SIENA is second only to Florence in beauty among Tuscan
cities. Siena rises on three low hills; its atmosphere has something of
fantasy and something of mystical; the purest Italian is said to be
spoken here.
Siena - Piazza del Campo
Siena was originally an Etruscan city, then Roman, then a
medieval Commune whose existence was tormented by fierce internecine
struggles, wars, plagues, and invasions. It finally fell to the Medici.
On arrival, let us go at once to the Piazza dal Campo; it has the form
of a scallop-shell; eleven street converge on it; it is dominated by the
greatest Gothic building in Tuscany, the Palazzo Pubblico (1309) in
stone and brick and the slim Torre del Mangia, the Mangia Tower (1348).
Here architecture, sculpture and painting call the visitor's attention,
but there are three masterpieces here. These are the Maesta (1315)
and the richly imaginative Portrait of Guidoriccio do Fogliano (1328) by
Simone Martini, and the largest cycle of paintings on a profane subject
in the Middle Ages, Good Governance by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1339).
As usual, let us devote the evening of our arrival to a tour of
Siena's medieval streets and piazzas, keeping the following day for
visiting its wonderful Museums. The first is the Picture Gallery in
Palazzo Bonsignori, to be reached from the Piazza up the lively Via di
Citta and Via di San Pietro.
From the Gallery we can go on to Santa
Maria del Carmine, 14th century, with important works of art, and from
here, through Via Stalloreggi to the huge monumental complex of the
Cathedral and the Baptistery.
The Cathedral whose structure reminds us
of that of Orvieto, is one of the most remarkable Gothic buildings in
Italy. The central part of the present church was built between 1196 and
1215, while a fantastic enlargement which had been planned was abandoned
owing to the plague of 1348 (the Black Death) which prostrated the city
of Siena. Only the unfinished walls remains of this mighty architectural dream.
The only thing we can do with the multitude of Siena Cathedral's art
treasures is give a short and incomplete list-the carved Pulpit by
Nicola Tissue, the Floor of inlaid marble, the monumental Piccolomini
Altar.
Another important Museum is that of the "Opera del Duomo
di Siena"
(Siena Cathedral Museum) at the side of the Cathedral with an important
collection of statues by Giovanni Pisano, and the wonderful Maesta by
Duccio di Buoninsegna (1311).
From the Cathedral we may walk down the picturesque Via Galluzza passing
the graceful House of St. Catherine, transformed into a sanctuary in the
14th century to the impressive Gothic basilica of San Domenico, with its
fretted bell-tower (interior: fine frescoes: Portrait of St. Catherine
of Siena by Andrea Vanni), and going past Via delle Terme we arrive at
Palazzo Salimbeni, with its fine Gothic windows and from here through
Via dei Rossi to the great church of San Francesco (1326-1475) with
important frescos by Lorenzetti.
After San Francesco, passing the 15th
century Oratory of San Bernardino, we pass from Via dei Rossi into Via
Banchi di Sopra and Palazzo Tolomei (13th cent.), the finest medieval
private dwelling in Tuscany. From here we keep on for Piazza del Campo,
to the elegant Loggia delta Mercanzia and into Via dei Banchi di Sella,
with Palazzo Piccolomini. After this comes the elegant 15'' century
Loggia del Papa with the church of San Martino beside it.
If we go along
Via San Martino we come to another fine church, Santa Maria dei Servi,
standing among cypresses in an isolated position, full of numberless
paintings of the Siena's School. Of course, we do not claim to have
described the whole of Siena - there is much else to be discovered, such
as the Siena State Archives and the Siena Archaeological and Etruscan Museum, the
interesting tour of the Siena City Gates, the Convent of the Osservanza in the
environs, or the Castle of Belcaro.
In summary, a visit to Siena is very much
suggested even if you are not coming for the "Palio sdi Siena".
