As A Daytrip: Siena vs. Orvieto vs. Tivoli

Well, Ben, if you are NOT worrying about your travels, travel time, where you are coming from, etc., and you're just wondering which is 'best,' I would probably rank them: 1) Siena, 2) Orvieto, 3) Tivoli.

Of these three, my personal favorite is probably Orvieto, but most would likely want to see all the sights in Siena, which is a great Tuscan town with a splendid Duomo. I'm sure you'd enjoy it if you went.

Of course, it all depends on what interests you; but I've been to both, and my vote is for Orvieto. The duomo there is a superlative piece of architecture, and the art inside and outside is fabulous. If you go, don't balk at paying the fee for admission to the chapel which contains the frescoes by Luca Signorelli. There's also an Etruscan museum on the Piazza del Duomo, and the little streets off it give plenty of opportunities for explorations. Villa d'Este has really wonderful gardens, but the interior didn't wow me.

Thanks for the comments.

Hmmm... So Orvieto over Siena? I got two private messages to that effect as well. Siena has no defenders? I've just heard so much about how awesome the Piazza del Campo is, and then some people say it's actually a poor square...

I was struggling with the thought of leaving Europe without seeing "the best square in Europe"... Is that not the case in a lot of people's opinion here? Also heard the Duomo is excellent.

Civita was very interesting to visit. I don't know if you have a car or are going by train. I don't know if the train goes to Civita. There was a movie crew in Civita filming the new version of Pinocchio.
We were in Siena via car on a very rainy day so we did not enjoy the square. We did go into the cathedral where the floors were uncovered (September)then left on our way on to Orvieto.
I would choose Orvieto because there is a lot to see and do. Look into buying the pass that gets you to some sites and also includes the bus back to the tram but it is so easy to walk.

Ben: Reading the question you asked in your original post, on a side by side comparison of Siena and Orvieto and Tivoli--ignoring the issue of travel time, as you requested in your original post--I think many travelers (including this one) would give Siena *** and Orvieto *. In fact, the Michelin Guide does exactly that, rating them as follows:Siena *Tivoli *Orvieto * And Rick in his Italy 2008 book gives Siena 30 pages and Orvieto 15. And on this board in the last couple of years, more travelers spend more time in Siena than in Orvieto. All three well worth doing. But you asked a specific question and that's my opinion.

Ben,
See http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Montages/Siena%20&%20South/Siena.htm

Yeah Kent, it does seem that Siena is generally favored in this comparison. Then I asked this question here and got four answers in a row (if I include two private messages I got) that said Orvieto. I was a bit surprised, to be honest.

I have the Michelin guide and Rick Steves guide. I can tell that both guides prefer Siena. Also the Fodor's guidebook gives out THREE "Fodor's Choice" awards in Siena (Piazza del Campo, the Duomo, and the crypt under the Duomo), and only one in Orvieto (the Duomo).

I think one problem Siena can have is people "overselling" it. We could hardly wait to go in 2003, and then were somewhat let down. The couple we traveled with last September wanted us to return so that they could see it, so we day tripped in from our villa in Greve-after a couple of hours they were ready to leave. For whatever reason, it just has never cast a magical spell for us.