Siena Shopping Tips by Trekki Top 5 Page for this destination

Libreria Feltrinelli: The bookshops of choice: Feltrinelli

The good thing of having taken Italian lessons at Dante School was that I got “local” tips of where to buy things and didn’t need to stick to the overpriced tourist stuff around the Campo. Thanks to Letizia I went to Libreria Feltrinelli to buy a map for my weekend trip, since this trip wasn’t planned at all. I also bought a good book with verb tables in Italian, some postcards and even Donna Leon's newest "Commissario Brunetti" book in English at a reasonable price. Feltrinelli has three shops in Siena, all in Via Banca di Sopra (the road which connects the Campo with Piazza Gramci, where the overland busses leave from). One is specialised in language and travel books and others in Italian books. The one for travel books is easy to find, it is the smallest one and the one which is closer to the Campo (see photo).

Libreria Feltrinelli on Google Maps

© Ingrid D., November 2010.

Theme: Books

Website: http://www.lafeltrinelli.it/fcom/it/home/pages/puntivendita/negozi/trova/toscana/la-Feltrinelli-Librerie-Siena.html

La Boutique del Caffè di Baldi & Parrini SNC: Mhhh... bring coffee back home

In case you want to treat yourself, friends or family with nice delicious souvenirs, La Boutique del Caffè is one of the places! They have heaps of coffee and tea and a rather big selection of chocolates of all kind, including what is called fondente (which would be fudge, but not the caramelised but the chocolate version). I had to close my eyes and just ask for coffee, freshly ground, because otherwise I would have bought everything that was on display, haha. The coffee came in several selections and I picked two for my Bialetti machine, one mild and one a bit stronger. 300 g of each was approx. 7 Euro. Although the bags were sealed after they were filled with the fresh ground coffee, the whole apartment smelled like one big caffè. I still am having my morning coffee with this caffè and sweet memories come back anytime I smell the aroma when my Bialetti is almost filled with this thick delicious brown liquid.

The shop, by the way, is another of Letizia’s great suggestions. Thanks again, my dear!

Directions:
From Campo, walk into the road Banca di Sopra, pass Nannini’s and turn right at the little piazza with the church. Walk into Via C. Angiolieri and look for the shop at the left hand side.
La Boutique del Caffè on Google Maps

© Ingrid D., November 2010.

Address: Via C. Angiolieri 31, Siena

Phone: Tel +39 – 0577 – 27 13 67

Theme: Food and Drink

Bini: Oh so delicious Senese pastry at Bini’s

Like most of Italian towns, Siena also has its typical and very much delicious pastries. The most famous place to buy these is most probably Nannini’s, the shop of Gianna and Alessandro Nannini’s family. But there are others and I am happy that my host Orietta made myself to know Bini. It is located in s a street where most of the tourists won’t pass by (= i.e. outside of the axis Campo - Duomo). Most of our evenings, Orietta put one of Bini’s delicious pastries as dessert on the table and it was very difficult to chose which one I liked most. But at the end it was clear that it was ricciarelli, almond and marzipan sweets, shaped like an almond (and said to represent the Madonna’s eyes). The other specialities of Bini were cantuccini (although they are a typical middle Italian pastry) and the famous panforte. The shop has a huge window where one can watch the pasticciere at work. Someone even made a video about Bini, which I have added to the website section below (4 minutes). On my last day I bought some of Bini’s specialities:
Panforte (500 g cake): 10 Euro, ricciarelli (300 g): 7,20 Euro.

Directions:
On the way from Campo to the duomo continue to walk through Via di Città continue on this road, which becomes Via di Stalloreggi now, instead of turning right to the duomo at the column with wolf & twins on top. Bini is at the left just next to the arch at the end of this street.

Bini on Google Maps

© Ingrid D., November 2010.

Address: 91, Via Stalloreggi, 53100 Siena (SI)

Phone: + 39 - 0577 - 280-207

Theme: Food and Drink

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&hl=en&v=HC_zyJGYsd0&gl=US