Siena Oca In-Town Apartment - Family Lodgings

Character: Charming, sunny and quiet Tuscan apartment in the center of town. Advantages: Great location, exceptional amenities, very spacious. Location: On Via di Santa Caterina, only a few minutes’ walk from the Duomo and Piazza del Campo. Click here to see a map. Size: sleeps 5; sunny living room with fireplace and kitchenette; separate dining area; bedroom with queen bed; bedroom with queen bed or twin beds; bedroom with single bed; bathroom with shower; bathroom with bathtub. Features: Air conditioning; washing machine; dishwasher; DSL Internet access; cellphone on request; parking spot available. Minimum stay: Three nights. Disadvantages: No elevator (48 steps up from the street). Car needed: No.

"Never forget your roots
Especially when they remind you
Of a gleaming past that perfectly weds
With the present"

So goes one motto of Siena's Goose district, in which this apartment is located and after which it is named. Perhaps the neighborhood's greatest claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of St. Catherine, Italy's patron saint and the first woman to ever be named a Doctor of the Church. Born in 1347, she was the daughter of a prosperous cloth-dyer who, like most of those practicing his trade, lived right here. Indeed, the colors on today's Oca contrada banner were originally those of the cloth-dyers' guild. Famed throughout Christendom for her acts of extreme self-abnegation (including what may be the first documented accounts of bulimia), Catherine resembled Italy's male patron saint, Francis, in her courageous outbursts against the corruption and profanity of church elders from the Pope on down. In many ways she symbolizes the character of the Sienese: fierce, erudite, independent, stoic, and pretty darn sure they are right about almost everything! Much to the sorrow of her fellow Oca members, Catherine's body is in Rome. But her head and thumb lie in state down the street at the Duomo, thanks to a handful of enterprising 14th-century Sienese who actually beheaded her (posthumously, that is!) in order to spirit at least part of her back home. Ask your neighbors to tell you the story about how they managed to get the severed testa past the Pope's guards: it is one of countless miracles the locals never tire of narrating.

The Siena Oca apartment is in the very heart of the city, so if you are lucky enough to stay here during the Palio festivities, don't expect to sleep much! Normally, you will find it is sunny and quiet, thanks to its location on the third floor. It is true, you will need to climb the stairs to get here, but elevators are almost unheard of in Siena, because they are considered an unsightly blemish on the historical character of ancient buildings such as this. It must also be said that Siena itself is built on a steep grade, so if you cannot do three flights of stairs you may want to reconsider spending more than a quick visit in the city. If this is not a problem for you, then Siena and Oca are both bound to leave you with pleasant memories for years to come!

Although this is a very historical apartment, you will find it equipped with all the amenities you're looking for. It is fully air-conditioned and centrally heated, there is DSL Internet access, the owners provide a cellphone if you don't have one, and the appliances include a washing machine, dishwasher, oven and range, microwave oven, toaster, American coffeemaker, juicer, hair dryer, iron and board. The living room features plenty of seating ranged around the fireplace, while off to one side is an ultra-modern open kitchen with a full fridge/freezer and counter with stools. The dining area is in its own nook next door, and above is an open loft with a desk, chairs and Internet access. The soaring wood-beamed ceiling and two windows with their views of the Duomo and San Domenico church make the room feel even bigger than it is.

Sleeping quarters in this apartment are at the end of a hall which has a big closet and a washing machine. One bedroom has a queen bed and en suite bathroom with tub and shower; the other bedroom has either a queen bed or two twin beds. There is a second bathroom with shower off the hall and upstairs on the loft, a single bedroom with skylight (this room is NOT open to the living room below). Rounding out the niceties of Siena Oca is the owner's parking spot, which is in the nearby municipal lot.

Vital information:
On Via di Santa Caterina
Third floor Italian (no elevator)
Two double bedrooms (one can have twin beds)
One loft with single bed
One bathroom with shower
One bathroom with bathtub and hair dryer
Kitchenette with refrigerator/freezer, oven and burners, microwave, toaster and dishwasher
Washing machine
Air conditioning
Central heating
Fireplace
Iron and board
DSL Internet access
Cellphone on request

THE FOLLOWING DATES ARE ALREADY BOOKED IN 2010:
Aug. 4-20, Sept. 2-4, Sept. 18-24, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Oct. 9-15, Oct. 23-30, Nov. 19-Dec. 3

For this property:
Prices include: all taxes, services, electricity, air conditioning, heating, two sets of linens per person
Mandatory extras: 25 Euro/person for final cleaning
Optional extras: Extra cleaning is available for 20 Euro/hour; parking is available for 50 Euro/week (or shorter periods)

We regret animals are not allowed.

Check-in: 4-7pm
Check-out: 10am
Refundable security deposit: 250 Euro; additional 200 Euro if you intend to use the parking spot.

Click here for information about private transfers to the property.

Please note that it is not possible to guarantee Internet access at any property, because the property does not generate the service, it merely provides access from a server. If the server experiences any kind of problem at all, the property regrets it cannot be responsible for any inconvenience caused by subsequent lack of service.

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