Sienna
Siena was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony known as Saena Julia. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries it flourished as one of the major cities of Europe, growing rich from banking and the wool trade. The fourteenth century saw a great amount of building; the Duomo, Palazzo Pubblico and the Campo were all begun then, but in 1348 the Black Death struck and this, together with subsequent political upheaval, saw the beginning of a drastic downturn in Siena's fortunes.
The city became little more than a rural market centre, and, as with San Gimignano, it was the growth of tourism that saw a return to wealth and prominence. Indeed, it was exactly this marked decline that accounts for the incredible state of mediaeval preservation that Siena exhibits today.
Siena is built across a range of small hills, a unique position which gives it a pleasant atmosphere of being a collection of smaller towns. Since the thirteenth century it has been divided into three terzi, arranged around the splendid Campo. These terzi are in turn subdivided into contrade, seventeen in all, which play a hugely important role in the life of the city. Loyalty to one's contrada is total, and the rivalry between the districts reaches fever-pitch in the run up to Siena's famous horserace, the Palio, held in July and AugustBecause Siena is built across several hills and valleys, and much of it is pedestrianised (or what passes for it here), there is a fair bit of up and down walking involved in seeing the sights. However, the lack of traffic makes it a wonderful place to wander - even when packed with tourists it feels pretty quiet and easygoing. From the Campo it is fairly easy to get your bearings. This spectacular shell-shaped space is the focal point of the city, the meeting place and the market place as well as being the venue for the Palio.
The 'shell' is divided into nine segments, alluding to the Council of Nine who ruled the city in its heyday, and is surrounded with buildings of great beauty. Siena’s most prosperous era pre-dated the Renaissance and consequently much of the fabric of the city is in the older Gothic and Romanesque styles. While most buildings are of reddish-brown brick (hence the color ‘burnt sienna’), the stunning Cathedral is constructed of alternating stripes of black and white marble, and is said to be one of the best examples of Italian Gothic architecture. The labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets that make up the historic center converge at Piazza del Campo. Overlooked by the giant campanile of the Palazzo Pubblico, this is possibly the most complete Medieval piazza in Italy. Twice a year, on July 2 and August 16, a notorious bareback horserace known as the Palio is held here. It has been a special event since the 13th century and attracts crowds from all over the world. The 700-year-old university holds a summer school in Italian. |
