Siena Shenanigans

Living in Siena, I am coming to realize that it is a town like no other in Italy.  It's small town feel and close knit community really gives the sense of how much pride the Sienese people have for their culture.  It isn't uncommon to see different contrada parades marching through the streets, small markets that that donate the proceeds to charity, or families enjoying the sunshine in the middle of Piazza del Campo.  Siena has something about it that mystifies its visitor and it has so many things that can't be found in larger towns like Rome or Florence. Being a part of the Siena community truly has so much to offer.

~Calcio~

Soccer is the main sport in Italy.  Katie and I live in Residence Paradiso, near the stadium in Siena, so we hear the games quite often!   The crowd gets very into the games judging by their yelling and chanting.  It is also common for kids here to play soccer as they grow up.  We went to watch our flat mates play a game against the other residence for students, Ciompi.  It was very clear that these guys had been playing since they were young, and like any young men, they of course needed cheerleaders, so Katie and I filled that spot.

 

 

 

~Luna Park~

Each year, kids of all ages wait for the month long amusement park that comes to the city of Siena.  Luna Park is like any other amusement park I have seen at county fairs in America; there are many rides for small kids, rides for adults, fun houses, games, "fair food", and everything is more expensive than it should be! The biggest difference is that alcohol is allowed in the park here.  From the amusement parks I'm familiar with in America, alcohol is only allowed in beer gardens or sectioned off areas.  The park here is very popular within the community and many people attend each night.

~Compassion for Contrada~

Siena is split up into 17 different contradas.  Leading up to the Palio, different contradas host parties on the weekends.  This is a very family-oriented atmosphere with people of all ages! There is food, drinks, music, and even dancing!  Most importantly, it's an occasion that members of the community come together and celebrate their culture.  Katie and I went to a party in the Chiocciola (snail) contrada with our friend Michele, who is a member of that contrada.  We got to the party at about 11 PM and left around 1:30 AM, when many more people were just showing up!! Parties here in Italy definitely start later and go way later than I am used to!

~Italian Catholic Mass~

Being abroad I've realized that I miss going to church on Sundays!!  So finally, I went to mass at the Basilica of San Domenico, also called the Basilica Cateriniana after the patron saint of Europe (St. Catherine of Siena).  There were about sixty people there and even though I didn't understand everything, I could recognize what was going on!  It helped that there was a handout that had the service line by line (still in Italian, though).  Just the feeling of being back in a church service was very nice!

 

San Domenico

~Palio Preparation~

On Sunday, May 25, the city officials of Siena hosted a "lottery drawing" to determine the last three contradas that will compete in the July 2nd, 2014 Palio.  Ten contradas of the seventeen in Siena compete in the Palio, so the seven "guaranteed" contradas were the seven that didn't compete in the previous race.  That means that out of the 10 that don't have a guaranteed spot, three are picked at random to participate.  The seven contradas that had a guaranteed spot in the July 2nd Palio are the Giraffe, Snail, Dragon, Turtle, Tree, Caterpillar, and Eagle.  This is a very emotional day for members of the contradas that are hoping and praying to become part of the Palio.  People flooded Piazza del Campo for this special drawing and no words were spoken, only trumpet music played followed by a flag representing the selected contrada being displayed.  Once a flag was posted, members of that contrada went sprinting to the base of the building, chanting and screaming in excitement, while members of their rival contrada would get incredibly sad or even angry.  The three contradas that were chosen by lot were the Shewolf, Panther, and Wave. The competitive nature of the contradas is arguably more impressive than the rivalry between Oregon State University and University of Oregon at the civil war football game!  Even though I won't be here for the actual horse race, getting to see all of the events leading up to the big day gives me a feel for the culture and passion of the Sienese people.

Main building in Piazza del Campo

People of all generations have a strong loyalty to their contrada

SO MANY PEOPLE!

Original seven contradas with a spot

Ten contradas competing in the July 2, 2014 Palio

All 17 contradas of Siena

~Stanze della Memoria~

In Siena, a museum was created to educate the people about the times when Italy, Siena specifically, was under fascism and resistance up until their liberation.  The museum is a room by room depiction of what life was like then.  It was a very emotional representation of what life was actually like for the Sienese people during fascist rule. 

"War is to men like maternity is to women"

~A Night at the Theater~

Another cultural first for me was watching the play, "The Imaginary Invalid," at a small, beautiful theater in Siena called Teatro dei Rozzi. The play was about a hypochondriac who tried to set up an arranged marriage for his daughter in order for him to have a doctor in his family.  However, the daughter had just met someone else that she fell in love with and wanted to marry instead.  In this comical play, the main character discovers that his wife is actually just hoping he will die so she take all of his money, while his daughter will actually do anything for his honor.  After discovering this by faking his own death, he lets his daughter marry the person she loves, then ironically actually dies.  The playwright, Moliere, originally acted as the main character, but actually collapsed in the fourth performance of the play and died soon after.  The money received from the purchase of tickets for this play will be donated to a fund for relief for women and children in Iran.

Ceiling of theater

~The Wonders of Water~

It is not uncommon when walking through the medieval city of Siena to see many beautiful water fountains.  It seems like water just flows through this town, and in fact it really does, but in a different way than most would imagine.  There are underground passageways called "The Bottini," that channels water to different parts of the city.  This underground system stretches over 25 kilometers.  Years ago, the entire Tuscan region was under the ocean.  As the shoreline receded and Tuscany was exposed, the city of Siena was built on ground that was made of a layer of limestone from the sand and clay underneath.  This soil structure allows rain water to permeate through the limestone layer, but be pooled by the clay that holds water.  These underground tunnels were excavated in the 12th-15th century to make up for the lack of water.  Once it was created, the main water basins were guarded by army officials to prevent rival towns of Siena, such as Florence, from poisoning the water and wiping out the Sienese population. 

This basin was once used for drinkable water

This basin was used for watering animals/livestock

This basin was used for washing clothes

At first glance, the depth of Siena can be overlooked.  The small town may not take up much space on a map, but the experiences I've had here are huge.  It has so much culture, history, and respect for tradition.  The Sienese people are very welcoming and friendly with a passion for their heritage and pride for their city.  Getting the chance to actually live the culture in this small Italian medieval town has taught me so much and makes me proud to also come from a small town back home.  Every place has its own beauty and its own history; it just takes time and an open mind to uncover it.

Heard it through the grapevine...

~Brolio~

 

Wine is a very important liquid for the Italian people; it has been used throughout history for a variety of reasons, such as religion, cooking purposes, and especially for social occasions.  Located only a short forty minute drive from Siena, stands a piece of Italian history dating back to the middle ages.  The Castello di Brolio became a part of the Ricasoli family in 1141.  The Ricasoli family through the generations have been the Barons of the town of Brolio.  They currently own the oldest winery in Italy and the second oldest winery in the world!! The winery and castle are in the Chianti wine region and are known for their production of Chianti Classico.  The castle is surrounded by about 568 acres of vineyards and 64 acres of olive groves for their olive oil production.

Castello di Brolio

The castle is surrounded by very wooded, green areas... felt like home!

Wall surrounding the castle

Within the wall barrier to the castle, the the Chapel of San Jacopo stands above the Ricasoli family crypt.  It is said that the "Iron Baron," Bettino Ricasoli (1809-1880), who was the 31st Baron of Brolio and a major player in the unification of Italy and later the Prime Minister of Italy, can still be seen as a ghost, riding his horse around the walls of the castle.  Usually these claims are made by people who may have had too many glasses of the Chianti Classico!

Chapel of San Jacopo

View of the family crypt, underneath the chapel

Detail of the inside of the chapel

Family Crypt

 Within the castle walls, I also got to visit the old cellars that used to be used for wine production by monks and nuns of older times.  Since 1141 when the Ricasoli family took over the castle, the family brand of Barone Ricasoli became a very known name for good wine.  In 1872, the Chianti wine was born and perfected by the Ricasoli family company.

Old wine cellar

Wine was often kept in different size barrels made from different types of wood for different flavors

View from the castle

View right before rain poured down on our group

After visiting the castle and the old wine production methods, we got a tour of how wine is made today at Barone Ricasoli. The system is very modernized and uses technology, like many large scale operations today.  I learned that there is a difference in taste between wines made from grapes separated by gravity and those that aren't.  The "gravity" wines are typically more expensive.  While some wines are still fermented with wood containers, some are fermented in stainless steel containers.

This machine squeezes the juice out of the grapes and separates the skins and stems from the juice, which later is made into Grappa, a 90 proof alcohol

Fermenting machines

Today's wine cellar

Bottling station

 

View from today's production site

After seeing how production works today, I got to participate in my first wine tasting!  I tried three wines; a Torricella (white wine) and two red wines, the Chianti Classico and a Toscana Igt from Casalferro.  During the wine tasting, the guide told us what we should be tasting as the differences between the wines.  Unfortunately, my pallet is not that advanced yet in the wine area, so most of that conversation was over my head, but still a great experience!

Wine represents much more to the Italian culture than just a drink to have with dinner.  It reinforces the fact that life just moves a little slower here; people take time to sit and talk with the people around them, instead of hurriedly getting to the next task on their list.  I have definitely learned that it is very important to really take the time to listen to people.  Time is a virtue and there is more going on in the world than just what is going on in our own lives.  If we would all remember that just a little more, more lives would feel important, better relationships would be formed, and better memories made.  In the words of Michael Broadbent, "Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures."

When in Rome...

In the words of Robert De Niro, "Italy has changed. But Rome is Rome."  Before seeing this magnificent city, it could be hard to understand what this quote means.  Now that I've been fortunate enough to visit Rome twice this term, it simply means that mere words cannot describe Rome.  There is so much splendor and things to see that it becomes an overwhelming experience of ancient times combined with modern days.

The first time I was in Rome, I went with Katie to see her family that was visiting.  I got to meet her brother, her aunt, and her grandma.   They were all so welcoming and gave me that little taste of family that I had been needing.  Something about having a maternal figure around put me at ease and the family atmosphere was very comforting.  During our first trip in Rome, Katie and I visited the Trevi Fountain, the outside of the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, and we trekked all over Palatine Hill.

The great family that adopted me for the weekend

Vittoriano Monument

The Spanish Steps

The Trevi Fountain

Piazza Navona

Ruins on Palatine Hill

View of Rome from Palatine Hill

On my second trip to Rome, I spent three days there with my classmates and my art history professor seeing the things we have been learning about in class.  It was nice to travel when everything was already all planned out and someone actually knew where we were going!  The first day we were there, we did a walking tour of Rome.  We went to see the Column of Trajan, which is a tall column near the Roman Forum with 23 spirals of continuous narration that we have been talking about in class.  We also walked through the Roman Forum.  It was amazing to think about how magnificent it was when it was originally built.  Just the ruins are completely massive, so it's really awesome to imagine them in their prime.  After the Roman Forum, we saw the Colosseum (something I have always been fascinated with) and the Arch of Constantine.  The arch was being cleaned so all of the scaffolding made it difficult to actually see.  However, the Colosseum was definitely my favorite view of the day.  On the inside, we were able to see the underneath where lions were once kept for use in gladiator battles.  That night, we went to the main student area of Rome, Trastevere.  Here, we had something called apertivo.  This is the equivalent of the American happy hour- you buy a drink and get to eat all of the appetizers they offer! It was a really great bonding experience for our group.

The Column of Trajan

Continuous narration on Column of Trajan

View of Roman ruins

Roman Forum that housed the Vestal Virgins

 The Vestal Virgins were responsible for the eternal flame of Rome.  There were six women that took a vow of chastity to fully tend to the sacred flame.  If a Vestal Virgin broke their vow of chastity, the woman would be buried alive and the man she was with would be burned.

Inside the Colosseum

Colosseum interior/underneath

Entire group at the Colosseum

Our second day in Rome was spent in Vatican City, which is actually its own country!  Here, we got to see many other works of art that we have discussed in class.  Despite the hundreds of people swarming the buildings and rooms, we saw the Belvedere statue court, other statues from class, The School of Athens painting, and the Sistine Chapel.  The Sistine Chapel didn't allow pictures, but it was absolutely beautiful and awe inspiring.  It was recently cleaned, revealing how bright the colors were that Michelangelo used when he painted it.  Michelangelo had to complete one section at a time and couldn't observe his work until he was completely done, so the figures start out small and get larger as he moved across the ceiling and could critique his previous works.  After the Vatican, we went to St. Peter's Square then went to dinner at a place that gave me a much needed taste of home: Roadhouse Grill.  That night, Katie, Joey, and I went to an ice bar in downtown Rome.  Everything inside was completely made of ice, even the cups!  The facility is kept at -5 degrees celsius.  It was definitely a cool experience!

Bronze pinecone in Vatican

Apoxyomenos by Lysippos

Belvedere Statue Court

The Laokoon

Apollo Belvedere

Belvedere Venus

Belvedere Torso

Pontifex Maximus - Augustus

Ceiling of map corridor

"School of Athens" by Raphael

 The School of Athens by Raphael represents different aspects of philosophy- it shows a debate being had by Plato and Aristotle about what is real.  The painting also has a portrait of Michelangelo in the front as well as images of who scholars think are Ptolemy, Pythagoras, and Socrates, just to name a few.

Staircase to leave the Vatican

In front of St. Peter's

On the third and final day in Rome we spent the morning in the Capitoline museum.  Here, we saw even more things that we have seen in class.  Getting to see these artworks in real life after learning about them in class has made this experience way better and made everything seem much  more relevant.  We saw the colossal statue of Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome.  Just his head is about 8 feet tall!

Courtyard of Capitoline Museum

Remnants of statue of Constantine

Also in the museum, we saw one of the most copied figures throughout the ages; the Spinario, which is simply a young boy pulling a thorn out of his foot.  This figure is seen in bronze and marble statues and also in many paintings.  One of my favorite figures in the Capitoline museum was the Capitoline Wolf.  It is the shewolf from the mythological story of Romulus and Remus.  Copies of this statue can be seen all over Italy, including many depictions in Siena.

Spinario

Capitoline Wolf

Three other major statues we have learned about in class were present in the museum.  One of the largest and most interesting to me is the Equestrian Marcus Aurelius.  This statue originally stood atop the Column of Marcus Aurelius, another continuous narration column with 20 spirals also located in Rome and portrays the clemency of the emperor as he grants the lives to the people who originally were under the horse's raised hoof.  Another statue of a river god was a large statue that is actually made very crudely but was still a great find during an excavation.  The third extremely influential statue is the Capitoline Venus.  This statue has stood as the ideal woman and was very controversial in its time because of it showing the female body nude.

Equestrian Marcus Aurelius

River god

Column of Marcus Aurelius

Capitoline Venus

After we saw many more sculptures in the Capitoline Museum, we visited the Pantheon.  The Pantheon is made of three parts, the columnar porch, the rectangular portion where the only entrance is, and the large dome in the back.  The entire dome is called an oculus because it appears to be an eye.  At the top of the dome in the Pantheon, there is a 9 meter (almost 30 feet) opening.  This opening allows light in and is thought to connect the movement of the Earth with the heavens, showing a large circle of light that moves around the building throughout the day.

Oculus

How light shines into the building

That afternoon, we went to the Ara Pacis Augustae, a sacrificial altar dedicating to the goddess Pax (Peace).  The Ara Pacis was commissioned in 13 BC as a way to honor Augustus.  This altar was used to sacrifice white cows to show the piety of Romans under the Augustan rule.  The entire structure tries to show how things were under the rule of Augustus.  The altar represents myth, history, and allegory on its different sides.  All over the structure, there is vegetation, specifically acanthus, representing the fertility and security Romans felt under the Augustan rule. 

Before we ended our day by having gelato in Piazza Navona, we went to the Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva. This church had the tomb of Saint Catherine, the patron saint of not only Italy, but all of Europe.  Saint Catherine lived in Siena and was a member of the Goose contrada.

Inside the church

Tomb of St. Catherine

Statue on Mount Cavalli

Rome definitely lived up to all of the expectations I had for my dream city.  There is so much to see and experience there and while I did see a lot, I hope that the saying about the Trevi Fountain is true.. I tossed in a coin so maybe someday I will return to Rome.