The allure of Italy has drawn travelers for many years, but of course why not?

The Italian people love great food, fabulous art, extraordinary music, rich history and divine “fruit of vine”. This year is no exception, we find travelers anxious to visit all regions of Italy, especially Tuscany.

A favorite city in Tuscany is Siena, one of the most splendidly intact Gothic cities in Europe. It is said that Siena was founded by Senio and Ascanio, sons of Remus (of the famous duo Romulus and Remus who founded Rome). Statues of the wolf feeding the twins are spotted throughout Siena, but there is little historical foundation to this theory. Instead, the Romans established a military outpost in A.D. 30 called Siena, and it developed into a busy little trading post in the following years.

Despite both external disputes with neighboring cities and internal disputes over government (including church involvement), the years between 1150 and 1300 represent a period when great artists were discovered and the city was decorated with beautiful monuments such as the Duomo, the Palazzo Publico and the Torre del Mangia.

The Duomo, or cathedral, is a beautiful mix of Gothic and Romanesque architecture with dark green and white marble in the fa ade. It contains works by many artists, including Donatello, Pisano and Arnolfo di Cambio. One of its main attractions is the marble-inlaid floor, to which many artists contributed. The museum of the Duomo, in the same piazza, contains some original works by Pisano.

The Council of Nine (a bourgeois group who was constantly bickering with the aristocracy) was the governing body in the mid-13th century and ultimately responsible for a lot of the city’s improvements, which can still be seen today.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena competed for power with Florence and its banks propped up cash-strapped popes and kings. Siena’s Monte dei Paschi Bank, which opened in 1472, continues to underwrite civic projects that give the town of about 60,000 an air of prosperity and sophistication.

The greatest traditional festival in Siena is known as “Il Palio”, a race which lasts less than two minutes and is the subject of debate and competition all year round. The event can cause men and women to laugh and cry within a matter of moments.

Siena is divided into 17 contrade, or areas of the city. The Sienese people belong first to a contrada and then to the city. Each contrada competes against one another in the Palio, and rivalry and competition are an integral part of the preceding months before the event. Ten contrade are selected for each race, each contrada is assigned a horse, and the horses compete in the Piazza del Campo while thousands of people come as spectators and participants, transforming the main piazza into a teeming sea of people.

There are two Palio races each summer; one on the 2nd of July, and the second on the 16th of August. The festivities begin three days prior to each Palio, although anticipation is evident weeks before. During this time there are banquets, parades, blessing of the horses and celebrations of all kinds. Contrada colors are worn by Sienese people, and music, singing and drumming can be heard on the streets at all times of the day or night.

On the day of the Palio, spectators crowd into the piazza from noon until the wee hours, willing to bear the sun and heat to witness this traditional event. The more sedate will pay for seats situated around the edge of the piazza, which are usually sold out eight months in advance.

The piazza is sealed off minutes before the Palio starts. Eventually the horses are off, and it is over before the dust settles. The winning contrada feasts and celebrates for weeks afterwards, with banquets, replays and much discussion. The losing contrada can only hope that with much preparation, plotting and luck, they will be victorious the following year.

This Palio is truly a “must do” in Tuscany, for it is an event the Sienese people hold dear and appreciate with great passion, as only the Italians can. It has a strong authentic tradition and is a “once in a lifetime experience” to witness and enjoy.

Since Siena is a historically rich city, it is a treat at any time of the year you may select to visit – the Sienese people are wonderful, gracious and fun. The walled city is alive with tradition year round.

Following a day spent wandering the streets of Siena, or sampling some of the art treasures, thoughts turn to food, and here is just one more of the pleasures that a stay in Siena offers. It’s very difficult to find fault with the Tuscan food. The ingredients are fresh, the recipes are simple combinations cooked with care and time, and the result has your mouth watering. You need not worry about monopolizing a table at a restaurant, as the Sienese will linger for hours after dinner exchanging stories and enriching their lives with the tradition of conversation.

There is a saying “un pranzo senza vino e come un giorno senza sole” – a lunch without wine is like a day without sunshine. And the first wine on the list is Chianti. Created by the Italian minister Ricasoli, Chianti is one of the first Italian wines to be appreciated in America. Immigrants packaged this wine in the straw-covered flasks, which have now become famous and symbolize the same Chianti all over the world.

As you ramble through the series of one-way streets, you are sure to soak up the art, history and culture of this Italian hill town. Siena will touch your heart and leave you connected to the warm, welcoming spirit of Italy, sure to create a strong desire to return.

Lynda Schauf is the owner of Laura’s Travel Service on East Citrus Avenue in Redlands. Contact her at

Join the Conversation



blog comments powered by Disqus