Sauntering Through Siena

Ok, so maybe the term "sauntering" doesn't exactly describe our adventures in Siena today.  Some might say "struggling, as the town has some pretty steep inclines, but our guide, Annalisa, made every attempt to limit any extreme gradients as she led us through this charming walled town.

Our first stop was the Basilica of San Domenico, which you can see on left side of the above photo.   Devoted to St. Catherine, it stands on the top of a hill where it has stood since 1125.  As Annalise explained, its primary significance in the town is to act as a shrine to St. Catherine.  

She was instrumental in convincing the Pope to move the papacy from France back to Rome, and she actually died in Rome.  Her body is buried there, but her head is enshrined in alcove in this church. 

The artwork is insignificant according to Annalise, but a couple caught my attention.

There was also this beautiful shrine to Mary.

We wove our way up and down through the narrow streets,  and it was easy to see why this city is a favorite of many. 

Annalise was sure to point out a window shop that featured a special cookie that is a specialty of Siena.  It is made with almond paste and sugar, and I can attest that it was tender and delectable, as you know I couldn't resist the temptation of trying one. 

Popping around a corner, and this view was suddenly in front.  Pretty amazing, isn't it?

Annalise explained in detail that the city was broken up into seventeen different districts, each with its own mascot and flag.  The light shown in a previous picture represented the district of the goose.  Since 1492, Siena has hosted a Palio, which is a horse race in the center piazza, that is represented by each of the seventeen districts.  They take this race very seriously, and in July and August, the Piazza Campo is packed with the families of the various districts as they cheer on the horse who will race for their honor. 

Annalise chose to show us the Rhinoceros District, also associated with the Forest as an emblem.

Each of these districts has its own church, and here you can see a metal rhinoceros adorning the gate to a special door designated strictly for entrance of the horse.  After all, the horse apparently needs to be blessed before the event begins.

Annalise had secured entry for us on this beautiful Sunday, so that she could give us an idea of what these churches look like in the interior.  Walking into the vestibule, she pointed out that this garment worn by a priest, dated back to the year 500. 

These others were from 1400.

The interior of the church was stunning with this magnificent tabernacle adorning the altar. 

Annalise explained that during the ceremony, the side door (with the gate) is opened, the horse walks in, and the priest gives the special blessing.  She also noted that, sometimes, the horse blesses the church (if you get what I mean.)

Walking downstairs, there are banners from past years that have been preserved for display.  Each is unique in its own way, with fine embroidery.  Each one shows some devotion to the Virgin Mary who is usually highlighted at the top. 

Behind glass there are costumes from past riders

And, on nearly item there was either a leaf of some sort (representing the forest), or a rhinoceros. 

We then watched a video of the horse from the Forest District who won the title of winner in 2019.  He had thrown his rider off half way through the race, but kept running furiously, beating out the front horse (who still had his rider), by less than a nose. It was a photo finish.  And the excitement of the win was extremely entertaining to watch.  No worries....we were assured that the jockey was not harmed during his fall. 

Now that we knew the story of the Palio, it was time to once again maneuver the streets to the Piazza Campo.  We passed the magnificent Duomo.

Of course, Marty needed a selfie.

It was way too large in structure to get a decent phot in its entirety.

Then we made our way down to the Piazza Campo. It had originally been a Roman Forum, but it was converted into a piazza, which is oval, and this is where the horses run the race, along the perimeter of the center, along the walkways, just inside the walls of the buildings.

Just behind that building, we stumbled upon a delightful restaurant for lunch that offered a magnificent view. (If you look past the parked motorcycles.) 

We were on a pretty strict time schedule, so we quickly finished, then headed back to the piazza to meet up with our group.

Joanna led us out of the walls of the city to the bus, and by 3:00 we were on the road and back to our hotel at 4:30.  Since the remaining days are sure to be quite busy, we decided once again to take the funicolar up to the top of Montecatini Alto.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner outside, then took in the views of the lower town before embarking for the ride down. Marty insisted on us standing in the front for the best view, which he did film for a future Yinzerfishing episode. 

You have to admit...it certainly is breathtakingly beautiful.  The perfect ending to a delightful day. 

Until next time....