Sunday, July 1, 2018
Sienna: Taking in the Excitement of Il Palio
When I had planned to include Sienna on my itinerary for this trip, all I expected was that we would make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Catherine of Sienna and enjoy a pretty Tuscan hill-town. How mistaken I was! Sienna turned out to be one of the highlights of our travels for it offered much more than I expected—adventure, excitement, art, history, spiritualism and cultural studies that had me fairly reeling by the end of a long and eventful day. So, do forgive me if this account is longer than usual.
What we had not bargained for when we arrived in Sienna was that we would be completely swept up by the excitement of one of its most dazzling events—Il Palio. If you know anything about the city of Sienna in Tuscany, you know that it is famed for an annual horse race called (Il Palio) that brings the entire city and the surrounding countryside together. The Palio is held twice in the summer--always on July 2 and August 29 —no matter what day of the year it happens to be. For a week leading up to his date, horse selections and race-trials are held that are every bit as festive and exciting as the actual race itself. Unbeknownest to us, one of Sienna’s Palios would be the day after our arrival there. We would not be at the actual race itself; but we would come close to getting a sense of exactly what it entails. To see a race-trial, we would be required to get into our seats by 8.40 am—the race begins by 9.00 am.
Accordingly, I checked out of my hotel in Florence and hopped into the cab that my hotel had arranged for me. I drove less than five minutes to Hotel Andrea to pick up my friends who also piled in. Just a few minutes later, we were at the main bus station at Santa Maria Novella to begin our ride to Sienna via the city of San Gimignano that we had visited only a few days previously. Our bus left on schedule at 6.40 am and it was at about 7.15 am that we were dropped off at the bus station at Sienna past the glories of the soothing Tuscan countryside.
Since we had our baggage with us, we needed to deposit it somewhere before our exploration of the city could begin. As I had been traveling in South America in the weeks immediately prior to arrival in Italy, my friends had organized the stashing of our cases in a place called Impero Bar. This, unfortunately, was nowhere close to the bus station and involved hailing a cab to take us to the spot. This move lost us a huge amount of time. However, it was a good place to get a bit of breakfast—coffee and croissants. Once our cases were stashed, we took directions and began our walk to the main square (Il Campo) along the outskirts of the city past the stone walls that towered above us. The entire walk took us about half an hour as we paused often to take in the sight of charming stone-clad squares and medieval churches. As we walked closer to the city center and the main square, it was clear that all roads led to it. The volume of visitors making their way to the venue increased and the colorful flags, banners and iconography associated with the Palio assaulted us at every turn.
Taking in the Customs and Traditions of Il Palio:
So here is how the horse-race works: The city of Sienna is divided into 17 traditional ‘contradas’ or segments, each of which is distinguished from the other by the colors and motifs of the flag and the logo that represents it. As we inched closer to the main square, we passed by streets ablaze with color—and I mean ablaze. The hot colors of fluorescent pink and green, for instance, were to be found on a flag that also featured a saint. Forest iconography was evident on a flag that was covered with oak leaves and vines in vivid green and orange. Red, white and blue were the colors of another contrada’s flag that depicted a hedgehog. There were so many of these flags in so many dazzling colors that we were quite overwhelmed by them all. Street lamps were festooned with posters in similar designs and colors—all proclaiming the loyalty of a certain population of the city to a particular contrada. It really had to be seen to be believed.
Witnessing A Trial of the Palio:
It was about 8.55 am when we arrived at the main square or Il Campo—its location proclaimed by the mounting sounds of bugles and human voices that reached our ears. When at the venue itself, we realized that we were just past the deadline for arrival—which was 8.40 am! It was a pity! But, not to be daunted, we remained at the periphery of the stadium which was heavily guarded by police. I had no idea that, as luck would have it, we were just a few yards from the starting line—until my friend Delyse pointed this out to me. Suddenly, I was filled with the utmost excitement as I readied my camera to take pictures of the ten horses—representing 10 of the 17 contradas--that were neatly lined up and awaiting the start of the race.
We did not need to wait long. Within minutes, the shot was heard that started the race. The horses, well-caparisoned in colors representing their contradas, were off and running and we were frantically clicking and trying to take in the unique ambience of the occasion. Truly, it was one of the highlights of my travels—to be able to see the Palio (well, the trial on the day before it) was so exciting to me that I simply could not contain myself. The horses made three frantic rounds and then the winner was declared. It is the first horse to cross the line (not the first jockey) that wins and the trophy is a simple banner of the Virgin Mary—the Palio of the race’s name. This event has been conducted in this fashion for nearly 400 years.
And then just minutes later, it was all over. The winner was declared and he was proudly led off to that part of the stupendous enclosure in which members of his contrada were waiting to simply sweep him off his feet. By this time, the enclosure holding the crowd in was opened and we were able to venture on to the race track (Il Campo) amidst the thousands of fans that were besides themselves with post-race dramatic energy. We stood aside, listened and video-taped the spectacle and the sounds of the grand affair as the winning horse and his rider were felicitated with many victorious rounds and the loud and boisterous singing of patriotic songs. It really had to be seen to be believed and we were only a few feet away to take it all in! It was simply the best feeling in the world—to be in the very center of it all and to be part of that tourist energy cannot be described in words. It is only very rarely that one can feel so completely in the moment that one becomes part of the broader canvas of what is happening all around. This was one of those events and one of those moments. They will remain in my memory for a very long time to come. (Being only feet away from the entire Royal Family, including the Queen, in Scotland at Crathie Kirk in 2008 was another such moment in my life! Being in the midst of thousands of Catholics at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and seeing Pope Benedict pass in his Popemobile, not even a few feet away from us in 2009, was another such moment!) )
As the crowds dispersed and began to make their way to their contradas, tourists began to pile into the ring called Il Campo.
Il Campo—Sienna’s Main Square:
The City Hall with its soaring tower dominates the Campo or the main square. This is the heart of Sienna. It was built right in the middle of the city when it was the nucleus of Sienna’s Golden Age and competed with Florence for predominance. The two city states became bitter enemies. The focus of Il Campo is the City Hall—not the Duomo, as in most cities. ‘Campo’ simply means ‘field’ and it was the principal one in the city. As the City Hall was built in one corner of the square, it became the focal point of the city. The buildings and pavements sport a uniformly brown shade that is well-known to kids as the shade in their water color boxes—Burnt Sienna. As a little girl who used that color often, little did I think that I would one day wander around Sienna and take in the monuments that would give the color its name. It is still the city’s gathering place but it is vast. During the Palio, it houses 60,000 people. The people call it the Palazzo Publico—the Public Palace. It is still home to the city’s government.
The most dominant feature of the City Hall is its tower, built around 1340. At 330 feet, it is still one of Italy’s tallest secular towers for Italy’s bell towers (campaniles) are usually attached to churches and are usually taller. It is a 330 foot Declaration of Independence, according to Rick Steves. You can climb the steps and get rewarded by some of the best views in Tuscany. The chapel at the tower’s base was built in 1348, the year of the Black Death—the plague that decimated Sienna’s population. Today, it is used to bless the Palio contestants before the race.
The most famous symbol of the city and one depicted on the inside of the City Hall is the She-wolf—the one who suckled Romulus and Remus who are considered the founders of Rome. They passed through Sienna en route to Rome—hence their association with the city.
Outside, in the Campo, the Fountain of Joy is a striking addition to the square. It is a white marble affair called Fonte Gaia. The Siennese in the 14thcentury financed a project to bring fresh spring water from the countryside to the town free of charge. This monument was built to denote that timely move. There are many small religious vignettes carved around the fountain, most featuring mothers—who stand for nurturing. At the far left, is a vignette of God helping Adam to his feet by stretching out his hand towards the Man. It is said that this vignette influenced Michelangelo in his imaginative depiction of the ‘Creation of Man’ on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. By the 18thcentury, the fountain was no longer in common use for the provision of water. It remains but a symbolic monument of the civic glory of the Siennese during a significant time in their history.
Delyse and I found a sweet lady who then offered to loan us her Palio contrada scarf so that we could pose with it and get some pictures. This induced all of us to buy a palio scarf as a souvenir (for 10 euros each) and armed with these goodies proceeded on our discovery of Sienna. Using Rick Steve’s downloaded walking tour of Sienna, we left the colorful and noisy precincts of the Campo behind us and began our sightseeing tour of the city. First stop? The Duomo.
Sienna’s Duomo--Grand Landmark in a Grand City:
After walking uphill along very steep, stair-cased sides of the mountains, we arrived at the massive square that contains the Duomo. This architectural wonder is little short of spectacular—white, pink, gold. It rises like a snow-white wedding cake, very different from its more famous sister—the Duomo in Florence, which has a lot of green marble in its decoration. This one is softer, somehow more feminine. Its façade was decorated in the 12-13thcenturies and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary whose sculpted figure towers above the crowded square.
The cathedral is grand both outside and in. In addition to the cathedral, there is a campanile on the right—a bell-tower—a beacon for pilgrims traveling along the road to Rome. There are two free-standing columns on either side of the church—they depict she-wolves suckling babies (references again to the twins who founded Rome). They stopped by at this settlement on route to Rome. The son of Remus is said to have ridden north to found the city and name it after him—Siniel or Sienna. This church is unique among Italian ones for it was built not by some tyrannical prelate or corrupt Pope but by the people themselves who raised the money for its construction.
The simple red-brick clad building right opposite the church is called Santa Maria della Scala. It once housed thousands of pilgrims who passed through the city during the medieval age. It consists of a labyrinth of lanes among which is a small chapel. Since it was a Sunday and 11.00 am Mass had begun, Delyse and I made a quick visit into the church—only to be struck by how ornate it was.
Tour of the Duomo’s Interior:
We bought our tickets and entered the Duomo to be taken on a wild ride that was simply breathtaking. At the very entrance, one is struck by the multitude of carved pope’s heads (172 in number) that run along the entire quadrangle of the church. The nave has zebra-striped columns that support them—they represent every single one of the popes that reigned from the time of St. Peter to the 12thcentury when the Duomo was built. They sport the same four faces, over and over. The Popes look down at the fine inlaid art on the floor. When the marble floor mosaics are exposed, i.e. not covered by the thick carpeting that preserves them, Mass is said in the chapel across the road. We were really fortunate to find the mosaics exposed—for they are truly stunning. I have never seen more striking marble mosaics in a church as I saw in this magnificent Duomo. Massive in size and impressive in detail, they represent everything: from the secular view of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus that represents Sienna to stories from the Bible. They were done by some 40 artisans over two centuries—from the 1300s to the 1500s.They span the pagan, Christian and secular worlds.
Against the left wall of the nave is the Piccolomini Altar, all clad in marble and featuring a number of saints. It stands three stories high and was built in the 1480s. Its most interesting feature is a single statue by Michelangelo who, in 1501, was asked to sculpt 15 statues for this altar—but he completed only one of them: St. Paul, who stands in the lowest right hand corner. It stands out and proffers similarity with his Moses—almost the last of the sculptures he completed. Paul also sports the broken nose of his own creator. Michelangelo got sidetracked by the commission he received to depict David. He, therefore, abandoned this project and left it to be completed by other sculptors.
Further up the nave, one comes upon the splendor of the inside of the dome. It sits on a 12 sided base, a marvel of its day built almost a century before Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence. It has a coffered ceiling—but then you realize those are no sunken panels of sculptured saints but a painted illusion—what is known as trompe l’oeil(or fool the eye). Like Rick Steves, I adored the fat putti (or cherubs) that straddle the curve of the dome’s interior.
The Duomo is simply glorious and it overwhelms in the detail of its decoration. At the far end of the church, the Rose Window of 1288 is 20 feet across. It depicts the Virgin Mary to whom the city is dedicated. It is the work of Duccio who revolutionized realism in art and set the tone for the Renaissance that followed.
Almost directly under the dome are 60-foot tall wooden flag posts that any Siennese would recognize as the 700-year old flag posts that once belonged to their arch-rival Florence. These were captured in the Battle of Monteperti of 1260. 20,000 Siennese soldiers squared off against 35,000 Florentines. Sienna won, seized the flags and placed the poles in their beloved Duomo.
The next intriguing item in the church is a huge marble pulpit that is massed with sculpted saints and common folk in astounding bas-relief(low relief). Known as Pisanno’s Pulpit, it is octagonal and made of the finest Carrara marble. Its columns rest on the backs of polished white marble lions that represent Christianity Triumphant. Built in 1268 by Pissano who is called the ‘Giotto of Sculpture’ as he was a precursor of the Renaissance, they are dramatic. The panels are carved in the style of ancient classical sarcophagi. Seven panels tell us about the life of Christ in vivid detail. There is a striking Crucifixion panel that realistically depicts Christ’s anatomy. On the other side is the Judgment Day panel depicting the victorious and the damned. Many sculptors were influenced by the style and detail of these panels—to that extent, they are ground breaking.
There are a large number of fabulous sculptures in the left and right transepts. But striking among these is a small chapel to St. John the Baptist that contains a bronze sculpture of the saint by Donatello. John appears in ragged garb as a depiction of his fasting in the dessert. His right arm in a reliquary is supposedly in this chapel which is fully clad in gilded wood.
On the opposite side of this small chapel is yet another one dedicated to the Madonna delle Vota, i.e. the Madonna of Offerings (for that is what ‘Vota’ means). In this chapel, the grand Baroque work of my favorite sculptor of all time, Bernini, is showcased in the work of four figures—those of St. Jerome and an exquisite one of Mary Magdalen are most amazing. The latter, for me at least, is clearly a precursor of the masterpiece Bernini would produce later in Rome—the Ecstasy of St. Teresa. This certainly seemed to be the case as I gazed upon Mary’s ethereal expression. I simply could not take my eyes off these works. The main altarpiece presenting the Madonna delle Vota has a painting of the Virgin Mother and her son featuring a real gold crown studded with precious stones on both their heads. This is the Virgin to whom the riders in the Palio pray. And it is to this Virgin that grateful parishioners leave offerings or ‘vota’ that are contained in the glass cases to be found right outside the capella—they resemble the front of a jeweler’s shop!
Bowled Over by the Piccolomini Library:
And then, finally, we arrived at the most spectacular part of this amazing cathedral—the Piccolomini Library that is concealed on one side of the Cathedral. The Piccolomini Family were a distinguished Old Guard family that produced innumerable statesmen, politicians and diplomats and, eventually, a Pope! For Aeneus Piccolomini grew up to become Pope Pius II at age 57, one of the most humanistic of the Renaissance Popes and one that was exceedingly well-loved and well-regarded in an age in which popes were far from exemplary. In ten fresco panels that march around the breathtakingly ornate interior of the library, the life of Aeneus Piccolomini has been portrayed in such striking detail as to leave the viewer stunned. He was truly a Renaissance Man in the vast variety of talents of which he could boast. Repenting of his debauched life, he made his way to Rome where he became a priest and eventually a Pope. It was as Pope Pius II that he would canonize Sienna’s beloved Saint Catherine.
All the exuberance of Renaissance decoration is to be found here—in a library that was specially built to store medieval music manuscripts made of vellum or sheepskin that are richly illuminated and showcased in glass cases that march around the walls. Among the many riches that I saw on this trip to Italy, the Piccolomini Library was one of the most unforgettable things I saw.
By this time, we were both dazed and fatigued—both physically and visually. It was time to leave the cathedral and get back to the square where we used rest rooms and decided to make our way to what would be the key reason for visiting Sienna—making a pilgrimage to the Church of St. Catherine of Sienna. But first, we needed to find a bite and decided that we would sit at a small eatery to rest our feet. We found a pizzeria where we indulged in pizza—Italy’s great version of fast food that is never disappointing. This provided our second wind and allowed us to go in search of the Church of St. Catherine, Sienna’s beloved daughter.
In Search of St. Catherine—At the Home of the Saint:
Our next stop took us towards the Piazza di Independenzia where we paused to take a few pictures. A marble staircase took us downhill away from the church to the busy street below where gelaterias and souvenir shops lined both sides. Wonderful views of the city were presented by these detours. In such stops, the uniformly brown shades (Burnt Sienna) with which this city is constructed came back home to us.
From a lookout point en route, we saw the magnificent edifice of the Church of San Domenico (St. Dominic). But before we arrived there, we followed signs that took us to the Casa/Sanctuario of Santa Catherina (the Home/Sanctuary of St. Catherine). In this rather nondescript church that was enclosed by high walls was a smallish church that was quite ornate within, we imagined the premises where Catherine was born and raised. There is a gilded altar here and richly decorated frescoed walls. It was here that she received her vocation. There is a marble portico outside that contains a marble sculpture of the saint.
St. Catherine’s Relics At The Church of St. Dominic:
Leaving the Home of St. Catherine behind (a rather unimpressive space, after all), we continued in search of the major relics to which all pilgrims flock. These are housed in the Church of St. Dominic. But before we got there, following a rather breathless uphill climb (for Sienna is a hill town that involves many ups and downs), we found an absolutely panoramic spot that offered stirring views of the Duomo high up on the opposite mountain. We paused there to take group pictures of a city that had, by this time, charmed us entirely.
What most modern-day pilgrims come to see are the relics that conceal the mortal remains of St. Catherine in a dedicated chapel in St. Dominic’s Church. Once we arrived at the huge Church of St. Dominic, we were stunned to discover that the major part of the relics associated with the life of St. Catherine of Sienna are, in fact, located here in a small chapel. There is a reliquary that contains her thumb, but…get this…the most amazing piece is her real head. Well protected by glass and through the use of skillful lighting, it does not look as frightful as it would seem. There is, in fact, a clay mask that is placed in front of her face high up on an altar to conceal her actual face; but her original teeth are actually perfectly visible as you gaze in wonder upon them. In this space, one could only contemplate the medieval practice of going on pilgrimage to seek the relics of beloved saints—this would certainly have held untold fascination for pilgrims of old.
Catherine was born in 1357 in Sienna. She became a Dominican Nun which is why she is associated with the Church of St Dominic. She was known to have visions—a common occurrence among saintly women in medieval times. She had one in which she was a bride to Christ himself. Later in life, she began writing letters to varied European dignitaries. The wisdom and diplomacy contained within them is supposed to have moved the Papacy from Avignon in France to which it had temporarily been shifted (under the Holy Roman Empire) back to the Vatican. She died at 33. As noted earlier, she was canonized a saint by Pope Pius II. Today, she is the patron saint of Europe and the venues associated with her life are still popular spots of pilgrimage for Catholics from around the world.
At the Piazza di Independenzia and Via di Cita:
The modern Italian nation was founded in 1870 and its creation is marked by varied sculpture all over the country in such squares as the Piazza di Independenzia. As we walked through this stirring city, we arrived at Via di Cita, the main shopping artery of the city where all sorts of interesting shops and boutiques caught our eye and provided an opportunity for a gelato break.
On Our Way to Assisi:
By this time, the heat (which was pretty merciless) and the amount of walking and climbing we had done had taken its toll on us. Having returned to Il Campo which wore a completely different look from the bustle of Il Palio’s race-trial of the morning, we decided to move on and get back to Impero Barto pick up our cases and take transport to Assisi.
As we walked along the main street, retracing our steps of the morning, we passed by the square at which our bus had dropped us. I guessed that we would find a ticket window at this venue at which we could purchase our bus tickets to Assisi. Hence, we detoured and took a side street that led there. My fatigued friends sat at a bus stop while I went to look for the ticket window. It took me a while to find it and then go through the formalities of booking and paying for our tickets—for it turned out that while I could buy tickets at this venue, we would actually need to get to another bus stop to board our bus—the train station of Sienna, to be precise. Shahida panicked at this point about my disappearance and led Delyse and Nafisa on a wild goose chase in search of me. When I returned to the stop at which I had left them, they were nowhere to be seen. I, of course, did not panic because I realized that wherever they had gone, they would return to the spot at which I had left them. About ten minutes later, they did show up and we were all reunited.
As we continued on our journey through the streets that would lead us to Impero Bar, we passed through the walled city and witnessed the merriment involved with planning a communal dinner that would take place that evening. Trestle tables were set out in a wide square. They were laid with white tablecloths and silverware. It was clear that one of the legendary dinners that are part and parcel of Il Palio was about to unfold. Indeed, we saw old-timers dressed in clothing that reflected the red, white and blue colors of their contrada make their way to the venue. For me, it was the spectacle and the lessons in Cultural Studies that this event taught me that would always remain associated in my mind with the fabulous city of Sienna.
At Impero Bar, we had coffee and pastries and then retrieved our baggage from the proprietor who was holding it. We then had a cab called for us and within ten minutes, we were speeding to the train station where we boarded our bus for Assisi.
On Our Way to Assisi:
The Tuscan sun was setting as we left Sienna at about 5.30 pm to move on to the next lap of our travels—Assisi. We made one stop at a rest area in Perugia, not even ten minutes from our destination, from where we could see Assisi perched on a mountain, for it is also one of the gorgeous hill-towns of which Italy can boast. About an hour and a half after we started our journey, we were deposited at Santa Maria degli Angeli, the little town at the foot of the mountain on which Assisi is perched. Facing us was the stupendous basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (or the Basilica of the Holy Angels) that is the fourth largest basilica in the world. I would have loved to have made a quick visit inside, but we had our cases with us and were hauling them across the main square in front of the church as we tried to find the bus stop that would take us uphill to Assisi.
Taking directions from local people and following a rather sketchy map we arrived at the bus stop where we waited for just 15 minutes before a bus came along and took us on for 2 euros each. A quick 15 minutes later, we were deposited at the main square Piazza Matteoti from where we had absolutely no idea how to get to our bed and breakfast called Casa della Fatte. Then, as if in answer to our prayers, a taxi pulled up. Without losing any time, we hired it and then watched in awe as the driver zigzagged through a warren of streets to get us to our accommodation. By this time, dusk had well and truly arrived and we were eager to settle down.
Arriving at Casa delle Fatte:
We paid our cabbie the 15 euros that he said it would cost us and clambered with our cases up the steps to the very quaint front door of our Bed and Breakfast. There we had another shock, for despite repeated attempts to knock at the door and ring its bell, there was simply no response. Then, yet another angel appeared—a man with a cell phone who could actually speak English! He helped us by calling the number of our B&B where, we discovered that the owner did not live on the premises. She had waited for us till 7.30 pm, then left for the night. We were informed that the key was left for us under a flower pot. We were instructed to walk in and make ourselves at home. She would see us, the next morning, at 8.30 when she would serve us breakfast, she said.
Well, that was some homecoming! We discovered a very quaint and charming space filled with all sorts of cottage crafts reminiscent of what is called ‘Country-Style’ Decorating—some would call it Grandma’s House style! Delyse was well and truly wrung out by this time, desperately needed some “space” and a chance to be alone and bowed out of joining us for dinner. She decided to go in for a shower and to relax while Nafisa, Shahida and I set out to find a bite to eat. We were lucky that a restaurant that was just around the corner was still open. We ordered a Greek salad and pasta with a tomato sauce and enjoyed it fully before we were also ready to call it a night.
A few showers later, we all tumbled into bed in two double rooms. It had been a deeply eventful day and we were tired and eager to hit the sack.
Until tomorrow, arrivederci…
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