"Siena, Italy" a Siena Travel Page by acemj

After a week of touring Rome and Florence, dodging scooters, riding cramped subways, rushing from museum to museum, it was incredibly welcoming and relaxing to simply walk at a slow pace through the authentic Medieval lanes of Siena.

The night before I headed off to Siena, I was talking to the owner of the hotel I was staying at in Florence. He was asking me about my itinerary and when I mentioned that I was going to Siena he said, "Oh, you're a good tourist! Most people go to Pisa. But what's in Pisa? Just the tower and a few other buildings. Siena is magic."

To this day, Siena's true identity is marked by its 17 contrade (neighborhoods or parishes), a characteristic which has survived like so many other things, from the Medieval past. Each of the contrade has its own church, museum, flag and colors. More importantly, each has its own spirit and pride, highlighted by the annual Palio, a tradition that maintains ancient rivalries between the neighboring Sienese. The Palio is a celebration of the past in which a horse race is held around the famous Piazza del Campo, Siena's glorious square and the city's clear focal point. One rider from each contrade, wearing its traditional colors, represents his parish in this wonderful gallop around the square. People from near and far show up in Medieval costumes for this celebration that surely makes long-gone ancestors proud.

Unfortunately, I was not in Siena during the Palio (in July). I love visiting cities in the off-seasons, when prices are down, tourists are fewer and the true character of a city tends to come to the surface. However, from everything I've read and heard, the Palio might be worth the crush of the crowds.