January 19, 2013

Day 12 (part 1): Siena and Snow


According to Roman legend, the twins Romulus and Remus, who were fed and nurtured by a she-wolf as children, founded the city of Rome. During a fight over where the city should be founded, Romulus killed Remus and banished his two nephews, Senius and Ascius.They fled North from Rome and on the way made a sacrifice to the gods at the spot of modern day Siena, which gets its named from Senius. Today the she-wolf is a revered symbol in the city.

Siena is a city built on seven hills. The buildings are made of a red clay native to the city, giving it a unique color. For many years, Siena was the top city in Tuscany. Its main rival was Florence, which later surpassed it in terms of population and physical size. In 1348, the black plague hit Siena and wiped out half the population, a devastation the city never recovered from.

One of the most famous people to come out of Seina is the Catholic Saint, St. Catherine of Seina. Though her body is buried in Rome, her head and a finger are kept in the Basilica di San Domenica (above).

 The Palazzo Pubblico (above) is the town hall of Siena. It is built in the gothic style of Architecture. Inside are many famous frescos including Lorenzotti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government, and Simone Martini's Maesta.
The Palazzo Pubblico is located in the Piazza del Campo, a "sqaure" in the shape of  a scallop shell. The piazza is surrounded by 9 buildings owned by the Council of Nine, the governing body of Medieval Siena that divided the city into nine territories/ families.
With my classmates and Laura in the Piazza del Campo (photo credits- Liz)

The Il Duomo of Siena (above) is built on the highest point in Seina. It was started in 1196 and was to be expanded in 1339 but was never finished due to the black plague of 1348.

Food:

When we first arrived in the city, we went to a cafe before our tour, so I bought a cappuccino to warm up. After our tour, I went to a restaurant with my classmates Cella, Amanda, Joe and Jesse. I ordered pesto penne and it was delicious. After wandering the city for a while on our own, Cella, Amanda and I stopped and got gelato.

Lastly, here are some pictures of random Sienise things:

A statue of a Pope (8? Popes have been from Seina!)
A tower from the 1100s

A pretty building
It SNOWED. What looks like a dirty camera lens is actually snow.

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