Be advised that my Tuscany comments will probably not be as detailed as those in my Russian posts. Chief among reasons is that my camera was on the fritz. It was my fault, as I did not get into a certain rhythm about recharging the battery. But added to that, I was limited to exterior photos as most churches did not allow flash photos. This being said…..
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| This is one view. Note that June is the season of poppies in western Europe. |
San Donato located in the beautiful hills of Tuscany was a tourist’s dream. Its old structures have been beautifully adapted into several suites. The alberga is actually a farm village run by a brother and sister. The food is all produced on the farm, but wine & liquors are the commercial staple.
The dining areas for breakfast and dinner are two completely different rooms in two different buildings, each fitting for the type of meal served. We were among a large group of Germans, the odd Dutch and English couple; we were the odd American four-some. We all savored the folksy service all in Italian, per favore. If you’re thinking you couldn’t manage that you’d be wrong. Italians are so expressive and demonstrative you would know exactly what they were saying. You would leave feeling ever so worldly wise and multi-lingual. By the time we left we had certainly been wined and dined, but we had also been primed to buy from their store of local honeys, wines, and spirits.
My favorite cathedral was Siena: no photographs! The walk-through was over-powering with inlaid tiled frescoed floors, ceilings, and walls covered with sacred art. The columns are right out of Byzantium striped black & white, with significant religious motifs in gilded and brightly colored relief. One’s eyes get no relief for everywhere they rest there is something arresting.* Tick-tight Joanna actually bought a soft-bound pictorial publication with historical notes. Of special interest to her was the Piccolomini Library which houses besides wall to ceiling paintings the Illuminated Psalters, ancient anthems, of the latter 15th century.
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| Still preeminent as it dominates the now small, very old town of old Siena. |
Historical Note
If Florence is the apogee of the Renaissance Sienna was probably the harbinger, as can be witnessed in the cathedral which recalls the highly charged, intricacy of Byzantium. Siena was dominant before the mid-15th century plague reduced its population significantly. Florence, which was mostly spared, easily took the lead.
JJ feels that it would be askance not to mention Siena's Piazza del Campo. It is the shape of a fan shell, possibly the finest example of a high medieval town center for its architectural integrity. What I remember is that in its vastness it is still a popular gathering place, as the photos show. You will see that one cannot discern who is a local & who is a tourist. Many people were walking around licking a gelato cone, which included ol' JJ. Maybe that's what sweetened his memory of the plaza. But I agree, if the cathedral was overpowering, the Piazza was unforgettable.
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| You can see the curve of the "fan" and the gentle slope which leads toward the town hall.... |
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| .....the corner of the "fan." Extreme right is part of the town hall. |
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| Viewing the straight-edge of the "fan" with a side view of the town hall |
*Please forgive Joanna who can't resist a pun here and there.
It's funny that after almost five hundred years, we as a culture haven't been able to come up with as dazzling a streetscape as in Siena. The compositions of the facades, the materials, the details--so simple and yet so beautiful!
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