Siena is famous for its panforte, a sweet, dense cake city bakers created in the Middle Ages and still sold in shops all over town. Made from candied fruit and nuts glued together with honey, it resembles a gloopy fruit cake. Each shop has its own recipe, with the most popular varieties being sweet Panforte Margherita and bitter Panforte Nero. Try a slice at Drogheria Manganelli, Via di Città 71–73 (tel. 0577-280-002), which has made its own panforte and soft ricciarelli almond cookies since the 19th century. Some Sienese would send you just as enthusiastically to the delectable and venerable Nannini, just off the Campo at Via Banchi di Sopra 24 (tel. 0577/303080). The Consorzio Agrario Siena, Via Pianigiani 9 (www.capsi.it; tel. 0577/2301), showcases local wines, cheeses, pasta, even pastry, all from small Tuscan producers.

Authentic Sienese ceramics feature only black, white, and the reddish-brown “burnt sienna,” or terra di Siena. Ceramiche Artistiche Santa Caterina, with showrooms at Via di Città 74–76 (tel. 0577-283-098) sells high-quality pieces, courtesy of Maestro Marcello Neri, who trained at Siena’s premier art and ceramics institutions, and his son, Fabio. 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.