Medieval meander - Siena

Piazza del Campo

The monumental fountain, Fonte Gaia, Piazza del Campo

We spent one night in Rome after watching the rugby game and made our way the following morning to Roma Tiburtina station. We planned to spend a couple of nights in Siena, one of Italy's most beautiful medieval cities. Having done a bit of prior research we discovered that the best way to get there from Rome was by bus. The train station in Siena is on the edge of town and a long climb uphill to our destination, the old town. The bus, however, stops at the top, next to the medieval centre. The heavens opened and the forecasted thunderstorms began in earnest. We were happy to stay dry and spend the next few hours travelling north by bus. Our hotel was a couple of minutes walk from the bus station and conveniently located at the edge of the old town. Despite the weather we decided to head out and explore. Needless to say the rain became torrential and we dived into the nearest restaurant for shelter and a late lunch.

Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo

Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia

The following morning the sky still looked decidely grey but the rain had abated and we made our way through the red brick lanes of the beautiful historic centre to Piazza del Campo, the huge, gently sloping square in the heart of the city. Its magnificent pavement becomes part of the site for Europe's most famous and frantic horse race, the Palio, which is held twice a year in the summer. An estimated 60,000 spectators pack the Campo on race day. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the colours representing ten of the seventeen contrade (city wards), race three times round the square. The process can be baffling to outsiders and was once described as being like the equestrian version of Dante's Inferno! The focal point of the square is the Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) which dates back to the end of the 13th century and the 102m high municipal tower, Torre del Mangia, which was built in the 14th century. We decided to give this a miss and save our legs for climbing the Duomo.

The Duomo

                                                       

The Piccolomini library

                                                   

                                                         Statues by Pisano


We made our way from the Campo,

Stained glass window by Duccio

through the winding back streets lined with colourful flags and studded with iron rings for tethering horses, to the Duomo, Siena's magnificent cathedral. Construction started in 1215 and it is a masterpiece of Italian Romanesque-Gothic architecture decorated in white and black marble, the symbolic colours of Siena. It has a truly stunning interior. The entire floor of the cathedral is an incredible work of art. The intricate floor is inlaid with 56 panels depicting historical and biblical scenes executed by about 40

Duomo interior

artists dating back to the 14th century. Another major treasure in the cathedral is the Piccolomini library with wonderful frescoes by Pinturicchio and his workshop. The cathedral houses many valuable pieces of art including works by Donatello, Bernini and the young Michelangelo. Our entry ticket also included the Museo dell'Opera which houses artworks that formerly adorned the cathedral including 12 statues by Pisano that orignally stood on the facade and the vibrant stained glass window by Duccio. The museum also included access via a steep spiral staircase to a viewpoint with panoramic vistas of Siena.

The Duomo floor

                                                          

View  over Siena

Duomo wall decoration

Tethering ring for horses

Feeling decidedly weary we slowly made our way back to our hotel briefly stopping to have a look at the 14th century Palazzo Salimbeni. It was the original headquarters of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in continuous existence in Europe. We ended our day in a small Osteria serving great traditional Tuscan food. The walls were covered with memorabilia of Palio races and the colours of the Pantera (panther) contrada. Siena is a fascinating place, a vibrant, living example of medieval Italy.

Palazzo Salimbeni

The city emblem, the Sienese she wolf, Piazza di Postierla