The hotel continental is housed in palazzo gori pannilini built in the 17th century by the chigi pope alexander vii for his niece olimpia on the occasion of her marriage to the nobleman giulio de gori the grandeur of the architecture and the buildings sumptuous decorative scheme perfectly express the high social standing of the families thanks to its artistic splendour the continental later became the preferred sienese residence for young european aristocrats and intellectuals on the grand