Description of the attraction
Palazzo Salimbeni, also known as Rocca Salimbeni, is a fortress-like historic building in Siena, which today houses the office of one of the oldest banks in Italy, Monte dei Paschi di Siena.
The three-story palace was erected in the 14th century, most likely on the foundations of other structures that existed in the 12-13th centuries. In the 19th century, it was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style and decorated with some details, such as battlements, blind arches and triple vaulted windows, which were inspired by another medieval building, the Palazzo Pubblico. Later, in the 20th century, the architect Pierluigi Spadolini worked on the reconstruction of the building, who was commissioned by the bank's management to update the appearance of its historic residence. He gave it the features of Siena Gothic. The middle floor is decorated with wonderful windows topped with pointed arches with the coats of arms of the noble families of the city.
Palazzo Salimbeni, located in the historic center of Siena and visible from afar, overlooks the small square of Piazza Salimbeni, on which a monument to the Italian religious leader, politician and economist Sallusto Bandini, dated 1882, is erected. The square runs along the famous Via Banca di Sopra, which, incidentally, is the only access to Piazza Salimbeni. Nearby are no less luxurious old palaces - Palazzo Tantucci (mid-16th century) and the Renaissance Palazzo Spannokchi (1470), designed by Giuliano da Maiano. All three palaces were renovated in the 19th century by the architect Giuseppe Partini, who gave the entire Piazza Salimbeni its modern look.
