The Botanical Gardens are a minor tourist attraction in Siena, cascading peacefully down a hill. This panorama shows some of the paths within the gardens, taken as the skies were clouding over and a thunderstorm approached.

Siena Botanical Gardens - Siena visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Siena Botanical Gardens' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Tuscany.

Siena Botanical Gardens are hidden away and not found by many tourists. However, this free attraction is a great place to escape the crowds, relax and recuperate before venturing back into the main sights of Siena.

Fully known as the 'Orto Botanico dell'Università di Siena', the botanical gardens are associated with Siena University and have their roots in the 16th century when the university began to grew herbal plants for medicinal purposes. The collection quickly grew to some 900 species in the 18th century and in 1856 the gardens moved to the current location.

Today, the botanical gardens cover some 2.5 hectares of sloping hillside south of Piazza del Campo and the center of Siena, inside the city walls cascading down the eastern slope of S. Agostino Valley.

Siena Botanical Gardens - Collections

• a tropical greenhouse
• tepidarium that houses exotic species in winter
• greenhouse with a succulent collection
• orangery with carnivorous plants
• collection of citrus plants from around Europe
• farm area growing fruit, olive trees and vines of the main Chianti grapes.

Orto Botanico dell'Università di Siena
Via P. A. Mattioli, 4,
Siena, Tuscany

Bus: Via del Sole (26, 27, 28, 51)
Walk: Siena Cemetery is about 500m south of Piazza del Campo and Siena Cathedral.