Siena

Siena, A Step back to Medieval Tuscany

Siena is likely Italy’s loveliest medieval city, and a trip worth making even if you are in Tuscany for just a few days. Siena’s heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer. Movie audiences worldwide can see Siena and the Palio in the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.
Siena is said to have been founded by Senius, son of Remus, one of the two legendary founders of Rome thus Siena’s emblem is the she-wolf who suckled Remus and Romulus – you’ll find many statues throughout the city. The city sits over three hills with its heart the huge piazza del Campo, where the Roman forum used to be. Rebuilt during the rule of the Council of Nine, a quasi-democratic group from 1287 to 1355, the nine sections of the fan-like brick pavement of the piazza represent the council and symbolizes the Madonna’s cloak which shelters Siena.

The Campo is dominated by the red Palazzo Pubblico and its tower, Torre del Mangia. Along with the Duomo of Siena, the Palazzo Pubblico was also built during the same period of rule by the Council of Nine. The civic palace, built between 1297 and 1310, still houses the city’s municipal offices much like Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Its internal courtyard has entrances to the Torre del Mangia and to the Civic Museum. If you feel energetic, a climb up the over 500 steps will reward you with a wonderful view of Siena and its surroundings.
The Museum, on the other hand, offers some of the greatest of Sienese paintings. The Sala del Concistoro houses one of Domenico Beccafumi’s best works, ceiling frescoes of allegories on the virtues of Siena’s medieval government.

But it is the Sala del Mappamondo and the Sale della Pace that hold the palaces’s highlights: Simone Martini’s huge Maestà and Equestrian Portrait of Guidoriccio da Fogliano and Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegories of Good and Bad Government, once considered the most important cycle of secular paintings of the Middle Ages.

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The Duomo

The Duomo in Siena lies in a piazza above the Piazza del Campo, a great Gothic building filled with treasures by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo as well as frescoes by Pinturicchio.
The exterior of the cathedral is pretty impressive, and if you don’t have a lot of time in Siena, you might not even go inside and just enjoy the outside. Built between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure, the cathedral is in the form of a Latin cross with a slight projecting dome and bell tower. The exterior and interiors are decorated in white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, black and white being the symbolic colors of Siena.

If you have time to visit the cathedral, you might be tempted to skip it once you realize you have to pay to get in… but it is certainly worth it and, with the pass, it’s actually a great value! The pass gets you into the cathedral as well as the baptistery, crypt and Opera museum and is valid for 3 days so it most definitely worth the 10 euros!

What’s that wall?

The cathedral that you see today was supposed to have been enlarged – you can see how much larger it was supposed to be by that wall that sticks out to the right of the church, as you head toward the ticket office. Work started to enlarge the church in the early 14th century but, in 1348, the Black Plague swept through the city and decimated its population. Work was stopped and was never restarted. The wall now provides a great platform to climb up to (access is through the Museo dell’Opera) and enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of Siena, including the nearby Piazza del Campo.wall of enlarged version of cathedral

The Cathedral’s Treasures

If you’re visiting Siena after having visited Florence and its cathedral, you’re in for a shock! While Florence’s cathedral is immense and its cupola impressive, its interior is pretty spartan in comparison. In Siena, on the other hand, you don’t know where to look. The columns continue the white/black marble striped motif and, if you look up, there are busts of past religious men of Siena looking down upon you. I recommend you take a special look at the pavement: the most impressive and beautiful of the treasures the cathedral holds are on the floor, where the pavement is decorated with the art of mosaics (using various techniques) to create storytelling masterpieces.

The 56 etched and inlaid marble panels were designed by 40 of leading artists between 1369 and 1547, all from Siena except for Bernardino di Betto, known as Pinturicchio who was Umbrian. Completion of the designs took six centuries, the last ones finished in the 1800s. Today, the mosaic panels in the nave and aisles are usually uncovered although protected from passing feet by barriers, but the most precious ones are under the apse and in the transepts and these are generally protected by special flooring since this is where people sit for mass; these are only uncovered in honor of the Palio and a pair of months during the year, often in September and October.

The pavement inside the Siena Duomo is a work of art

In the Duomo’s center, the only floor panel that is usually visible is in the left transept which is Matteo di Giovanni’s fantastic 1481 Massacre of the Innocents (a theme with which the painter was obsessed, leaving us disturbing paintings of it in Siena in both the Palazzo Pubblico and in Santa Maria dei Servi).
The oldest designs are those in the center near the entrance – the Wheel of Fortune and the Sienese Wolf Surrounded by Symbols of Allied Cities, which dates back to 1369 but which we know have been maintained and redone throughout the centuries when it wasn’t customary to protect them. Some of them have parts that are pretty worn out. Each panel has its own story – we invite you to look all around the cathedral and find the ones that appeal to you the most and then go find out about the story in the panel by buying one of the small guides in the bookshop dedicated to the pavement.
More Riches
Don’t miss St. John the Baptist by Donatello to the right after the Piccolomini Library, the rose window by Duccio di Buoninsegna, the marble pulpit by Nicola Pisano.
Marble Pulpit by Nicola Pisano inside Duomo of Siena

Works that belonged in the Cathedral

Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Presentation at the Temple, today in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Pietro Lorenzetti, Birth of the Virgin, today in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Siena
Simone Martini e Lippo Memmi, Annunziation among the Saints Ansano and Margherita, today in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence
Duccio di Buoninsegna, Maestà del Duomo di Siena, parts in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Siena as well as other museums
Donatello, Madonna of Forgiveness, today in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Siena

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Piazza del Campo in Siena The Heart & Soul of the City

A universal symbol of the city, the distinct formation of the Piazza del Campo is just one of the reasons why UNESCO recognizes Siena as the ideal embodiment of a medieval city. Built in the exact place where the three antique hilltop towns sloped together, before eventually combining to create the community of Siena.

The main square, commonly called “il Campo” was built on the intersection of the three main roads that lead to and from Siena, destined to be a neutral ground where political and civic holidays could be celebrated. The homogenous architectural form of the square and the buildings facing it was not an accidental happening; the government created guidelines in 1297, before the actual building of the square and civic buildings. If any structure didn’t adhere, then they were torn down – as was the antique church for St. Peter and Paul. This signifies that it was always the city leader’s intention to create a harmonious structure between the buildings and the square.

The Distinct Shape

The square, with a circumference of 333 meters, is paved with a fishtail design of red brick divided by 10 lines of white travertine stone creating a shell like appearance with 9 sections pointing directly to Palazzo Pubblico, the civic headquarters. Each section representing one of the ruling 9 governors in the “governo dei nove” and long considered to be one of the most stable and peaceful governments in Italy. Artistically speaking, the sections were to resemble the folds in the Virgin Mary’s cloak, who was not only the patron saint, but considered the “ultimate ruler” of Siena. Though some have suggested that the harmonic construction of the square is an artistic representation of the valley of Montone.

Siena at one time was equal in size to Paris, though after the ravages of the plague the population dropped dramatically and never truly returned to those glorious heights, not even today. Piazza del Campo was intended as an area where the entire population could meet for activities, games and political events – thus it was built to hold the entire town. There are no documents to support that all roads were eventually to lead to the square (thus the Palazzo Pubblico) however, when you walk through the four of the seven openings your eye is led directly to the civic building – whereas the remaining three invite you to admire the Tower.

Everything is Happening Here

Today the square still hosts major events, namely the Palio, activities around Carnival in February and in the summer the local government organizes many initiatives outside in the evening, under the stars. However during the day, it is a unique area where tourists come to sit, after walking the romantic streets of Siena, touring the Duomo and its many museums. Depending on the time of the day, they either sit in the warm sun or in the cool shadow of the Palazzo and the tower, admiring the tranquil and enduring beauty.

More to see in Piazza del Campo

Palazzo Pubblico

The home of the famous Government of Nine. The Palazzo Pubblico faces Piazzo del Campo – where the entire medieval population would meet for civic and cultural affairs and Piazza del Mercato is in the the back, one of the more important and oldest squares of Siena, built long before Piazza del Campo. The Palazzo Pubblico houses the Civic Museum with its many famous masterpieces of Sienese art.

Torre del Mangia

Looming over the square, the Torre del Mangia is 102 meters tall to the tip of the lightning rod. Constructed between 1325 to 1348, it is built of the typical terracotta colored brick and topped with in white travertine. The picturesque name is said to come from Giovanni di Balduccio, called ‘il mangiaguadagni’, who would often squander his earnings at the table.

Cappella di Piazza

At the base of the Torre del Mangia, is the Piazza Chapel built between 1352 to 1376 in honor of the Virgin Mary (La Madonna) thanking her for the escape from the effects of the “Black Plague” of 1348. The vaulted ceiling is supported by 4 pilasters which are decorated with images of saints by local artists of the time. During the Palio games, the mass for the jockeys is held at its altar.

Fonte Gaia

Directly opposite of the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia, the Fonte Gaia was the pride and joy of Siena built in 1346. The evocative marble carvings that you see today are copies rendered by Tito Sarrocchi of the original commissioned in 1409 by Jacopo della Quercia. The original sculptures and bas reliefs are visitable at the museum of Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala. Fed by underground tunnels that extend over 30 km, bring necessary water into the city center.

After the Square

If we can consider the Piazza del Campo the stage for the civic and political life in Siena, then its counterpart would be the Duomo, the center stage for the religious activities. Follow the signs as you exit the square and make your way over to the cathedral, another must see in Siena. Not only did the main square benefited from the forsight of the laws and regulations for construction, but so did the entire city; note the uniform facades, the detailed urban construction (precise and decisive) and the elegant lines that characterize the roads that lead towards the Duomo of Siena.

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Palio di Siena It’s not just a race, it’s a passion

What is the Palio?

The Palio is the most important event in Siena, taking place on July 2 and August 16 every year.

In the Palio, the various Sienese “contrade”, or areas in which the city is divided, challenge each other in a passionate horse race in the heart of the city in the Piazza del Campo.

Originally, there were about fifty-nine “Contrade”; now only seventeen remain, ten of which take part in the historical pageant and in the race at each Palio (seven by right and three drawn by lots).

The 17 Contrade which still exist today are: the Eagle, Snail, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, Owl, Unicorn, Shell, Tower, Ram, Caterpillar, Dragon, Giraffe, Porcupine, She-Wolf and the Goose.

Each Contrada has its own unique emblem and colors and represents an area of the city. As one walks through the streets of Siena it is easy to know in which Contrada you currently are in by observing the flags and emblems displayed along the street. Much like street signs, corners often designate the entrance into a different Contrada with signs as the ones in the picture below.

Contrada emblems in Siena

The Palio horse race has its origins in the distant past, with historical records indicating horse races in Siena already taking place in the 6th century.

The Palio is much more than a simple event for the Sienese, it actually is a large part of their lives since the time of their birth. Each person belongs to a Contrada, participates in the life of the Contrada and the organization of the Palio throughout the entire year. The Sienese live the Palio with great passion and you’ll certainly be able to see this if you have the chance to attend one of the races.

The Event

The Palio is a pretty complex event that has gained additional rules through the centuries, as well as traditions and customs, many which only members of the contrada are aware of. Below is a highlight of some of the main rules and traditions of the Palio, which should be useful in better understanding the event.

There is no official box office for the tickets to the palio. Tickets are purchased directly from those who organize the stands, the private terraces or travel agencies that organize packages. Entrance to the center of the Piazza del Campi is free but it gets packed!!

The Palio horse race takes place twice a year, one the 2nd of July (Palio of Provenzano, in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano) and on August 16th (Palio of the Assumption, in honor of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption).

During this special occasion, the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo, is prepared for the race as the ring around the square is covered with tuff clay.

Ten out of the seventeen contrade take part in each race: seven are those that did not participate in the previous race on that day, while the other three are drawn by lots.

The Palio actually takes place over 4 days, the race taking place on the fourth day. The first day is for the “Tratta”, or the drawing of the lots and assignment of the horses to each of the Contrade. Therefore, each of the Contrade picks their jockey but not the horse; the horses are drawn and only known at this time, just 4 days before the race!

Before the official race there are 6 trial runs or heats, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The fifth trial, the one run the evening prior to the official Palio, is called the “prova generale” or general trial, while the last which takes place the morning of the main race, is called “provaccia” or bad trial given the little effort the jockeys put into it in order to avoid tiring the horses too much. The jockeys always mount their horses without a saddle.

The Palio prize is called “Drappellone” or large drape, a large painted canvas each year designed and created by a different artist and which the winning contrada displays in their contrada museum.

The day of the Palio

On the day of the Palio race the city is in full turmoil and the entire day is dedicated to the event.

Around 8 a.m., in the chapel next to the Palazzo Comunale, the Bishop celebrates the “Messa del fantino” or mass for the horse jockeys. Shortly after the mass the last trial takes place in Piazza del Campo, the one called “provaccia”.

At 10.30 a.m. within the Palazzo Comunale and in the presence of the mayor, the “segnatura dei fantini” takes place. The name of the jockeys are confirmed and cannot be substituted from that point on.

At around 3 p.m. each Contrada performs a blessing ceremony of its horse and afterwards joins in the large parade in historical costume, with over 600 participants, that winds through the city. The parade arrives around 5 p.m. at the Piazza del Campo, and ends by around 6.30-7 p.m. Shortly thereafter the explosion of a firecracker signals the entrance of the horses into the piazza. As the jockeys come out, each one receives a whip made out of ox sinew which they can use to prod their horse or to irrate the other opponents in the race.

The Race: Il Palio

The race starts off in the “Mossa”, an area set up on the piazza delimited by two long pieces of thick rope. The “Mossiere” then calls the Contrade in the order in which they were drawn and checks that the assigned positions are respected. The first 9 Contrade take up their assigned positions in the area between the two ropes, while the last one, the tenth, enters this area at a running gallop thus signaling the start of the race. This only happens when this last Contrada decides to make the attempt to start off the race.

If the start is not considered valid (this is the case if the jockeys are not in their assigned spots), a shot goes out to signal the jockeys to get back into place. This starting phase within the “Mossa” is more complicated than it seems, as the space is small and the horses are right next to each other. Rivalries run deep within the Contrade and competition is high and the worst result is to see the “enemy” Contrada win the race. The wait for the start of the race can thus be extremely long and last into twilight.

If all goes well the start of the race can start at any time. The horses must run three laps around the Campo, overcoming dangerous points such as the very narrow curve of San Martino where collisions between the wall and between horses have led to many falls in the past (the main reason why many animal activists oppose the Palio).

The first horse that crosses the finish line, even if he arrives without his jockey, wins the race. The winning Contrada receives the Drappellone, as the victorious Contrada members head towards the Church of Provenza (after the July race) or towards the Duomo (after the August race) for the “Te Deum” or prayer of thanks.

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Sweet Siena: a Journey through the Ages

During the centuries-long competition between the cities of Florence and Siena, there is an area where even the most rash of the Florentines do not dare issue a challenge!

The BEST Pastry Shops

Would you like to purchase or taste some excellent ricciarelli or cavallucci, panforte and the other sweet specialities of Siena?

Then make a note of these addresses:

Their pastries are out of this world! And they serve a great caffé along with the bakery, the perfect combination for stopping at any time of the day! Via E. S. Piccolomini, 43/45 (on the southern side of the city, just outside Porta Romana).

This area is the sweet delicacies that the Sienese have created. We are talking of traditional sweets whose recipes have have been passed down through the generations and centuries. To consider a comparison is not possible.
There are at least 3 “gems” that top the list of Siena’s pastry sweetness: the cavallucci, the ricciarelli and panforte. The Sienese are proud of their local specialties, and the whole world that visits and tastes these morsels and delicacies appreciates them with great enthusiasm, especially during the Christmas holidays.

Their origin dates back to ancient times, when monasteries and ancient spice shops where the home to culinary experiments. Recipes were based on the ingredients they had at the time, so the recipes can be seen as a sort of Darwinian “evolution” of cakes.

Let’s have a look at each of these traditional treats, one at a time, to see what makes them so special.

The Cavallucci

Cavallucci (which translates to little horses in English) are cookies made with flour, honey and sugar, and shaped into a round, flat biscuit. They are quite solid in consistency and it is said that the name dates back to the 16th century. At that time, the biscuits were eaten in stagecoach inns by people who traveled by horse. They were perfect to take along travels since they stay fresh for a long time. The current recipe, compared with the ones of the past, are much softer. Today’s product is the result of many experiments, which luckily results in a delicious biscuit.

The main ingredients of the cavallucci today are candied orange peels and anise which make it very tasty, particularly for anyone who likes liquorice since the anise seeds have a similar flavor. They go perfectly with a Tuscan Vinsanto, since it isn’t too sweet of a dessert wine but they can also go well with a young Chianti wine.

Ricciarelli

These are very special cookies, preferred by the nobility of the past and everyone today. They would have ensured eternal fame to their creator, if only we knew who it was! These are the most traditional of sweets from Siena, even if we don’t know who invented the recipe.
These would be preferred by Goldilocks: not too thick, perfectly tender inside but crispy on the outside, delicate in its elongated shape and taste of almonds. Documents attest that this sweet was highly appreciated by the noble families of the 16th century, even beyond Tuscany’s borders.

As for their name, riccio means curl in Italian and legend says that in the beginning, one end of the cookie was given a curl upward, similar to the tip of an elf boot! Thus the name!

What makes ricciarelli so delicious? The ingredients include orange peel and candied citron which blend well with almond. These ingredients are delicately ground together, and only the most sophisticated of palates is able to also distinguish a light taste of cinnamon. Each bakery and pastry shop in Siena has their own secret recipe so we suggest if you love the flavor of these cookies to try them out at several places to find your favorite!

Today, ricciarelli are sold both loose and already beautifully packaged in boxes which make a perfect gift at any time of the year. If you go to Siena, you could try asking anyone there where the best ricciarelli are made: everyone has their preference and it’s likely you won’t ever get the same answer. You might get more suggestions aside from the ones we’ve mentioned above, which include some of the most prestigious pastry shopsNannin in the very centre of the city.

Panforte

At the very beginning, Panforte was very poor in ingredients and through time has became rich in spices, flavor and scent.

Its name comes from its medieval origins: “Sa di forte” meant it was “strong-flavored”. It’s a very Tuscan way of saying that something has a very strong taste, at times compared to the taste of food about to turn or go sour. Of course, there is nothing sour of this bread today!

This bread was born from the early tradition of placing water in empty honey pots, then flour was added to use every last drop of the honey and thus a sweet bread was made. Pieces of fresh fruit or dried fruit was added, and because of this, the bread did not last long before becoming pungent in flavor. Thus the “forte” definition.

From the 13th century, the holy wars brought new spices to Europe. They were first used by apothecaries since they traded and used spices for their concoctions. Pepper, cloves and cinnamon were attributed many qualities, including many medical virtues which were nonexistent. Nonetheless, they did give new flavor to foods and actually helped prolong the how long food stayed fresh.

But spices were also very expensive and rare. Considered precious goods, they were appreciated as much as gold, or even more. They were offered to churches or monasteries by merchants coming back from risky but successful journeys to the far East. This is why it was within Abbeys that the first apothecary shops were born. They were the pharmacies of the time and since food can cure the body, the jump from medicine to food is quite short and spices were added to food.

The resulting bread gains stronger flavor and a longer shelf life becoming Panpepato or “pepper” bread. Thus is born the king of sweets from Siena, with only its name to remind us of its humble origins. No longer “forte”, panforte is a combination of spices such as black pepper and cinnamon, honey, flour and nuts.

Legends to explain origins

There are many legends that try to explain the origins of Panpepato. Let me share a fun one that involves the devil! It is said that in a convent the Devil, in the shape of a mouse, entered into a locked blanket chest full of honey, flour, pepper, nuts, almonds, cinnamon, and other precious spices.

Of course, the mouse started to nibble and scatter around the goods. When a nun noticed the disaster, she turned pale afraid of being scolded by the Mother Superior and she didn’t know what to do. Lost in confusion, she heard a voice who suggested she set everything on fire and slowly mix the ingredients. The voice was of the devil, who had taken the shape of a black cat and talked to the nun with a persuasive voice.

The poor woman, used to obey, began to do what he said until she realized that the cat had never talked before. When she guessed it was actually the devil, she threw the boiling pot at the cat. The cat went away whimpering. In another version, the story instead says the cat turned back into the Devil before vanishing in a cloud of sulphur.

Have you ever heard that the Devil was scared of fire?
Anyway, the trembling nun, between a sign of the cross and another, called the Mother Superior for help who tasted the remains in the pot. She was so fascinated by the taste of it that she actually ordered the sister to recreate the recipe. She was unable to do so, otherwise it would have made the convent famous. The poor nun spent the rest of her life trying to recreate the recipe, at least according to the legend!

Today, you can find many panforte recipes in Siena. The sweet is sold within beautiful and coloured boxes: you can choose among different varieties, from traditional to a chocolate-flavored version! Each recipe is jealously kept and passed down by the main shops in town, such as Sapori, Neri and so on. While strolling around the city, pay attention to the pharmacies, you will notice that some of them have the same name as these brands. It testifies to panforte’s roots in the ancient world of spices.

A bonus: Pan co’santi

Another Sienese specialty is “pan co’ santi” which is made in Siena and surroundings, and even in some areas of Maremma. It is a fall specialty, rich in walnuts, raisins and black pepper especially prepared for the 1st of November, All Saint’s Day.

Today, many bakeries start offering it at the end of August in order to prolong the pleasure of enjoying this sweet bread. It is an autumnal specialty so make sure to taste some if you’re in Siena in this season.

It is also called “pan dei santi”, bread of the saints, or “pan dei morti”, bread of the dead, given its tie to the holiday and to the fact that it is made with lots of walnuts and raisins, both referred to as “santi”. Some might even add hazelnuts or toasted almonds to enrich the flavor, but then it is no longer the original version.

This bread is eaten cold, since it is even better the day after! It pairs perfectly with vinsanto or a young wine just coming out from the cellar.