San Gimignano and Siena

Many, many, apologies. I realized I was over-blogging, decided to take a break, forgot about my blog, was reminded I had a blog, promptly forgot again, and now I am attempting to blog again. 

This is Part 1 of the past three weeks: San Gimignano and Siena (Sept 7)

As part of our school program, we went on a group trip to San Gimignano and Siena. Here is our first stop (after an hour bus ride) in San Gimignano.  Beautiful little town on top of a hill. 

We didn't have a guided tour for San Gimignano, but what I did learn is: it was a Medieval town that was known for its towers. The towers meant that it was powerful and whatnot. In its heyday there were many towers. When San Gimignano was conquered (by someone) they knocked down most of the towers to show that it wasn't all-powerful. Thus, there are only a few towers left. And…. on to the coffee and the gelato. 

  

A couple friends (Gabriella, Isabel and Me) in an old building we found. There is artwork all over the city! 

Friends :) Gabriell, Valerie, and Isabel

Italy has the most interesting doors I have ever seen. I may have to make an album of all the beautiful and intricate doors I find. 

Sometimes I look back through my picture and I'm not quite sure what I was capturing…. Well, here is San Gimignano!

Trying to be artistic… did it work?

On to Siena!

Ok - So we had a guided tour in Siena but our tour leader was not very fluent in English. I'll try to piece together what she told us. This is a very large piazza (Piazza del Campo) and this is where there were (and still are) horse races between the different neighborhoods (contratas) of the city. Think hunger games without the killing each other. The race is called the Palio of Siena and each year, there would be lotteries to see which sectors would be able to compete in the horse race and then the winner would be the champion until the next year. 

Small tiles mark the boundaries between the neighborhoods. Each neighborhood (contrata) has an animal as its symbol and a color or combination of colors that represents it. The neighborhood that wins the Palio de Siena is decorated for the next year with flags featuring its symbols. 

This is me (because you're supposed to have pictures of yourself in your blog, right?)

Our tour continued to the Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena) which looks like a replica of the Duomo di Firenze. I'm thinking that the green and white marble was "in" that decade. 

Inside the cathedral - The floor is completely crafted out of marble and is covered for most of the year. Visitors have to be content with looking at this tiny diagram of what the floor would look like if they could see it. 

Lucky for us, September is the one month out of the year that the floor is uncovered!

The floor is carved marble and depicts various religious scenes. 

The most amazing ceiling ever! I don't know how the painters / restores managed to keep this ceiling to vibrant. The cathedral was built in the 1200's…. the 1200's! 

Mirrors were provided so you could stare at the ceiling for hours (or until the next tourist wanted to use the mirror). It did provide some great photo opportunities though. 

Ciao!