Wednesday, we drove through the countryside and the highway to visit Siena, a charming city, again on the hill. The drive took much longer than we anticipated, over an hour from the villa.
Siena, especially due to its easy proximity to Florence, was very crowded full of tourists and many tour groups. Siena is site to the famous Italian bareback horserace, called the Palio. Twice each summer, the 16 neighborhoods have an entry to run bareback around the make shift path for community pride. This site, called Il Campo, is surrounded by gothic buildings housing mostly cafes now.
We first visited the famous black and white Duomo. We secured tickets, and stylish ponchos for those with bare shoulders, and toured the busy and crowded cathedral. At one point, a loudspeaker urged visitors to be quiet, especially since the Duomo is a functioning church.
The Duomo is an art filled cathedral with sculptures from Michelangelo and Donatello. Completed in 1215, the mosaics on the floor took 40 different artists 80 years to complete! The dome and ceiling are a royal blue with gold stars, something I have never seen. Its gothic majesty is stunning!
We had lunch in the Il Campo, which again, was packed with tour groups and great for people watching! We split up for individual shopping and touring, and gelato. The relative calmness of the other Tuscan villages made the busy nature of Siena less enjoyable.
After returning to the villa, we relaxed by the pool and gardens. Bob and I had dinner alone in Montepulciano overlooking their Duomo, while everyone else made a dinner of homemade Pici pasta!
Thursday, we will be visiting another winery, this time in the Montalcino area of Tuscany, known for their famous and expensive grape, Brunello.
