Day Eight:. Siena: Angels In The Architecture

Saturday featured a visit to Siena, a mountaintop medieval village with a long and proud history. A rival of Firenze for 500 years, Siena is divided into 10 neighborhoods called contrado, each with its own flag, colors and mascot. Some of the mascots I saw were the snail, the fish, and the turtle. In the center of the city is Il Campo, which means literally, the field. For 500 years, since before Columbus raised anchor in Genoa, there has been horse racing around Il Campo. At the top of the city is Il Duomo, one of the most impressive cathedrals to be found anywhere in Europe.

Paul Simon wrote these famous lyrics years ago: He looks around, around, he sees angel in the architecture, spinning in infinity.... And yesterday, I felt exactly that way while in the presence of the angels, saints and gargoyles carved into the front of Il Doumo. Ir truly was an awesome moment.

When my daughter Kate was young, we used to amuse ourselves on snowy winter afternoons by doing jigsaw puzzles. One of our favorites was called Verticalville. The artist who drew the picture for that puzzle must have visited Siean. The streets are narrow and steep and all the good stuff is at the top.

Also yesterday, a road rally featuring old sports cars came through Il Campo between  11 am and 1 pm. There are few sounds more endearing to a confirmed car nut like myself than that of the open exaust of Bugatti race car snorting its way through these narrow streets and then driving con brio through the piazza and out the other side. I took a whole bunch of pictures of that event, but will post them separately for those of you who are not quite so passionate about automobili as I am.

I really enjoyed Siena. It gives the visitor of what life must have been like when Italy was still mostly city-states, each one fighting for the survival of its own way of life. That people still cling to these hilltop communities amazes me. But they are everywhere in Tuscany - some larger and some smaller - but the sense of community they create is remarkable to see.

Enjoy today's photos at this link.