LoriNY1

just wondering if these two towns, and all the small towns in the area, are essentially shut down on Sundays? we will be in that area on a Sunday so wondering.

sandralist

I believe it is still the case that the cathedral in Siena is off-limits for touristing on Sunday mornings because of services. You can enter the church and attend the service, but tourists are prevented from moving around the church freely to look at the art and architecture, and it is a significant downside. There is much to see inside the church, but you need to be able to walk around to see it. I believe it is possible to visit the church freely on Sunday afternoons, or whenever there are no services.

I assume that the same applies for the beautiful church interiors of San Gimignano, but they are much smaller, and you would have a moment between morning services to slip inside to see them. However, one or more of them might close up completely between 12.30 and 4pm, or perhaps for the remainder of the day on Sundays.

Otherwise, many shops in most Italians towns are open on Sunday mornings (in particular food shops) and many restaurants serve Sunday lunch, and in towns very dependent on visitor euros (like Siena and San Gimignano) tourist shops stay open. Be aware that not only foreigners but Italians enjoy visiting the famous tourist sights of Italy on a nice weekend, so you might find these places very crowded.

LoriNY1

thank you for the input.