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We arrived early and walked through the ancient streets, trying to get a jump on the crowds . . .
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We arrived early and walked through the ancient streets, trying to get a jump on the crowds . . .

Italyscenictravel

  • . . . espresso, then said goodbye . . .
  • . . . one of the staff at Il Vecchio Maneggio who had been very helpful . . .
  • . . . and the ever present cat.
  • We drove south to Siena, another walled medieval city that was Florence's main rival in the middle ages. Siena is often described as Italy's best preserved medieval city.
  • We arrived early and walked through the ancient streets, trying to get a jump on the crowds . . .
  • . . . but of course we were not alone!
  • Our first stop was the Piazza del Duomo, where we purchased tickets to see what is considered to be one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Italy, built in the 13th and 14th centuries.
  • The striped columns and gilded dome of the cathedral are stunning.
  • Untitled photo
  • Untitled photo
  • But the Duomo is probably most famous for its inlaid marble floors, which took almost 200 years to complete and are covered most of the year to protect them.
  • Fortunately for us the floors are uncovered for the month of September . . .
  • . . . which gave us the opportunity to see these amazing works of art.
  • After visiting the Duomo, seen here on the right, Lou climbed the winding, narrow stairway to the top of the tower which is accessible from the adjacent Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana. Kathy decided not to test her claustrophobia!
  • The view out over the tiled rooftops of Siena was spectacular . . .
  • . . . and I could see down into the Piazza del Campo ("the Campo"), one of the finest public squares in Italy.
  • The Campo.
  • Our next stop was the Campo, which is a sloping, fan shaped public square bordered by restaurants and shops. Twice each summer, on July 2 and August 16, the Campo is transformed in to a racetrack lined with a thick layer of sand for the Palio, a horse race contested between Siena's contrade, the 17 neighborhoods that have divided Siena since the Middle Ages.
  • We we sat on the edge of the Campo eating delicious pizza -- yum.
  • We stopped in a print shop and bought a small print from an artist from Britain who teaches art in Siena.
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