The Italian city of
Siena holds lots of old architectural beauties - many dating back to the Middle
Ages.
TechnoTourist will explore the city's duomo and Piazza del Campo, the
main city square that is converted into a horse racetrack twice a year.
Duomo
Most Italian cities
have their own duomos - "cathedrals" in English. Siena's duomo is entitled to Santa Maria
Assunta and dates back to medieval times; it took many years to build. Construction began on the site of a former
church in 1196; the black plague forced work to stop on a massive addition in
1339. This addition now serves as a
parking lot!
The duomo's façade took
hundreds of years to finish and was completed in stages - lower and upper. The lower portion is columned with carvings
and the upper portion contains spires and statues. The duomo is largely constructed of black and
white marble - the colors in the Siena coat of arms.
The interior of the
duomo, however, contains even more beauty than the outside. What sets this cathedral apart from others
(it contains the typical stained glass windows and sculpted/painted dome) is
the extensive use of black and white marble - and its floor. Forty artists contributed to the 56 mosaics
scattered throughout the floor. Much of
the floor is covered for most of the year to protect it from foot traffic.
Piazza del Campo
Siena is well known for
the Palio - a horse race conducted annually on July 2 and August 16 with
entries from 10 of the city's 17 wards.
Competition is fierce and it doesn't take place on a distant racetrack,
but rather the Piazza del Campo in the center of the city is converted into a
track!
Preparations begin four
days before the race. The perimeter of Piazza
del Campo is covered by a layer of dirt and sand. It takes the horse and rider teams
approximately 90 seconds to lap the 0.21 mile track three times.
The race is not just
for fun - it's a serious competition between Siena's wards. Horses are chosen at random prior to the race
and the true winner is the horse, not the jockey. The race is dangerous; the wards fight among
one another prior to the race and may even kidnap or drug horses. The jockeys, who ride bareback, may interfere
with one another during the race - just about anything is allowed.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duomo_of_Siena
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/siena-duomo
http://www.siena.info/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena
http://www.theflorentine.it/articles/article-view.asp?issuetocId=483
Bonus photo depicting the guarded location of one of the Palio horses:
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Re: Techno Tourist Visits Italy: Siena
