We were bound for Siena today, an absolute gem of a small
city that we cannot get enough of, so we keep returning! It’s another one of those places where we’re
pretty content to just walk the streets and take in the life, past and present,
that they’ve witnessed. Our first stop
was the duomo, a rare (in this writer’s opinion) instance where the glories of
the façade and the interior are evenly matched.
The interior of the cathedral is a feast, from the mosaic-adorned
pavement underfoot, the black and white striped marble pillars supporting the
navy blue, star-studded vaulted ceiling, to the soaring dome and lantern. 
The Pisano pulpit, with its high relief
scenes of the life of Christ and the Last Judgment, the serene altar, transept
chapels housing Donatello’s St. John the Baptist and a votive Madonna – to bend
a cliché, with parts like these, the sum has to be magnificent! It just has to be seen, again and again; we’ll
never tire of it.
Also in the duomo is the Piccolomini Library, glowing with Pinturicchio’s
fresco cycle of the life of Pius II above, and a collection of illuminated
manuscripts below; it’s just too much to take in, and too hard to leave.
But, leave we did. A
short walk brought us to il Campo, Siena’s heart and soul. This most beautiful piazza is gently sloped,
scalloped shaped, paved with herringbone-patterned bricks, and ringed with
cafes, restaurants and shops. Full of
people -- walking, talking, eating, sitting on the ground as if picnicking on a
grassy hillside – it’s just irresistible!
We headed for a special midday treat, a rendezvous with our
young neighbor and Mary Ellen’s former student, JP Snyder, who is spending a
semester here with a Northern Arizona University program. We met him and his friend Sharon, a fellow
NAU student here, for lunch. It was fun
to connect with someone from Scottsdale and to hear about their experiences in
Italy.
After we parted, we headed back for a visit to the
cathedral’s baptistery and crypt, the latter displaying a well-explained and
restored fresco cycle, some illuminated manuscripts, and a chance to look up
to the floor of the duomo through Plexiglas panels.
Throughout the day, we’d hoped for the looming clouds to
break so that we could take full advantage of the panoramic view from the
gallery above the duomo’s museum. When
we emerged from the crypt, the sun had broken through the clouds, so we
scampered (not quite!) up the narrow spiral staircases to the panoramic
perch. We loved the views of the duomo
and its campanile, the Campo and its tower, the brown and terra cotta roofs of
the city and the undulating green of the hills in the surrounding countryside,
dotted with cypress trees, vineyards, and honey-colored villas.
After another stroll through the Campo, we sweetened our
departure with a gelato and left beautiful Siena. We plotted a route home that allowed us a
touch of Chianti wine country, as well as some vistas from a narrow road that
twisted and climbed through a forested area before bringing us down to
Arno—level and happy hour at our great and comfy digs.
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