The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
October 3 - Slumming in Siena
Back in the days of the Italian city states, Florence and Siena battled it out for control of central Italy. The power went back and forth for awhile but Florence ultimately Florence prevailed. Wandering through the wide streets and impressive buildings, you can see that Siena was built with aspirations of grandeur.
The heart of Siena is the Campo, one of the largest piazzas in Italy and site of the famous annual no-holds-barred horse race called the Palio. Its gently sloping bowl shape makes it perfect for outdoor concerts in the summer. In fact, the first time we were here it was set up for an Andrea Bocelli concert that you have probably seen during a PBS fund drive.
Siena's Duomo (cathedral) was planned to be the largest in the world. Much of the preliminary structure was in place when the plague struck and in the aftermath the city did not have the money to complete the expansion. European cathedrals are built in the shape of a cross and the impressive structure we see today as the long axis of the church was originally intended to become the short axis of the new church. One of the highlights of the Duomo is the mosaic floor which they help preserve by keeping it covered during the summer tourist season.
© 2008 Restaurant Doctor
[