We had an early start as we were driving to Siena this morning. We had a place booked at a campsite, about 11km outside of Siena, however it was as well hidden as one of Hitler's secret headquarters. We spent a long time searching the empty country roads, trying to find any sign of the place. After driving across unsealed roads, and along the edge of cliffs, we finally found the little campsite. It was a good thing that we booked a place, as the place was completely booked out. 
We managed to park our car near our campsite, which required a bit of maneouvreing, and shortcuts between the trees. We set up our little portable house, and then went off to visit Siena.
We loved Siena from the moment we arrived. It is probably the most beautiful town in Tuscany. The centre of the town is very old, and is surrounded by big walls. The buildings are all really well preserved, and the town is full of dark lanes and cobblestone streets.
According to legend, Siena was founded by the sons of Remus. As a result, the town in covered with statues of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf. It became an important town, due to its banking success, and became a rival with Florence in the art world and also politically. During the 13th - 15th century, Sienese artists produced significant works of art. The town is also famous because two saints lived there; Saint Catherine and Saint Benedict. 
At one end of the piazza, there is the huge 'Palazzo Publico', a magnificent example of Sienese gothic architecture. There is also a huge tower attached to this building, which reaches 102m above the ground. It is called the 'Torre del Mangia, and was completed in 1297.
We stopped for dinner, in a cute little restaurant on the main piazza. It was a great local meal, and we accompanied it with a few glasses of Chianti wine. Chianti is the local wine in Siena, and it's pretty popular elsewhere as well. 
We noticed that beneath our feet, the stones of the piazza were covered in a thick layer of dirt. There was a big strip of this dirt all along the outside of the piazza. There were also barriers separating this dirt section from the rest of the piazza. Along the buildings around the outside, there were stands of seating set up. They looked pretty old, and well used. 
We found out that all of this was for the Palio race. A couple of days away, the centre of the city, the piazza, would be turned into a race track! This horse race is one of the most famous races in the world, and has been a tradition in Siena for centuries. It is quite a unique race, not just because it is held in the middle of a town, but because it is a bareback race, and there are almost no rules. The only rule is that jockeys can't pull the reins of other horses. 
We were so disappointed that we had missed out on it by a few days. It is such an amazing event. We almost considered staying for a few extra days, but if we did that we'd miss out on one or two other countries.
As we moved around the building, we were shocked by how big it was, but the biggest shock was the front of it. It was the most beautiful thing Loren had ever seen in her life. The entire front of the building was covered in elaborate carvings. Some parts were made of white marble, and some parts were made of green marble. It was absolutely spectacular. 
Unfortunately, the church was closed by the time we got there. Loren was so disappointed not to see the rest of this amazing building, so we decided to come back the next day. Most of the other things in the city were closed by this point, so we decided it was time to return to our little campsite. 
When we got back, we decided it was time for a swim. Our campsite had a pool, but we hadn't found it yet. Loren went searching for it in the dark, while Artur pumped the air mattress, but she could not find it. Artur joined her in the search, but we could only find a sign saying 'Piscina' or 'pool'. The sign was outside of the camp gates near the car park. We decided to go looking for it amongst the trees with our torches. It was a bit scary in the dark, and we couldn't find anything. 
In the end, we managed to find a small map behind the glass in the reception booth. It was very far away, but we figured out that there was a whole other section of the campsite. We heard some music playing, so we thought that might be the right area. Eventually, we found the picnic area, restaurant and swimming pool. We thought it would be unattended, and we might be able to sneak a midnight swim. Unfortunately, it was closed with a gate and was right next to the outdoor restaurant, so we had no chance. We gave up by this point and headed to bed, but it didn't matter, we had a really great day.
As soon as we reached the top of the escalators and entered the town, we were overwhelmed by the number of people there. It was difficult to walk through the streets, they were so thick with people. We pushed our way through the crowd, on our way to see the Duomo. As we passed the Piazza, we realised why the town was so busy; there were trials for the Palio today! 
It looked like a race was about to begin, so we squeezed our way down through the crowds, towards the Piazza. We found ourselves behind the seating stands, able to watch through the steps and the gaps between people. We found a good spot to watch from, but Artur decided to check around for a better place. He managed to find a hidden entrance to a staircase, which led up to one of the balconies around the square. It was probably someone's house, but the owner didn't seem to mind the strangers crowding around his balcony. We made it to the top, just as the race began. We had a great view over the whole piazza!
We headed back down the escalators to our car, and found that we had been parked in. We discovered that the park belonged to a hotel across the road, but seeing as there wasn't any clear signage or a towing sign, we didn't get in trouble. We didn't speak Italian, so we just played dumb while they moved the car. Then we left for our drive to Florence.
Interesting tiles inside the escalator building.
We managed to park our car near our campsite, which required a bit of maneouvreing, and shortcuts between the trees. We set up our little portable house, and then went off to visit Siena.We loved Siena from the moment we arrived. It is probably the most beautiful town in Tuscany. The centre of the town is very old, and is surrounded by big walls. The buildings are all really well preserved, and the town is full of dark lanes and cobblestone streets.
According to legend, Siena was founded by the sons of Remus. As a result, the town in covered with statues of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf. It became an important town, due to its banking success, and became a rival with Florence in the art world and also politically. During the 13th - 15th century, Sienese artists produced significant works of art. The town is also famous because two saints lived there; Saint Catherine and Saint Benedict. Scooters seem to be popular in Siena
The most amazing thing that we saw, was the huge piazza in the centre of the town. The Piazza del Campo was built in the 14th century, and is round and has a curved surface. The outer edges are very high, and they slope down to the middle where it is quite low.
At one end of the piazza, there is the huge 'Palazzo Publico', a magnificent example of Sienese gothic architecture. There is also a huge tower attached to this building, which reaches 102m above the ground. It is called the 'Torre del Mangia, and was completed in 1297.We stopped for dinner, in a cute little restaurant on the main piazza. It was a great local meal, and we accompanied it with a few glasses of Chianti wine. Chianti is the local wine in Siena, and it's pretty popular elsewhere as well. We noticed that beneath our feet, the stones of the piazza were covered in a thick layer of dirt. There was a big strip of this dirt all along the outside of the piazza. There were also barriers separating this dirt section from the rest of the piazza. Along the buildings around the outside, there were stands of seating set up. They looked pretty old, and well used. We found out that all of this was for the Palio race. A couple of days away, the centre of the city, the piazza, would be turned into a race track! This horse race is one of the most famous races in the world, and has been a tradition in Siena for centuries. It is quite a unique race, not just because it is held in the middle of a town, but because it is a bareback race, and there are almost no rules. The only rule is that jockeys can't pull the reins of other horses. Practising their presentation for the Palio
The city is divided into 17 districts for the race, and 10 of them are selected each year to compete for the silk Palio banner. Each district has a traditional flag and specific jockey colours. The horses for the race are allocated to each district by ballot, so there is a lot of chance involved in what horse you end up with.
We were so disappointed that we had missed out on it by a few days. It is such an amazing event. We almost considered staying for a few extra days, but if we did that we'd miss out on one or two other countries.Duomo at First Sight
After dinner, we wandered the streets of Siena, admiring the beautiful buildings and the tiny alleyways. We made our way to the Duomo, which is a huge church in the middle of the city. We approached it from the back, and Loren was amazed by the beauty of it.
As we moved around the building, we were shocked by how big it was, but the biggest shock was the front of it. It was the most beautiful thing Loren had ever seen in her life. The entire front of the building was covered in elaborate carvings. Some parts were made of white marble, and some parts were made of green marble. It was absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately, the church was closed by the time we got there. Loren was so disappointed not to see the rest of this amazing building, so we decided to come back the next day. Most of the other things in the city were closed by this point, so we decided it was time to return to our little campsite. When we got back, we decided it was time for a swim. Our campsite had a pool, but we hadn't found it yet. Loren went searching for it in the dark, while Artur pumped the air mattress, but she could not find it. Artur joined her in the search, but we could only find a sign saying 'Piscina' or 'pool'. The sign was outside of the camp gates near the car park. We decided to go looking for it amongst the trees with our torches. It was a bit scary in the dark, and we couldn't find anything. In the end, we managed to find a small map behind the glass in the reception booth. It was very far away, but we figured out that there was a whole other section of the campsite. We heard some music playing, so we thought that might be the right area. Eventually, we found the picnic area, restaurant and swimming pool. We thought it would be unattended, and we might be able to sneak a midnight swim. Unfortunately, it was closed with a gate and was right next to the outdoor restaurant, so we had no chance. We gave up by this point and headed to bed, but it didn't matter, we had a really great day.Day Two in Siena
The next morning, we packed up our tent, and headed into town to see the inside of the Duomo. The place where we had parked the day before was closed, and pretty much everywhere else in town was full. We couldn't find any legal parking, so ended up parking in a spot that looked like a private parking space. It was just next to the elevators that take you up the huge hill into the little town at the top.
As soon as we reached the top of the escalators and entered the town, we were overwhelmed by the number of people there. It was difficult to walk through the streets, they were so thick with people. We pushed our way through the crowd, on our way to see the Duomo. As we passed the Piazza, we realised why the town was so busy; there were trials for the Palio today! It looked like a race was about to begin, so we squeezed our way down through the crowds, towards the Piazza. We found ourselves behind the seating stands, able to watch through the steps and the gaps between people. We found a good spot to watch from, but Artur decided to check around for a better place. He managed to find a hidden entrance to a staircase, which led up to one of the balconies around the square. It was probably someone's house, but the owner didn't seem to mind the strangers crowding around his balcony. We made it to the top, just as the race began. We had a great view over the whole piazza!The race started with a shot fired from a canon, and the horses started running. It all happened so fast, and the crowd was cheering like crazy. The flags for the districts were flying from every stand, and the air was full of electricity and suspense. It was such a great experience, and a once in a lifetime chance to see such an amazing event.
Inside the Duomo
We were giddy with excitement by the time we left the piazza, but we still desperately wanted to see the Duomo. It was just as impressive on the second day, and we wanted to know everything about it, so we hired some audioguides. We ended up spending 2.5 hours there, analysing every detail of the place. Unfortunately, its famous mosaic floors had been covered over to protect them. Apparently they are only uncovered for one month in the year.
We were not disappointed when we entered the building. It was just as spectacular on the inside. They started to build it in 1229, but many of the greatest Italian artists have continued working on it all the way up to the 19th century! Long building and decoration process!
The inlaid marble floor, was done in the 14th century, and is apparently one of the most impressive parts of the church. There were as many sections on the audio guide for the floor as there were for the rest of the church. It's probably a good thing it was covered over, as we would have taken the whole day to see everything.
The church has a big bell tower, which stands 77m high. Unfortunately, the tower was closed for restauration while we were there, so we missed out on seeing the view from the top.
On the inside of the church, the ceiling was one of the coolest things. It was blue with gold stars, and it looked even prettier than other churches looked with frescoes all over the ceiling. It was truly an amazing place.
On the inside of the church, the ceiling was one of the coolest things. It was blue with gold stars, and it looked even prettier than other churches looked with frescoes all over the ceiling. It was truly an amazing place.
The church was filled with the most amazing artwork, created by some of the most recognised artists in Italy. There was a bronze statue of John the Baptist by Donatello, and statues of St Jerome and Mary Magdalene by Bernini.
There was a small library, 'Libreria Piccolomini', in a side room of the church. It held ancient illuminated manuscripts with hymns and songs written in them. 
The manuscripts were from the 12th century, and were in great condition. The coloured title letters were really impressive. On the walls above the manuscripts, there were beautiful frescos covering the walls. They each told a part of a story.
The manuscripts were from the 12th century, and were in great condition. The coloured title letters were really impressive. On the walls above the manuscripts, there were beautiful frescos covering the walls. They each told a part of a story.After marvelling at the amazing church, we decided to wander back through the town to our car. On the way, we were tempted by some of the local sweet delights on sale in the little shops. We bought some 'pan forte', which was absolutely divine! It was rich and kind of like firm cookie dough, filled with nuts and fruit, or chocolate if you chose that kind. We also bought another little biscuit which was filled with slivered almonds, and absolutely melted in your mouth. Our last local purchases were some mature local cheese, and a bottle of Chianti wine. Perfect!
We headed back down the escalators to our car, and found that we had been parked in. We discovered that the park belonged to a hotel across the road, but seeing as there wasn't any clear signage or a towing sign, we didn't get in trouble. We didn't speak Italian, so we just played dumb while they moved the car. Then we left for our drive to Florence.Interesting tiles inside the escalator building. To see the photos from the post in slideshow mode, click on on the link below: Siena pictures
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