Monte dei Paschi

The Monte dei Paschi and the Piazza Salimbeni, in Siena

The Monte dei Paschi, one of the oldest banks in the world, has its seat on the elegant Piazza Salimbeni of Siena. The Siena audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this solemn square, lined with palaces and dominated by the statue of Sallustio Bandini.

The square of the palaces and the oldest bank

Here is the Piazza Salimbeni, a small elegant square in the heart of Siena. In its centre stands the statue of Sallustio Bandini, an eighteenth-century ecclesiastic considered one of the pioneers of modern economic thought. All around, three palaces form a solemn and harmonious setting, including the majestic Palazzo Salimbeni, which gives its name to the square. This ensemble shelters the seat of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, founded in 1472 and considered one of the oldest banks in the world still in activity. Born originally as a lending institution intended to help the most deprived, the bank took its name from the pastures, the paschi, whose revenues guaranteed its operations. Over the centuries, it played a major economic role in Siena and far beyond, durably marking the history of the town. A witness of the financial power and the heritage of the town, the Monte dei Paschi and the Piazza Salimbeni are a fine stop of the discovery of Siena.

What to see

You admire the elegant Piazza Salimbeni lined with three palaces forming a solemn setting, including the majestic Palazzo Salimbeni, with in its centre the statue of Sallustio Bandini, pioneer of economic thought; the ensemble shelters the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, founded in 1472, one of the oldest banks in the world. The Monte dei Paschi testifies to the financial past of Siena. It is a stop to be discovered, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Piazza Salimbeni and the seat of the Monte dei Paschi lie in the heart of Siena, reachable on foot. It is a freely accessible public square; you admire its palaces from the exterior, the seat of the bank following its own access conditions. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What is the Monte dei Paschi of Siena?

One of the oldest banks in the world still in activity, founded in 1472; born as a lending institution to help the most deprived, it has its seat on the Piazza Salimbeni, in an ensemble of three palaces including the majestic Palazzo Salimbeni.

Where is the Piazza Salimbeni of Siena?

In the heart of Siena, in Tuscany, in Italy.