Until November 1st 2001, the historical seat of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana of Siena reopens its doors to the public who wants to admire the splendid rooms of this Gothic building and a portion of the 12000 pieces of its important art collection.
Info & Booking
Admission includes guided tour of rooms of Chigi Saracini Palace.
Accessible for disabled visitors too
Opening hours:
Guided visits, lasting 1 hour approximately, are available at 11:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 16:00, each Friday and Saturday, and also on Sunday August 14th, Monday August 15th, Sunday October 30th, Monday October 31st and Tuesday November 1st.
Reservations must be made with a minimum of 1 day notice.
Save time in ordering! Add into your basket all the museum tickets you want, then fill the form and send the request.
Before making your eservation, please, read the Ordering Informations
IMPORTANT NOTICE: After succesfully completing a reservation, you will receive two e- mails: the copy of your order (immediately after submitting your order) and the confirmation mail (one working day after). In order to receive them, please make sure you insert your e-mail address correctly and check that your anti-spam filter or antivirus are not blocking mails from our address [email protected]. Special attention for AOL, Comcast and Sbcglobal.net mailbox users. Vouchers will also be available, aftre one business day from the request, at the page http://en.firenze.waf.it/get_vouchers2.php
PLEASE NOTICE: Confirmed time is not always the same time you requested; museum automatically confirms the closest available time (any time) on the same date if requested time is sold out.
Cancellations and changes:
Once a visit is confirmed, it can be changed, upon the payment of a penalty fee, according to museum availability. Confirmed visits can be canceled and refunded cost of unused tickets minus service fee. No shows can also be refunded, upon request, for cost of unused tickets minus service fee.
Chigi Saracini Palace in Siena
The Palazzo Chigi Saracini, today the home of the prestigious the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, has a long and colorful history.
Towards the middle of the twelfth century the noble Marescotti family built the tower that still stands at one end of the building. Even now, the Marescotti emblem, an eagle with spread wings, overlooks the three-mullioned windows of the facade.
In 1506 the Piccolomini Mandòli, one of the most important families of Siena, purchased the palace. The Piccolomini Mandòli considerably modified the palace\'s structure as well as its decoration. The palace was thus given the Renaissance style that are most apparent in the courtyard and the upstairs loggia.
In 1770 the palace became the property of the brothers Marco Antonio and Bernardino Saracini. The Saracini brothers began an important restructuring process brought to completion in 1824 by Marco Antonio\'s son Galgano. The facade was considerably enlarged stretching along the curve of the street, although its original Gothic style was preserved. Agostino Fantastici modernized parts of the interior. He also designed the furnishings of a sumptuous bedroom. It was during this period that the Saracini family assembled the imposing art collection.
In 1877 the Saracini family died out and another important family of Siena, the Chigi family, inherited the palace, together with the entire estate and the Saracini family name. Fabio, the first of the new owners, died in 1907 during a hunting accident, leaving his nephew Guido as universal heir.
It was Count Guido Chigi Saracini who commissioned the architect Arturo Viligiardi with the restoration of the building. The architect oversaw a full-scale restructuring inside and out (notably the rococo style concert hall), which characterizes its appearance today.
Count Guido was the last owner and resident of Palazzo Chigi Saracini. Upon his death in 1965, it passed into the hands of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana Foundation he had founded.