Siena | Part 3 | Centro storico, contrade & Palio

 narrow street siena italy jodina

Le strade di Siena sono strette perche’ nel medioevo l’intera citta` doveva stare all’interno delle mura che la proteggevano. Questa si trova nella Contrada dell’Oca, come si puo` notare dalle bandiere in vista che ritraggno, appunto, un’oca in campo verde. In questa foto, una donna cammina in salita portando un bambino in braccio. / The streets of Siena are narrow because in medieval times the entire city had to be within the walls that protected it. This one is in the Goose Quarter, which is noted by the flags in view depicting exactly that, a goose, on a green background. In this photo, a woman is walking up, carrying a child in her arms.

[Note this blog is written in Italian interspersed with the English translation.]

Per quest’ultima puntata su Siena, facciamo un giro per il centro storico, con la sua architettura medioevale, le sue contrade antiche, la famosa Torre del Mangia nella Piazza del Campo – dove, due volte l’anno, ha luogo il tradizionale Palio, e non possono mancare alcune interessanti foto della gente locale.

For this final installment on Siena, we’re taking a tour of the historical city center, with its medieval architecture, its ancient city quarters, the famous Mangia Tower in the Campo Square – where, twice a year, the traditional horse race takes place, and of course, a few interesting shots of local Siena folk.

Bacheca ocaioli - community bulletin board Oca quarter siena italy jodina

Ecco la bacheca della Contra dell’Oca. Siena e` suddivisa in 17 contrade, ognuna con le proprie chiese, musei, sedi storiche e circoli. Gli abitanti della contrada la vivono come un prolungamento della propria casa e fanno parte di un’unica grande famiglia.  /  Here is the community notice board of the Goose Quarter. Siena is divided into 17 quarters, each with its own churches, museums, historical sites, and circles or associations. The inhabitants of the quarter live it as an extension of their own homes and make up one big family.

Siena contrada della selva iTALY JODINA

Qui siamo nella Contrada della Selva. Sopra le insegne che indicano i nomi delle strade spesso si trovano anche le insegne delle contrade. / Here we are in the Forest Quarter. Above the signs indicating street names, you often also find the signs of the quarters.

siena contrada dell'aquila 4 - wm

La Nobile Contrada dell’Aquila.  /  The Noble Eagle Quarter.

shop window siena italy jodina

La vetrina di un negozio che vende caffettiere. In bella mostra anche una caffettiera a forma di oca, probabilmente ci troviamo nella Contrada dell’Oca! / The window of a shop that sells coffee makers. In full view is a coffee maker in the shape of a goose; we probably find ourselves in the Goose Quarter!

artisan in shop - artigiana in bottega - siena italy jodina

Un’artigiana lavora la cera in una bottega specializzata in candele artistiche. / An artisan works with wax in a small shop specializing in artistic candles.

Horse hitch -anello per legare cavalli siena italy jodina

Dettagli che raccontono la storia:  Siena e` famosa per i suoi Palii, infatti sulle mura si possono notare degli anelli, ai quali anticamente si legavano i cavalli. / Details that tell about history:  Siena is famous for its horse races; in fact, on the walls one can notice rings, to which horses were tied  in olden times.

Horse hitch -anello per legare cavalli siena italy jodina

In primo piano: un altro anello per legare i cavalli. / A closeup: another ring for tying horses.

Siena gentleman - signore senese - siena italy jodina

Un signore senese fa la passeggiata domenicale. / A Siena gentleman taking a Sunday stroll.

girls at ice cream shop - ragazze gelateria - siena italy jodina

Delle ragazze all’esterno di una gelateria. Chi sa quali gusti hanno preso? I miei preferiti sono il cioccolato e il pistacchio. / Girls outside of an ice cream shop. I wonder which flavors they got? My favorites are chocolate and pistachio.

Piazza del Campo Bar Palio - siena italy - jodina

Eccoci arrivati in Piazza del Campo. Le case soprastanti i negozi vantano un’ottima posizione dalla quale vedere il Palio… se si ha la fortuna di viverci o di potersi permettere di affittarne una per l’occasione. Il pubblico guarda la corsa da palchi allestiti in piazza. / Here we are arrived at the Campo (Field) Square. The houses above the shops boast an excellent position from which to view the horse race… if one has the luck of living there or can afford to rent one for the occasion. The public watches the race from bleachers set up in the square.

the staff and barristas of a coffee shop in Piazza  del Campo siena italy, jodina

Il personale di un caffè in Piazza del Campo. / The staff of a coffee shop in Campo Square.

Bar Palio patrons Piazza del Campo siena italy - jodina

Turisti e locali si godono un bel pranzetto davanti ad un panorama antico e spettacolare. / Tourists and locals enjoy a nice lunch before an ancient and spectacular panorama.

siena italy torre del mangia - jodina

Ed ecco la veduta… la famosa Torre del Mangia, che due volte all’anno fa da testimone al Palio di Siena: il 2 luglio e il 16 agosto. Per avere un’idea di com’e` un Palio e l’atmosfera che lo circonda, vedete il video sotto del Palio del 2 luglio 2013… ha vinto l’Oca! / And here’s the view… the famous Mangia Tower, which witnesses the Siena horse race two times a year: July 2nd and August 16th. For an idea of what a horse race and the atmosphere surrounding it is like, watch the video below of the July 2, 2013 race… the Goose won!

Have you been to Siena or seen the Palio horse race? Which is your favorite picture? Love your comments!

Upcoming: Fall Classes enrolling now! | Next blog: Le ferie di agosto all’italiana… in Centroamerica (August holidays Italian style… in Central America)

 

 

This entry was posted in Italian Customs, Italian Holidays, italian travel, learn italian and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

7 Responses to Siena | Part 3 | Centro storico, contrade & Palio

  1. Doug Drago says:

    Neet shots, Jodina. I like the outdoor cafe. Looks so relaxing on the street corner!

  2. Jodina says:

    Grazie Doug! It was definitely relaxing 🙂

  3. Ron and Reina Bergfors says:

    Your pictures of Siena reminded us of our visit there last October. The stories of the Palio and its traditions were fascinating and we’re glad to see an actual video of this year’s race! Thanks for the pictures.

  4. Jodina says:

    Ciao Ronaldo e Regina!
    So nice to hear from you and so glad you liked the pics and the video.
    Did you have a wonderful trip, and how did it go using the Italian you used in class?
    Un salutone! Jodina

  5. We loved Siena; we visited for just an afternoon, however [not that long], and I recall how much of a University town it felt like. We traveled with our then 10 year old, and specifically remember a great indoor cafe we hung out in for awhile. As always, people are so gracious to tourists (this was my experience throughout Italy, traveling from Rome down to Lecce and then back up to Siena, Lucca and Montepulciano.)
    Siena is so striking. Thank you for the ‘Siena Series’ of posts.(:

  6. Jodina says:

    Ciao Laurie!
    Thanks for your comment. I agree with you: Abundant beauty, delicious food and graciousness toward the gracious traveler is what makes Italy a magical place to visit. Sounds like you had a great trip, and glad you enjoyed the Siena series!

  7. Enrico says:

    Mi piacerebbe sapere dove ( su quale palazzo) è stata scattata la foto dell’anello per legare cavalli con la testa di animale….grazie

    Enrico

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *