Chapter 7: Siena: Into the Tuscan Hills

---

Chapter 7

Siena: Into the Tuscan Hills

They waved goodbye to Pisa after some cure for Maya’s hangover by means of grapefruit and caught the 11.18am to Siena via Empoli. Pisa had been interesting enough to visit but they both had a feeling that better was to come. At Empoli, the train was delayed for ten minutes as a local football derby had spewed out all the hooligans onto the station, fortunately none of them boarded our intrepid twosome’s train. There seemed very little difference in both appearance and behaviour between Italian football fans and English football fans, the only real notable difference were the hand gestures, though the meanings of them were pretty universal.

After the brief delay, the road or rather the railroad to Siena lay ahead. From the train, the Tuscan hills rolled by providing wonderful views of the picturesque landscapes. They arrived at the station, which is a little out of the way, but a bus took them all the way to the Piazza Gramsci and into the heart of medieval Siena. As soon as one arrives in the town, the sheer history grasps the imagination. A majesctic Gothic feeling overawes you. They found their accommodation very quickly, the “ Tre Donzelle” (H: Via delle Donzelle 5, Siena .There are 28 rooms on three floors of this old apartment house built in 1750. The rooms are rather basic, but the hotel itself is central and clean. Breakfast is not included, but showers down the hall are free.)
The best thing about the hotel was its location, right next to “ The Campo” , Siena’s main square.

Tourist site 10: Piazza del Campo

History: The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the town square, which houses the Palazzo Publico and the Torre del Mangia, is an architectural treasure, and famous for holding the Palio. On the 2nd of July and the 16th August Siena hosts the Palio. Twice a year this traditional horse race takes place around the Piazza del Campo, attracting thousand of visitors. The race is a very dangerous one, as there are often a great deal of horses and riders packed into the narrow streets, and on the odd occasion a rider is killed. Controversy also surround the way the horses are traeted and measures have been put in place now to make veterinary care more easily available during the race.

Martin’s comments: The square is kind of oval shaped with a slant. The Palio is a bare back horse race between the 17 local wards, and the winner is the horse, whether it has a rider on its back or not. A truly exquisite square surrounded by over priced cafes, though the flower-battered balls at the kiosk are very tasty.


Siena evokes a feeling of pleasure knowing you’ve made the effort to come here, your diligence is repaid in full. The city was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c.900BC to 400BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called Saina. The center has now been decalaerd a UNESCO World Heritage site and rightly so.

Just around the corner from the main square, rising up in sheer delight is the city’s main cathedral, il Duomo.

Tourist Site 11: Il Duomo

History: Begun in the twelth century, il duomo is one of the great examples of Italian romanesque architecture. Its main façade was completed in 1380, with the addition of its campanile and baptistry in the years to follow. It is unique among Christian cathedrals in that its axis runs north-south. Inside is the famous Gotic octagonal pulpit by Nicola Pisano supportedon lions, and the labyrinth inlaid in the flooring, traversed by penitents on their knees.

Martin’s comments: This 13th century cathedral is a real coming together of Romanesque and Gothic. With a black and white marble theme, the flooring is a masterpiece, though much of it is covered up to prevent wear and tear. Definitely a must visit.

The day was spent walking around the winding streets, each road a new surprise, either steps downwards or step upwards. Evening was drawing near, and a small restaurant was found near the San Domenico church. The menus were only in Italian which didn’t cause too many problems. Maya ended up with Picci ( a kind of tube like patsa) whilst Martin for once went for the safer option of steak and chips. The service was very friendly and the food more than adequate. The evening ended playing a “Star Wars” pinball game, which they shared rather than competing against each other. Highlight: Il Duomo and El Campo Square.

---