the spectacular beauty of Piazza del Campo, are the aspects visitors and tourists crowding the city of Siena every year are most familiar with, but not everybody knows about another aspect of Siena, the one concealed in over twenty five kilometres of tunnels, around 300 underground cavities surveyed and more than 160 indicated, a labyrinth of underground passages making up the network that unfolds below the ground.
The historical news referring to the underground system date back to the medieval age, when the set of connections and ramifications was built to aid in the city's water requirements: a supply network known as «Bottini» (little barrels), a name that was given to the cavities since 1226. The name derives from the specificity of the passages' construction: all the tunnels, in fact, have «barrel»-like vaults, except for that of Fontanella, which is probably of Etruscan origin, with a hut-like structure.
Starting from 2001 a study was begun by the Universitą degli studi di Siena in association with the municipality to survey, evaluate and discover the secrets enclosed in Siena's underground, through evaluations and studies of the collected materials, infiltrations, water layers, fractures and sedimentations.
Bottini are made up of two main branches on two different levels: the oldest one known as «bottino di Fontebranda» which unwinds in Siena's northern area and a second branch, known as «Fonte Gaia», of more recent establishment and longer that also feeds the water source in Piazza del Campo. You can follow guided tours into the Bottini, organised by «La Diana» association, in spring and autumn as long as water levels permit it.
To visit Siena's «Bottini» you need to send a written request by fax at the number +39 0577 292 346 or a letter to the Siena Municipality at : Palazzo Comunale, Piazza del Campo 1, indicating your telephone number, the name and number of participants (if the request concerns a group of people). A person from "La Diana" association, appointed by the Municipality of Siena, will then carry out the guided tours, contact by telephone those interested indicating the day the visit can take place (currently waiting times are about a year) and the bank account number on which to deposit the entry ticket price: 9,3 euro per person.
April.2002
Municipality of Siena (In Italian)
La Diana Association
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