Weekend in Tuscany
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Wow! It has been a busy couple of weeks! Last weekend, I continued with my tour group and visited the region of Italy called Tuscany. Tuscany is home to great cities like Siena and Florence.
Have you ever heard of the color "burnt sienna?" The clay used to make this color actually comes from the area of Tuscany near Siena. Siena is also home to two of the world's oldest horse races, known as the Palio di Siena. Horse racing has been popular in Siena since at least the 1300's. The two races are held each summer on July 2nd and August 16th. (When I was in Siena, I could see they were beginning to set up railing and bleachers for the race.) In these races, the people living in the different neighborhoods of Siena are represented by a horse and jockey who compete. Living in the winning neighborhood is a point of great pride for Sienans.
You also see here the Palazzo Pubblico, where Siena's government has been located since the early 1300's. You will notice the very tall tower. At the time this building was built, there was a fierce rivalry between the cities of Tuscany: Siena, Florence, and Pisa. These cities did not like each other very much, so they were always trying to be the best. One way to do this was to build a very tall and impressive tower to show off.
Most artwork in the late Middle Ages was religious artwork, but not all. Inside the Palazzo Pubblico, there are frescoes painted called "The Allegory of Good and Bad Government." These were painted to remind the leaders of Siena to lead their people in a way that was fair, honest, and wise. Even though these paintings are almost 700 years old, we can still learn a lot from them today.
Have you ever heard of the color "burnt sienna?" The clay used to make this color actually comes from the area of Tuscany near Siena. Siena is also home to two of the world's oldest horse races, known as the Palio di Siena. Horse racing has been popular in Siena since at least the 1300's. The two races are held each summer on July 2nd and August 16th. (When I was in Siena, I could see they were beginning to set up railing and bleachers for the race.) In these races, the people living in the different neighborhoods of Siena are represented by a horse and jockey who compete. Living in the winning neighborhood is a point of great pride for Sienans.
You also see here the Palazzo Pubblico, where Siena's government has been located since the early 1300's. You will notice the very tall tower. At the time this building was built, there was a fierce rivalry between the cities of Tuscany: Siena, Florence, and Pisa. These cities did not like each other very much, so they were always trying to be the best. One way to do this was to build a very tall and impressive tower to show off.
Most artwork in the late Middle Ages was religious artwork, but not all. Inside the Palazzo Pubblico, there are frescoes painted called "The Allegory of Good and Bad Government." These were painted to remind the leaders of Siena to lead their people in a way that was fair, honest, and wise. Even though these paintings are almost 700 years old, we can still learn a lot from them today.
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Saturday afternoon and Sunday were spent in the well-known Tuscan city of Florence. The city is well-known for making gold jewelry and leather. For this reason, many people in our tour group spent a lot of time shopping on Saturday. I am happy to say that I did not buy any jewelry or leather. But I did spent a little money on a few scarves for next winter. Italians do love scarves!
Florence is also home to the Academy of the Fine Arts and its fabulous museum. Art and music have always been an important part of life in Florence. This was Michelangelo's hometown, and much of his work is on display in the museum. Also on display are string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari, the famous instrument-maker of the 1600 and 1700's.
Florence is also home to the Academy of the Fine Arts and its fabulous museum. Art and music have always been an important part of life in Florence. This was Michelangelo's hometown, and much of his work is on display in the museum. Also on display are string instruments made by Antonio Stradivari, the famous instrument-maker of the 1600 and 1700's.
I told you before that the cities of Tuscany were always trying to outdo each other. Siena had its very tall tower. In Florence, they decided to have the very best-looking cathedral church. This enormous church is covered in different colored marble. The dome is also impressive. I believe it is the largest brick dome in the entire world.
Many famous people from history were from the city of Florence. Florentines today are very proud of their famous citizens from the past.
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Our tour group enjoyed an early Sunday dinner in the hill country of Tuscany, also known as the Chianti area. The food was delicious, the garden where we ate was beautiful, and the entertainment was tops!
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We were lucky to be in Florence on June 24th. That day is an important holiday for the people of Florence: St. John's Day. They celebrate with a huge fireworks show after the sun goes down, very similar to what we will do next week on July 4th. I was able to find a great seat on the terrace at my hotel. Photographing fireworks is not an easy task. So you will have to trust me when I tell you they were very good. Fireworks were the perfect way to end a wonderful weekend in Tuscany!