Thursday, October 7th 2004
By minibus:
Siena
Dinner at a farmhouse
Return to Pistoia | |
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Siena by minibus.
Itself truly one of the treasures of Tuscany, Siena is an experience of Gothic Italy. Its unique character remains largely unspoiled by the modern world, although time has certainly made its mark. The medieval personality of the city, its aura of power and history, emanates from the stone the streets and walls are built of. The hills that surround Siena are the source of that stone, the color of which is immortalized as the painter's "sienna". The beautiful Gothic Cathedral, Palazzo Pubblico, and many churches are just a part of this very aesthetically pleasing city. The central Piazza del Campo is one of the most famous in Italy, the site, on the day after the Feast of the the Assumption, of Il Corsa del Palio, a horse race that pits the Contrade, or rival wards of the city, against each other for a furious three laps round the Piazza. This race has been run since 1310, and still infuses the city with an intense excitement that persists throughout the summer.
The Sienese school of painting produced many fine works of art during the first half of the fourteenth century. These are well represented in the museums and local buildings.
Lunch on the go. Dinner at a farmhouse, and return to Pistoia.
Related links |
