Siena and San Gimingnano
Went to Siena and San Gimingnano today and finally saw the Italy I had expected to see: rugged, quaint, and overlooking hills and fields of grape vines.
While Florence is cultured and sophisticated, Siena was beautifully peaceful and serene. And While Florence symbolizes the birth of Renaissance and carries with it the largest collection of art anywhere, Siena still resembles the medieval city it was born from, alluring in its quiet charm. Traveling through the 17 contrade of Siena (neighborhoods with its own flags, symbols and own sub-culture), I first visited st. Dominic, the cathedral that houses the relics of St. Catherine's head and thumb. I then traversed to the contrade of the Goose and saw St. Catherine's humble abode and saw the Siena Duomo. Siena's Duomo is covered in gorgeous green and pink marble, with a sky blue dome atop Gothic and Romanesque arches and windows (due to the long length of construction, the bottom of the cathedral was build Romanesque, and the top gothic due to change in time and architecture). The Siena Duomo is dedicated to Virgin Mary, and the cathedral houses the mosaic "slaughter of the innocents"; a beautifully constructed stained glass window depicting the assumption; sculpture of St. John the Baptist by Donatello; Piccolomini Altar complete with four small pre-David Michelangelo statutes; and the beautiful Piccolomini Library housing brilliant frescoes depicting the life of Aeneas Piccolomini. After the church I walked around Il Campo, Siena's great central piazza and home of the palio horse race (the most important race between the contrade, whereby the winner carries with him honor and glory for his neighborhood), and left for San Gimignano.
San Gimignano is "the epitome of Tuscan hill towns". With a drop dead gorgeous view of hills of green, San Gimignano is the Italy you typically see in tvs and movies. In this quaint town I visited a cathedral that was refreshingly simple. The churches in this hill town have not the elaborate frescoes and decorations of those in Florence, but perhaps they have more soul. I spend the rest of the time I had there enjoying the town and looking for wine. I eventually settled on 3: a 1999 reserved Vernaccia di San Gimignano for the family I will be staying with in Paris; another much cheaper (but highly recommended by the shopkeeper) Vernaccia di San Gimignano for myself; and a 1996 reserved Chianti Classico for Chris. Pleased with my purchase, and with the town, I concluded the day with a happy and noisy bus ride home with fellow friends and travelers.
Went to Siena and San Gimingnano today and finally saw the Italy I had expected to see: rugged, quaint, and overlooking hills and fields of grape vines.
While Florence is cultured and sophisticated, Siena was beautifully peaceful and serene. And While Florence symbolizes the birth of Renaissance and carries with it the largest collection of art anywhere, Siena still resembles the medieval city it was born from, alluring in its quiet charm. Traveling through the 17 contrade of Siena (neighborhoods with its own flags, symbols and own sub-culture), I first visited st. Dominic, the cathedral that houses the relics of St. Catherine's head and thumb. I then traversed to the contrade of the Goose and saw St. Catherine's humble abode and saw the Siena Duomo. Siena's Duomo is covered in gorgeous green and pink marble, with a sky blue dome atop Gothic and Romanesque arches and windows (due to the long length of construction, the bottom of the cathedral was build Romanesque, and the top gothic due to change in time and architecture). The Siena Duomo is dedicated to Virgin Mary, and the cathedral houses the mosaic "slaughter of the innocents"; a beautifully constructed stained glass window depicting the assumption; sculpture of St. John the Baptist by Donatello; Piccolomini Altar complete with four small pre-David Michelangelo statutes; and the beautiful Piccolomini Library housing brilliant frescoes depicting the life of Aeneas Piccolomini. After the church I walked around Il Campo, Siena's great central piazza and home of the palio horse race (the most important race between the contrade, whereby the winner carries with him honor and glory for his neighborhood), and left for San Gimignano.
San Gimignano is "the epitome of Tuscan hill towns". With a drop dead gorgeous view of hills of green, San Gimignano is the Italy you typically see in tvs and movies. In this quaint town I visited a cathedral that was refreshingly simple. The churches in this hill town have not the elaborate frescoes and decorations of those in Florence, but perhaps they have more soul. I spend the rest of the time I had there enjoying the town and looking for wine. I eventually settled on 3: a 1999 reserved Vernaccia di San Gimignano for the family I will be staying with in Paris; another much cheaper (but highly recommended by the shopkeeper) Vernaccia di San Gimignano for myself; and a 1996 reserved Chianti Classico for Chris. Pleased with my purchase, and with the town, I concluded the day with a happy and noisy bus ride home with fellow friends and travelers.
posted by J @ 5:59 PM
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