La Lizza Gardens is a tree-lined public park on the northern edge of Siena’s historic centre, just beyond Piazza Gramsci. Known to locals simply as La Lizza, it offers a change of pace from the medieval streets: benches sit beneath the trees, and the paths are used by dog walkers, families and people out for an evening stroll.
The name recalls the Italian word for a field of contest, reflecting the area’s association with public gatherings and spectacle. Later shaped into a formal garden beside the Medici Fortress, La Lizza remains a place for everyday civic life as well as a useful green link between the old town and its northern approaches.
Visit for a shaded pause between Siena’s monuments, or combine a walk through the gardens with a circuit of the nearby fortress. Late afternoon is a pleasant time for a stroll, while the trees offer relief during hot summer days. The park is a short walk from the buses at Piazza Gramsci and around 10–15 minutes on foot from Piazza del Campo. Around the Palio in July and August, allow extra time for crowds and possible street closures.