Wednesday 29th October.....Siena

Today we set the alarm to get an early start to head back up the E45 to Siena this being on the list of must see places for this trip. First pic is the bell tower of the Gothic town hall in the Piazza del Campo. The bell tower is the second highest medieval tower to be built in Italy.

My boy with the town hall in the Piazza del Campo in the background

This is one of the amazing things about Italy, walking down a side road you spy a courtyard such as this with yet another great sculpture.

A view of Siena from the Panorama archway attached to the museum of the cathedral. We purchased an inclusive ticket for the Duomo, Cripta, Oratorio, Battistero, Museo and Panorama. The Panorama archway was accessed through the Museo and of course involved a series of narrow spiral steps, this got a bit crazy and difficult with folk going up and down and trying to pass !! 



View of the town hall and the Piazza del Campo.

We were lucky visiting at this time of year as the floor of the Duomo is uncovered. It is normally covered to protect it from the wear and tear of the amount of tourists visiting the cathedral.  It is truely remarkable, indeed Giorgio Vassari, him of Ponte Vecchio fame, said "it is the most beautiful, great and magnificent pavement ever made". The marble floor is a masterpiece of frescos/paintings using coloured marble.

More of the "pavement"



The ceiling of the Duomo. Very impressive but can't live up to the ceiling of the Duomo in Firenze.

This is the Panorama arch/building. Quite a narrow building hence the narrow spiral steps.

The Duomo and tower, again an amazing building.

The tower of the Duomo, each floor has one less window than the floor above.

Statues of prophets fill the Gothic nitches of the marble facade.

Ceiling of the Battistero

Aerial bridges and corridors linking buildings and characteristic of Siena. We again walked for approx 3 hours of more steps and steep slopes !!

The Piazza del Campo "shaped like a shell with scalloped edges". This is the piazza where the very famous and  controversial Palio horse race is run twice a year in July and August. It was first run in 1644, the race is over 3 laps of bareback riding and the winner is the first horse past the post with or without rider. The whole event is a colourful pagent over four days and of course attracts huge crowds.
A very enjoyable day, round trip 165 miles, nice easy pasta meal washed down with some Montepulciano. We have also found a very good grape brandy that slips down far too easily !!!