Like so many other Tuscan areas, Sienna was first settled by the Etruscans between 900-400 BC and was inhabited by a tribe know as the Saina. Then during Roman times a town called Saena Julia was founded on the same site as the current city. However there is also a local legend that claims the city was established by two sons of Remus, Senius and Aschius, who fled Rome when their uncle Romulus (fabled founder of Rome) murdered Remus. In this version of the Siena origin story the two brothers were responsible for the adoption of the Capitoline Wolf as the symbol of Siena after liberating the statue from Rome on their escape and also for the cities black and white coat of arms that reflect the color of horse each owned (one black, the other white). But whichever story you prefer Siena is very old!
Our journey to Siena was one of the last places we all visited together before Amanda had to go for her remote working week. So we abandoned the walking tours and Museums and just went "freestyle".
We arrived to Sienna, as we normally arrive in most places, around lunchtime so the first stop of the day involved more pizza. This marks the 14th day in a row the girls have had pizza for at least one of their meals. Definitely going for parents of the year status!
After lunch we let the kids run through the square while we walked around the Piazza del Campo admiring the architecture of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Fonte Gaia and the flags from one of the Contrada's all while wondering what it must be like to join in the festivities of the Palio di Siena. Our visit was just a scant 11 days before the second running of the medieval horse race and after seeing the size of the track in comparison to the square I'm rather amazed they can get 50,000+ spectators into the area.
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| Not my pic. Found it online ... 11 days later |
From the Piazza del Campo we meandered our way through the winding, hilly streets in search of the Duomo.
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| I love a decorative medieval door |
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| The Capitoline Wolf |
We made it to the Duomo and I had forgotten how stunning it is, particularly considering that it was never "finished". The black and white exterior is representative of the city crest and there are a total of 35 statues that adorn the outside of the Duomo including works from Pisano, Donatello and Bernini.
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| Not exaggerating, I took 68 pictures of this shot. This is LITERALLY the only one with everyone looking at the camera. |
On our way back to the car it was time for ice cream. Unfortunately one of us didn't get to participate.
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| She'll never take another nap again if she finds out Amanda ate her ice cream. |
Bonus pictures of the drive back. The sky was absolutely stunning!
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