Siena

During the Middle Ages SIENA was one of the major cities of Europe. Virtually the size of Paris, it controlled most of southern Tuscany and its flourishing wool industry dominated the trade routes from France to Rome. The city developed a highly sophisticated civic life, with its own written constitution and a quasi-democratic government. Nowadays it's the perfect antidote to Florence. Self-contained and still rural in parts behind its medieval walls, its great attraction is its own cityscape – a majestic Gothic whole that could be enjoyed without venturing into a single museum. To get the most from it you'll need to stay, especially if you want to see its spectacular horse race, the Palio – though you'll definitely need to book during this time.
The City
The centre of Siena is almost entirely medieval in plan and appearance, and has been effectively pedestrianized since the 1960s. At its heart, the Campo, with its amphitheatre curve, is an almost organic piece of city planning, and is still the focus of city life. The Palazzo Comunale, with its 107-metre bell tower, the Torre del Mangia (daily 10am–5/6/7pm; mid-Nov to mid-Dec closes 1.30pm; L4000), occupies virtually the entire south side, and although it's still in use as Siena's town hall, its principal rooms have been converted into a Museo Civico (Nov 6 to Feb 28 daily 9.30am–1.30pm; March 1 to Nov 5 Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 9am–1.30pm; L6000), a series of former public rooms, frescoed with themes integral to the secular life of the medieval city. Best of these are the Sala del Mappamondo, on the wall of which is the fabulous Maestà of Simone Martini, an acknowledged masterpiece of Sienese art, painted in 1315 and touched up (the site was damp) six years later, and the former Sale dei Nove, the "Room of the Nine", decorated with Lorenzetti's Allegories of Good and Bad Government, commissioned in 1377 to remind the councillors of their duties. Look, too, at the fine panel paintings by Lorenzetti's contemporaries, Guido da Siena and Matteo di Giovanni, in the adjacent Sala della Pace. At the top end of the Campo, the fifteenth-century Loggia di Mercanzia, built as a dealing room for merchants, marks the intersection of the city centre's principal streets. From here Via Banchi di Sotto leads up to the Palazzo Piccolomini, housing the state archive (Mon–Fri 9am–1pm; free), which displays the painted covers of the Tavolette di Biccherna, the city accounts.
Further south, following Via di Pantaneto then Via Roma, the church of Santa Maria dei Servi houses two contrasting frescoes of the Massacre of the Innocents – a Gothic version by Lorenzetti, in the second chapel behind the high altar, and a Renaissance treatment by Matteo di Giovanni in the fifth chapel on the right. On the other side of the Campo, Via di Città cuts across the oldest, cathedral quarter of the city, fronted by some of Siena's finest private palazzi. At the end of the street, Via San Pietro leads to the Pinacoteca Nazionale (May–Sept Mon 8.30am–1.30pm, Tues–Sat 9am–7pm; Oct–April Mon–Sat 8.30am–1.30pm, Tues & Sat 2.15pm–5.30pm or 3.45–5.30pm according to month; L8000), a roll call of Sienese Gothic painting housed in a fourteenth-century palace, while in the opposite direction Via di Capitano leads up to the Duomo, completed to virtually its present size around 1215; plans to enlarge the church withered with Siena's medieval prosperity, and the vast skeleton of an unfinished extension still stands at the north end of the cathedral square. The Duomo is in any case a delight, its style an amazing conglomeration of Romanesque and Gothic, delineated by bands of black and white marble on its facade. This theme is continued in the sgraffito marble pavement, which begins with geometric patterns outside the church and takes off into a startling sequence of 56 panels within, completed between 1349 and 1547; virtually every artist who worked in the city tried his hand on a design. The finest are reckoned to be Beccafumi's Moses Striking Water from a Rock and Sacrifice of Isaac, just beyond the dome area. The rest of the interior is equally arresting: among its greatest treasures are Nicola
Pisano's font with its high relief details of the Life of Jesus and Last Judgement, and a bronze Donatello statue of St John the Baptist in the north transept. Midway along the nave, the Libreria Piccolomini (summer daily 9am–7pm; winter 10am–1pm & 2.30–5pm; L2000), signalled by Pinturicchio's brilliantly coloured fresco of the Coronation of Pius II, has further frescoes by Pinturicchio and his pupils (including Raphael).
Behind the cathedral, the Baptistery (Jan–March & Nov–Dec daily 10am–1pm & 2.30–5pm; Oct daily 9am–6pm; rest of year daily 9am–7.30pm; L3000) houses a Renaissance font with panels illustrating John the Baptist's life by della Quercia and Donatello. Visit also the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Oct daily 9am–6pm; Nov–March 9am–1.30pm; rest of year 9am–7.30pm; L5000), which occupies part of the cathedral's planned extension and houses Pisano's original statues from the facade. Upstairs is a fine array of panels, including works by Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and Sano di Pietro, and the cathedral's original altarpiece, a haunting Byzantine icon known as the Madonna dagli Occhi Grossi (Madonna of the Big Eyes). The painting that repays a visit most, however, is the cathedral's second altarpiece, Duccio's Maestà, completed in 1311 and generally thought to be the climax of the Sienese style of painting. The church to the north of the cathedral is San Domenico, founded in 1125 and closely identified with Saint Catherine of Siena. Her chapel, on the south side of the church, has frescoes by Sodoma, and a reliquary containing her head.

The Cities is surrounded by a beautiful landscape, three hills covered by wine-yards and olive trees, and farms, villages, castles and parish churches plotted in the sweet Chianti region. Towards Florence, to the north, you find the region of Il Chianti Classico, to the south the valley Val d'Orcia and the hills called "Crete" due to their moon landscape, and to the west you have the Sienese Montagnola with its forests and Mediterranean vegetation. Siena has always been an important cultural centre. The prestigious University was founded 750 years ago, and international institutions such as the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, the Accademia dei Fisiocritici, the Accademia degli Intronati and the Università per Stranieri have their headquarter here. Not to mention the traditions, such as the Palio, known in the whole world but so deeply rooted in the past of the Cities that they have become a landmark of the identity of Siena.

Of Etruscan origin, the Romans established a military colony under August here and Siena's name comes from Senio, who according to the legend founded the Cities and brought the icon of the wolf feeding the twins, which is still today the symbol of Siena and Rome. After the Carolingian period, Siena was governed by the Bishops between the 10th and the 11th century. The Cities experienced a period of commercial wealth and its rivalry with Florence, especially with the Guelfa fraction grew. In 1235 Siena lost against Florence, but got its revenge at Montaperti in 1260, in the historical battle remembered by Dante Alegheri. Siena lost its most important military leaders and abandoned the Ghibelline fraction for a Guelph government called dei Nove (Council of Nine) which governed until 1355. During this period Siena reached its peak of decline, signed by a terrible famine followed by the plague which reduced the population. The banks went bankrupt, the wool factories closed as they could no longer compete with the Florentine textile industry and the town fractions were busy with internal fights. In 1355 a revolt against the Guelph fraction broke out, and Caterina da Siena and Pope Piccolomini promptly promised a spiritual and artistic renaissance of the Cities. Siena definitely fell to Florence in 1555, and the treaty of Caveau-Cambrésis four years later assigned the Cities to the Medici family. Siena paid such high taxes that only during the Lorena family the Cities experienced a economical recovery. Siena adhered to the Risorgimento (period between 1815 and 1870 and the movement to unify Italy, translator's note), and was among the first Tuscan Cities that was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.

Piazza del Campo, the oldest part of Siena with its civic centre, was raised on the remains of the Foro Romano. It is a big open shell-shaped square which was divided into nine sectors by white marble lines, representing the members of the Guelph government called dei Nove (Council of Nine) in 1347. Piazza del Campo, the place where the Palio di Siena is held, is surrounded by sober Medieval and Gothic palaces, while you find the beautiful Fonte Gaia, in the middle of the square, a masterpiece by Jacopo della Quercia. The most beautiful monuments of the square, the Palazzo Pubblico with the Torre del Mangia and the embattled Palazzo Sansedoni date from the same prosperous period of the government dei Nove. The Palazzo Civico , the symbol of the building's power, from the 14th century is one of the most important Italian examples of Gothic architecture. Entering the courtyard of the building you get to the Museo Civico, a real jewel which holds works by Simone Martini, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Pinturicchio, Salimbeni and by Flemish, Dutch and Spanish artists.
Walking along Via Pellegrini you arrive to the Baptistery of Siena, raised to be the baptismal parish church of the Cities in the 14th century. It features a beautiful font by Jacopo della Quercia, with bronze panels in relief by Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Giovanni di Turino. The fresco from the 15th century illustrating the commandments and other holy events is marvellous. Taking the flights of stairs from the 15th century you get to the Piazza del Duomo, dominated by the powerful cathedral with a façade covered with alternating bands of white and black marble. The Duomo di Siena is worth a visit only for its splendid floor, an admirable work made between 1373 and 1547. The floor of the Duomo, a unique example in the world, is divided in 52 panels and decorated with inlaid marble and graffiti designs. Artists such as Pinturicchio, Matteo di Giovanni, Francesco di Giorgio e Domenico Beccafumi were involved in the making of the floor. The building of the Duomo began in 1150 but it was only completed in the 14th century. The splendid façade was made by Giovanni Pisano and features a splendid tondo by Donatello dedicated to the Madonna del Perdono. The Duomo's interior, with a Romanesque base, preserves splendid masterpieces such as the statues by Michelangelo on both sides of the altar and the Madonna col Bambino by Jacopo della Quercia. In the interior you also find the Libreria Piccolomini, a big architectural complex which was started in 1492 on the will of the Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini in honour of Pope Pius II, to house his books. Pinturicchio covered the library with frescoes between 1505 and 1507, depicting 10 events of the life of Pius II. Piazza del Duomo, the religious heart of the Cities, is lined with other precious buildings such as the Prefettura, the Arcivescovado and the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala, which also houses the Museo Archeologico.
The Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala is a vast complex that features masterpieces of the most important Sienese artists. It is the first European example of a former hospital transformed into a cultural centre. To visit, the main ward, called the Pellegrinaio, which houses series of frescoes depicting the daily life of the hospital, and the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Scala, founded in 1200 and completely rebuilt during the Renaissance. In the interior of the complex you find the Museo Archeologico Nazionale with Palaeolithic, Etruscan and Roman remains, and traces an interesting historical and archaeological path of the Sienese region.
Together with the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala, the Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana is a fine example of how Siena has preserved its artistic heritage. Founded in 1879 by the Headmaster Ferdinando Rubini, the museum shows the artworks from the Duomo and the Convents of the region. The Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana exposes the works in 13 rooms and its main draw is the “Maestà” by Duccio di Buoninsegna. Masterpieces from the Sienese school, the marble statues by Giovanni Pisano, a beautiful collection of gold-works and the magnificent statues by Nicola Pisano, Donatello, Urbano da Cortona, Jacopo della Quercia are represented in the museum. From the top of the museum you have a superb view over the Cities and the Sienese countryside.

THE PALIO OF SIENA

The palio has become the symbol of Siena. The strong competition which divides the Cities in 17 "contrade" (town districts) marks its identity, signed by the hostility as in all other parts of Tuscany. The only difference is that the traditional division in factions has created one of the most marvellous events in Italy

The Palio is celebrated in Piazza del Campo, the 2nd of July and the 16th of August every year, when the contrade contend the coloured cloth , called "cencio".
It seems that the oldest Palio is the one held the 2nd of July, dates from the 17th century. The first Palio in August was celebrated in 1701. The historical parade and the horse race are just the final events of a long and accurate preparation which starts with the draw to decide which town districts to participate. The so-called "tratta", three days before the race, is also very important, as it assigns a horse to each "contrada". After the assignment, the horse is taken to the "contrada" where the members of the "contrada" led by the "barbaresco", the official caretaker of the animal, look after the horse. On the Palio day, the Sunto, the big bell of the Torre del Mangia, rings at 8am. It is followed by mess for the jockeys and the suggestive and emotional blessing of the horses in the churches of the "contrade", according to the traditional formula "Go and come back as a winner". Then it is time for the horse race. The jockeys, who ride bare-back, tear three times around the racetrack at an infernal speed, but the horse is the focus of the event as it is eligible to win even without its jockey.