Palazzo Salimbeni: the Gothic fortress of Monte dei Paschi in Siena

Palazzo Salimbeni isn’t just another stop on a walk through Siena: it’s a Gothic fortress planted in the middle of the pedestrian flow along Via Banchi di Sopra, its crenellated façade still seeming to defend the city. Step into Piazza Salimbeni and you’ll see it dominating the square, flanked by Palazzo Tantucci and Palazzo Spannocchi, with the statue of Sallustio Bandini at the center. This has been the historic headquarters of Monte dei Paschi since 1472, the oldest bank still operating in the world. What strikes you first is the contrast: a medieval castle transformed into a bank headquarters, with three-light windows, blind arches, and Neo-Gothic alterations that recall Siena’s 14th century. Don’t expect a museum that’s always open: this is a working building, and perhaps that is exactly what makes it more intriguing. Visits, when possible, are free and guided; from the outside, you can admire it for free anyway. If you’re looking for Siena’s economic and monumental soul, this is the right spot.

Its origins are medieval: a Salimbeni family stronghold from the 12th-13th century, set against the early medieval walls near the church of San Donato. In the 14th century the building was enlarged; in 1419 the Republic of Siena confiscated it and used part of it as the Salt Customs and Excise Office. 1472 is the key date: the Monte Pio, later Monte dei Paschi, was founded here to counter usury. In 1866 the Monte Pio was absorbed by Monte dei Paschi, which bought the palazzo and, from 1877, restored it in Neo-Gothic style with Giuseppe Partini. In the twentieth century Carlo Ariotti and Vittorio Mariani were involved; from 1959 Pierluigi Spadolini oversaw a master plan, completed in the late 1970s. Today it is MPS’s headquarters.

• 12th-13th century: Salimbeni stronghold
• 14th century: enlargement
• 1419: confiscation and Salt Customs
• 1472: Monte Pio
• 1866: MPS purchase
• 1877: Partini restoration
• 1959-70s: Spadolini intervention

The main façade is the immediate eye-catcher: Sienese Gothic style with Neo-Gothic alterations, three-light windows beneath pointed arches, crenellations and a row of blind arches recalling the Palazzo Pubblico. It is not pure Gothic: its present appearance is the result of Partini’s restorations and twentieth-century work. The rear side, from Via dell’Abbadia, is rougher and more intriguing: a brick façade squeezed between two massive tower blocks, with only one original tower remaining, and the Fondaco dei Salimbeni. The square is flanked by Via Banchi di Sopra and enclosed by Palazzo Tantucci, mid-sixteenth century to a design by Il Riccio, and Palazzo Spannocchi, built in 1470 by Giuliano da Maiano, both altered by Partini in the nineteenth century. At its centre stands the statue of Sallustio Bandini, by Tito Sarrocchi, 1882. Bandini was a Sienese economist and archdeacon who donated his library to the city. The square is theatrical by day and by night, but the constant flow of people along Banchi di Sopra keeps it alive rather than embalmed.

Palazzo Salimbeni is a working headquarters, not a museum with a regular ticket office. When it opens, however, it reveals remarkable spaces: the historical archive, the picture gallery and the Museum of San Donato in the former deconsecrated church. The MPS collection comprises around 55,000 pieces, specialising in Sienese art: Pietro Lorenzetti, Sassetta, Sano di Pietro, Jacopo della Quercia, Beccafumi, Francesco Vanni, Rutilio Manetti, Rustichino, Bernardino Mei. Highlights include Lorenzetti’s Crucifixion, the Madonna by the Master of Panzano and Sassetta’s Saint Anthony Abbot. The archive preserves foundation documents of the Monte, credit patents, ledgers and seals. There is also the Peruzziana Gallery, a corridor with grotesque ceilings, and Spadolini’s staircase leading to the terrace of the medieval keep, with a 360° view over Siena. Accessibility is limited due to the medieval structure; visits only on special occasions, with information booklets.

Three concrete reasons. First: it is the historic headquarters of Monte dei Paschi, the oldest bank still operating in the world, and understanding its link to the pastures of the Maremma helps you read Siena. Second: the architecture is a distillation of Sienese Gothic and Neo-Gothic restoration, with mullioned windows, battlements, blind arches and the brick rear between corner towers: if you like buildings that look like fortresses, this is one of the most photogenic. Third: the Sienese art collections, from the archive to the picture gallery, are worth waiting for the rare openings; the view from the tower terrace is a notable bonus. What’s more, the square is free and you cross it strolling along Banchi di Sopra. It may not offer a full visit at all times, but it is a place that tells the story of the city’s economic power better than many information panels. The statue of Bandini closes the circle: economy, library and city in the same space.

There is no perfect season: the square comes alive all year round, but changes character. In the morning it is quieter and the neo-Gothic façade is easier to take in; in the late afternoon the coming and going along Banchi di Sopra picks up and the low light brings out the terracotta of the rear. If you can choose, avoid the central hours of the busiest days and aim for a moment when you can stop in front of the Bandini statue without being swept along by passers-by. The shoulder seasons make a stroll through the historic centre more pleasant, but the palazzo is a building to see from the outside at any time. For the interior, the real deciding factor is the rare annual openings: check in advance, otherwise you will only find the façade. On a rainy day, the square is less convenient but even more atmospheric, with the dark stones and the battlements emerging.

From Piazza Salimbeni you can carry on on foot through the historic centre without taking any transport. Piazza del Campo is the natural next step of the walk: the Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia are cited as architectural reference points of the same Sienese Gothic style, and seeing them after Palazzo Salimbeni helps you appreciate the similarities in the triple-mullioned windows and crenellations. Siena Cathedral and the Pinacoteca Nazionale are two more coherent stops for anyone wanting to explore Sienese art in greater depth, since the MPS art gallery displays Lorenzetti, Sassetta and Beccafumi. If religious art interests you, the Basilica of San Domenico is another nearby attraction. You don’t need a rigid itinerary: Banchi di Sopra is the backbone of the walk and connects the palazzo to the rest of the Terzo di Camollia. I would stop even just to look at the square from different angles: the palazzo changes a great deal between the Via Banchi di Sopra side and the brick rear.