Siena and the famous Horse Race…

The town of Siena with its myriad of walkways and courtyards was a flurry of activity on the day we visited. Siena's thriving historic center has been declared a UNESCO world heritage sight --- its Piazza del Campo is a great medieval square. We did not, however, get into the square….

By accident we learned that the popular horse racDSC_0999e, the Il Palio, was going to be run. This semi annual race dates back to the 15th century. We tried to get a seat to watch the race, and despite being there a couple of hours early, the access gates were already closed. It is said to be quite a wild competition for horse and rider alike - there are no saddles, no rules, and often by the end of the race, there’s no jockey! We stood at the gates and tried to catch a glimpse of the race and could hear the roar of the crowds as the horses raced around the square. We could only imagine how exciting it would be inside the square watching the race although we had our own share of excitement navigating around the crowds of people milling around outside the piazza.

DSC_0968Walls were built to surround Siena in the 10th and 11th century, and a second set of walls were completed in the 13th century. The scale of these walls allow the town of Siena to be seen from miles around ... quite an impressive sight!

You can see the Siena Cathedral (Il Duomo) from nDSC_0971early anywhere in Siena. This beautiful cathedral is one of Tuscany's most striking monuments. The current structure dates back to 1215 and it is characterized by its black and white striped marble exterior AND interior, symbolic of the colors of the city of Siena: black and white.

DSC_0050The other main cathedral in Siena is Basilica of San Domenico.

The church was begun in 1226-1265 and was enlarged in the 14th century to the appearance it has now. It is a large building built entirely out of bricks.  The church contains several relics of St. Catherine of Siena, whose family house is nearby.

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