Sienna and Tarquinia
Sienna and Tarquinia
Southern Trip condensed version: I was gone for 10 days and went to Sienna, Tarquinia, Rome, Orvieto, Cervetri and Florence. I had a good time, read on if you want to know more.
The bus left at 6 am Friday morning. 20 minutes into the trip Brianna realized she had forgotten her passport. The bus driver sped back to the villa and came to a screeching halt. We had been warned several times by Dr. Knoblough to be ready and to remember our pass ports; we feared for her life. She re-boarded in silence and was granted clemency. We completed the 5 hour trek to sienna with out further disturbance; a pretty standard bus trip.
We arrived before check in at the Hotel Minerva in Sienna. We stashed our luggage in a near by conference room and enjoyed a few hours of free time. Before letting us lose to explore, Dr. Becker and Dr. Knoblough gave a brief introduction to the area.
As the bus pulled into the town I immediately noticed a large statue of the Romulus and Remus. The town is named after Senius the son of Remus and takes pride in its connection to Rome. The town is most known for its famous Palio, a hose race held in the local campo. The tradition is over 1,000 years old and takes place each August to celebrate the assumption of the Holy Virgin. Different Contrade, or cities with in the city are selected annually to compete. Sienna has 17 Contrade and chooses 10 to participate each year. When we walked around and saw the Campo I was surprised at its minuscule size. How could 10 horses and spectators fit with in such a confined space?
It made sense the Palio would hold such cultural significance. Sienna experienced relative success during the years predating the Renaissance. Like Florence the city would thrive in the rebirth of art and culture. In 1203 Sienna founded its University known for its medical and law schools. The city is dotted with many impressive basilicas and buildings. With such limited time it was hard to see everything.
I spent the afternoon in intervals. I alternated between shopping and historical monuments. I saw Sienna’s impressive Duomo constructed in the 11th century, the sanctuary of Saint Caterina and bought a purple dress for 6 Euros. Later that afternoon I stopped for Gelato and hung out in the Campo. Tourist and locals alike congregate here to relax and watch each other.
Before heading to the hotel I picked up a bottle of wine with Stuart. This time we went for a Chiantti, Vecchie Terre di Monetfili. I get flustered when it comes to wine shopping. Even with my Hugh Johnson pocket guide I am frustrated with my novice. Fortunately it was a very nice bottle. After dinner we climbed through a very narrow window in his bathroom to a balcony. It turned out to be the perfect view of the city. And we reveled in it for about 20 minutes until a screen lifted revealing a door and a very confused Italian couple. We quickly returned to our designated quarters.
The next morning after breakfast we loaded on to the bus and headed to Tarquinia, an Etruscan cemetery. The Etrucan culture is one of our main study focuses this semester. The Etruscans greatly influenced Roman culture and is evident through out Italy. In Tarquinia the tombs are painted and would have been filled with Greek pottery and other valuables. Death is often shown as an analogy to a banquet. Figures recline on sofas drinking wine and playing games. In this final feast many people are holding eggs which are thought to symbolize the balance between life and death. The graves weren’t dark or morbid and showed the Etruscan belief in the afterlife. After visiting the Necropolis we made our way to an Etruscan museum. Here we saw many examples of pottery and sarcophagi that would have been found in the tombs. Like the walls of the tomb the pottery depicted scenes from everyday life.
Carrie Stuart and I stopped at a local restaurant for lunch before rushing back to the bus. We left around 2 pm to make our way to Rome. I slept most of the way and woke up outside our hotel. I shared a room with Carrie and Molly.
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