SIENA
ourlodging
Hotel Chiusarelli
distancewalked
6 Miles
You really only need to know one word for your visit to Siena. "Palio."
The Palio di Siena is held twice a year, on July 2 and August 16. Ten horses representing the seventeen city "contrade," or wards, run with bareback riders in the Piazza del Campo. The race began nearly 400 years ago and only the horse needs to finish, not the rider! There is a serious rivalry between the contrade and there is serious conversation about the races, before and forever after!
In addition to the Palio, Siena has a rich medieval history and played an important role in the Italian renaissance. Our personal quest picks up again!
day11
Siena is in the heart of Tuscany and though it was raining on our drive there, all the signs one imagines of Tuscany were visible—the rolling hills, vineyards. olive groves and cypress trees. We stopped at San Gimignano, a medieval-style hilltop town with arched walkways, tall towers and stunning views of the Tuscan countryside. It also boasts as being home to "the world's most famous Gelato 2024." There were plenty of people in line to test the validity and we were among them!
Kevin and I walked around San Gimignano and eventually found a cute little sandwich shop for lunch. It became the highlight of our time in this charming hill town. If you are looking for a delicious, carefully made stuffed focaccia and local white wine, be sure to stop at Da I' Mariani. It was a truly personalized meal made with care by the owner. We also engaged with the other patrons, a couple from France vacationing with their four daughters. I believe between the five adults, we could have solved half of the world's problems!
We arrived in Siena an hour after leaving San Gimignano. It was drizzling off and on during our group orientation walk with the energetic local guide, Annalisa. She took us to the Palazzo Salimbeni which houses the main offices of the oldest bank in the world, and then to the Piazza del Campo.
The misty weather didn't dampen our enthusiasm to get a crash course on the Palio. Our orientation walk ended at the San Sebastian Church in the Contrada della Selva. The crypt below the church houses the Contrada's museum which showcases its history and pays tribute to its Palio victories. Our group was then treated to a home-cooked traditional meal hosted and served by members of the Society of the Contrada Selva, whose symbol is the Rhinoceros. Palio race videos played as a backdrop and you couldn't help getting caught up in the excitement. It was a memorable evening and we now pledge our allegiance to the Rhinos!
SIENA
today'shighlight
Stained Glass Demonstration
distancewalked
7.5 Miles
day12
Our day started out with a fascinating demonstration by a local stained-glass artisan. Massimo gave detailed explanations of the stained glass process and mentioned that his shop had just delivered windows to a church in Wisconsin! There was an opportunity to purchase souvenirs and I picked out glass ornaments.
We then met up again with Annalisa to tour the Siena Cathedral. Both the interior and exterior are constructed using greenish-black and white marble stripes. It was consecrated in 1215 and there now stands an unfinished nave extension that is used as a parking lot for the museum. The expansive Duomo interior wows you with its imposing striped columns and inlaid marble mosaic floors, which are a marvel to contemplate.
The other marvel was ending our Michelangelo dry spell! The lower niches of the nave's Piccolomini Altarpiece feature four sculptures made by the young Michelangelo: St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Gregory and St. Pius. Other notable Italian masterpieces can be seen throughout the cathedral, including in the Piccolomini Library.
Michelangelo was concurrently working on his "David" when sculpting the four saints in Siena. The most famous of the four sculptures is St. Paul, which is widely believed to be Michelangelo's earliest self-portrait.
duomo
Siena Cathedral
Unfinished nave extension
Donatello’s bronze statue of St. John the Baptist
Siena Cathedral
TODAY'S GREAT MEALS
We ate well in Siena! We chose a Cantonese restaurant for lunch called M-EAT located near the Medici Fortress. While Kevin stuck to traditional Asian fare, I added a bit more adventure to my meal. Their "Delicious Rice" was delicious, but the menu item that intrigued me was the "Gratin Port Trotter." It was my first ever taste of pig knuckles!
Sticking with the pork theme, dinner at the hotel restaurant that evening included tender and rich pork cheeks. (I now buy cheeks from our local meat locker but I keep forgetting to ask about pork trotter!)
Splendid Siena Scenes
Kevin and I left the old town to check out the Medici Fortress of Siena beyond our hotel. We walked through the public park and along the ramparts which graced us with stunning views of the city among an approaching afternoon shower. We later sheltered from the rain in the Basilica of San Domenico, which houses some relics of St. Catherine of Siena,.
We returned to the Piazza del Campo area for drinks in a small bar that played Johnny Cash music and then ate dinner at the hotel restaurant, seated next to some of our tour buddies. I think we all agreed that two nights in Siena wasn't quite enough time to soak up its splendor.
