|
Cinque Terre and Tuscany cooking Tour (3
nights)
Tuscany Cooking & Touring Tour
(5 nights)
Tuscany Cooking break (3 nights)
Tuscany Truffles Autumn Cooking & Touring
long week-end (2 nights)
Siena hotels
Siena:
Siena
Siena in one day
Tthe Palio
By car or bicycle:
The land of Siena
Tthe Crete
Val d'Orcia
The Via Cassia
Walking Routes:
San Galgano
A look on Valdorcia
The territory of Murlo
Monteriggioni
The forest Berignone
Monte Oliveto
Belverde &l Cetona
Poggibonsi
Castelvecchio
Natural Preserves:
Siena province
|
Siena -
Piazza del Campo
Siena
Siena is one of Italy's best preserved medieval towns,
located in the heart of Tuscany. Built on three hills and surrounded by
well preserved walls, it is filled with fine examples of Gothic
architecture and has one of the world's most unique piazzas - il Campo -
(shaped like a shell with scalloped edges). Of course, the world-famous
Palio is an important part of Sienese
identity, history and culture.
Siena - Piazza del Campo & Torre dei Mangia
The heart of Siena is Piazza del Campo, the Piazza
where the Palio is run, famous for its
shell-shape, and still the focus of city life. In the square there is
the Fonte Gaia, a fountain unique in its quadrangular form and beautiful
figures around the edges.
|
Lookout from Torre del Mangia
Photo (c) James Lawson
|
The original by Jacopo della Quercia is now in
Santa Maria della Scala, but a copy by Tito Sarrocchi gives an accurate
account of this remarkable water feature for the visitors today.
The famous Torre del Mangia and the Palazzo Pubblico
form one of the sides of Piazza del Campo.
The tower was built in 1848
and is 102 meters high, it gives excellent views over Siena and the
surrounding countryside. The Palazzo Pubblico was built between 1297 and
1342 and is an example of classic Gothic architecture in Tuscany. It
houses an amazing array of frescoes by artists such as Vecchietta,
Simone Martini and Sodoma.
Discovering treasures in Siena's museums
Siena is an itinerary that joins past and future: just a stone’s throw
from the Spedale del Santa Maria della Scalawhich today houses an
important cultural center, you will find the center of Contemporary
Art in a Renaissance building.
The wealth of Siena’s museums can offer the 14th century dreams of
Duccio di Boninsegna and the rich Sienese school that developed from
him; and then the works of Iacopo della Quercia, Francesco di
Giorgio, Beccafumi, Sodoma. Riches that belong to the
entire territory.
|
Siena - the Duomo
|
The Duomo is a beautiful building, it is a mix of
Gothic and Romanesque architecture with dark green and white marble in
the facade. It contains works by many artists, including Donatello,
Pisano and Arnolfo di Cambio. One of its main attractions is the
marble-inlaid floor, the result of the contributions of many artists.
The museum of the Duomo, in the same piazza, contains some original
statues by Pisano moved for conservation and many artworks, including
the famous "Maesta" by Duccio di Buoninsegna.
The Siena's Duomo was begun in the twelfth century, and
its main facade was completed in 1380. Its campanile and baptistery make
a fine group. It is unique among Christian cathedrals in that its axis
runs north-south. This is because it was originally intended to be the
largest cathedral in existence, with a north-south transept and an
east-west aisle, as is usual. After the completion of the transept and
the building of the east wall (which still exists and may be climbed by
the public via an internal staircase) the money ran out and the rest of
the cathedral was abandoned.
In the same piazza as the Duomo is the hospital of
Santa Maria della Scala, which now houses a
museum complex, exhibiting frescoes, works of art, temporary shows and
treasures collected during its millennial history.
Visit Siena in one day...
>>>
|
The Duomo - Photo (c)
Axel Cordes
|
More on Siena >>>
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
TangoItalia - Food Wine Travel in Italy - Home
|
