K & R Italy : Hello Beautiful Siena!

Day Nine: Siena – Ceramics, Ricciarelli, & the prettiest square in all of Italy

Day two of our Tuscan living took us to nearby Sienna. My mother celebrated a major milestone in Siena and has always raved about it, so we knew we wanted to go here. For the first time on our trip, we had less than favorable weather. I.E., it rained.

So it was cooler, wet, and gray most of the day. BUT, it kept the tourist numbers down. All in all, we had a wonderful day in this small city.

First thing’s first, Siena is beautiful. The classic Italian county town you picture in your head. Brown buildings with tile roofs, beautiful ornate churches, grand piazzas, winding alleyways, and narrow corridors…all set against the Tuscan backdrop. It has a very medieval charm about it, steeped in rich history & culture.

We parked in a lot just outside the city center and took an escalator and a long walk down narrow stone paved streets…

…to the city center. Which was here

Despite the rain, you could feel the vibe of the square. It is obviously filled to the brim with liveliness on more pleasant days. Nevertheless, people were still abuzz, moving to and fro in hurried fashion, raincoats pulled taut.

We admired the Fountain of Joy

Before attempting to climb the city’s tower. Unfortunately, they had closed it due to the weather ☹

If you aren’t tired of us mentioning Rick Steve….prepare yourself to know we followed the walking tour of Siena too. We stepped inside the Chigi-Saracini Palace courtyard where Kara snapped me sittin’ for a spell (hey man, we’re on day NINE, my feet needed a break)

We strolled down Via di Citta towards Quattro Cantoni where the she-wolf sculpture sits perched high in view of the intersection

Then we veered down the road towards Piazza del Duomo for one of the more beautiful churches we encountered in Italy

A 13^th century gothic cathedral done up in dramatic black and white façade is a tribute to the Virgin Mary. And my GOD it is a gorgeous church.

Inside you’ll find a Michelangelo sculpture, Bernini sculptures, intricate, in-laid marble floors depicting various biblical stories, and striped marble columns. It is a powerful display of wealth, that much is certain.

Siena had actually planned further expansion to this church to boast a bigger church than Florence (never got there in my opinion), but the plague in 1348 ravaged the city and resources and it remains incomplete to this day. You can, however, take a fascinating self-guided tour along the wall to get a remarkable view of the city and view some stunning artwork in the Duomo Museum

Would you just LOOK at this gorgeous stained glass window?!?! Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, sculpted by Duccio di Buoninsegna

And a view from the top. It had started to sprinkle again just a lil’ bit. We didn’t mind because LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL

Afterwards, we most certainly checked out the Santa Maria Della Scala museum where many original sculptures are housed. Including the original frescos from the fountain of joy. It was vast, dimly lit (hence lack of pictures), and mildly confusing. We ultimately cut our museum tour short realizing there was too much to see in one day. A return visit is in order. Below is a shot of the ceiling in old civic hospital

Next up: We were feeling a bit peckish, so we trotted back to the square

To find a small trattoria (tavern) where the only menu is posted on the wall when you enter. We politely asked our server to recommend dishes, and he gleefully told us that the fresh pastas of the day were Cacio e Pepe, and a ravioli with Bolognese.

The rain had let up a bit and we decided to hit up some shops since Siena is rife with handmade ceramics. We picked up a couple of small things for ourselves. An olive oil bottle, and a butter dish. Both of which now live on our countertop for all to see because they are beautiful.

After shopping, we marched up around the corner to a well known pastry shop in search of a Siena delicacy, Ricciarelli. Supposedly, the cookie originated here in the 14^th century. It’s a soft, chewy cookie made of almond flour, sugar, honey, & egg whites. They are delectable, and addicting. We picked up a box, saving them for the journey home.