What happens when you have walked up and down a medieval Tuscan town spread over 3 hills? Obviously, you’re hungry. And when the aromas emanating from the pizzerias around is that of freshly baked produce, how can you stay away for long?
Siena is that place where I had the quintessential Italian fast food. Each city I had been to in Italy on this trip, has a special food memory for me. Be it the Tiramisu Gelato in Rome, or the Machhiato in Florence, or the Mozzarella salad in Modanella or the pasta in San Gimignano.
Entering via the Porta San Marco into the town of Siena, that legend has was founded by the sons of Remus (one of the founding fathers of Rome), you can easily understand why tradition is so important to residents of this Tuscan town. Tiled roofs, brick walls and beautiful medieval Gothic architecture welcomes you the moment you step inside the city walls.
The streets of Siena are a decent test of one’s endurance, spread across 3 hills, and hence you’re either on an uphill or downhill path almost always. And these undulating walks will take you past the various Contrade, neighbourhoods of Siena. There is a total of 17 such contrade, in the historic centre of the town, and riders from each participate in the Palio (a bareback horse-riding race) that occurs in the Piazza del Campo (main square) twice a year. Each neighbourhood has its own symbol mostly animals. And these symbols stand as statues in or around the various underground fountains that still function in the town. Don’t be surprised to see statues of an eagle, the she-wolf suckling the infants, a tortoise, a snail, a panther and many such, tucked away are crossroads, or in a bend on the path.
And the paths eventually lead to the main town square, the Piazza del Campo. The square is dominated by the red Palazzo Pubblico and its imposing bell tower, Torre del Mangia. The civic palace houses the town's municipal offices much like Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Its internal courtyard has the entrance to the Torre del Mangia and to the Civic Museum. If you feel energetic, a climb up the over 500 steps will reward you with a wonderful view of Siena and its surroundings.
I didn’t have that time, and hence just sat down in the piazza, just beside the Gaia fountain to rest my aching feet. The souvenir shops with hand painted porcelain ware decorated on their facades add a dash of vibrance to the otherwise brick red and white.
And as I did that, the inviting aromas of freshly baked pizzas from the surrounding pizzerias started wafting in from the several cafes overlooking the piazza. And then I couldn’t control my rumbling tummy anymore – and a piping hot, delectable Quattro Formaggi pizza found its way to satiate my taste buds and my brain.
That done, it was time to explore the Siena Cathedral. The Duomo di Siena, is one of the major attractions of the town, and older in age than its other Tuscan counterpart, the Florence Duomo. Infact the main façade of the cathedral is one of the most fascinating in all of Italy. There is also an incomplete façade of the cathedral, that couldn’t be completed because of the Black Plague, and lies incomplete till date.
With the sun gradually beginning its descent, on a rather late summer evening, it was time for tourists like me to walk back to the gates of the town, to be transported back to Modanella, while the locals headed to the main square to catch up over a drink and a game of football (Spain was playing Portugal in the league match of FIFA 2018 that evening).
HOW TO GET TO SIENA
•By Air: The nearest airports are Florence and Pisa. Shuttle service and connected bus services of the Siena line are available to reach Siena from the airport.
•By Train: You can reach Siena from both Florence and Pisa. If you are coming from Florence, it will take you around 1 and ½ hour to reach the city and the trains from here are available frequently.
•By Bus: If you are looking for the fastest way to get in, buses are the option to consider. Frequent buses are available from Florence, Rome, Milan to Siena.
•By Car: Travelling by car is not a bad idea if you are coming from Florence, as it will take only 45 minutes to reach the city. From Rome, it will be around 2 hours of journey. Here, Automobile traffic is not permitted inside the city walls. Hence, if you are coming by car, make the parking arrangements beforehand or else speak with your hotel to arrange it for you.
HOW TO GET AROUND SIENA
The most convenient and common option to explore the historic district of Siena is by walking. This is because most of the historical buildings in the city don’t allow car parking within its premise. So, by walking you can enjoy the city in a much better way.
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