(A multi-part recap of my mid-April to early May Italy trip.)
Oh did I love my stay in the Cinque Terre village of Monterosso al Mare! It was a stunningly gorgeous place, the weather was perfect, and our hotel amazing. As Kim and I packed up on the thirteenth morning of our trip, I gazed longingly from our hotel room balcony one last time, soaking in the glorious view.
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| Goodbye, Monterosso! |
But after two days, it was time again for our tour to move on. There was much more of Italy to see! Our departure from Monterosso was a reverse of the arrival. After loading our suitcases onto a wheeled cart for deliverance at the train station, we met the other half of our tour group at the harbor. Our main guide (MG) then led us through a tunnel separating the old and new parts of Monterosso, down the promenade following new town's stunning beach, back to its tiny train station. Then, reunited with our suitcases, everyone boarded the train for a 5-minute ride back to the town of Levanto and our waiting bus.
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The Field of Miracles in Pisa
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Today's destinations - first, the Leaning Tower of Pisa where we'd have the morning to explore before ending up in the Tuscan city of Sienna, our home for the next two nights.
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| Ornate exterior of the baptistry |
Pisa itself was a fairly large city, so as our bus approached its outskirts the traffic began to thicken considerably. As we got closer to the town's famous tilted tower, the roads began to clog with tour buses, all taking people to this common destination. We ended up parking in a large lot reserved for buses, and walking several blocks to the place where the tower resided. After passing through a huge lot full of the tackiest souvenir booths I'd seen so far, we arrived at the entrance into the walled tower grounds.
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| Duomo building |
The Leaning Tower itself was inside a place called the "Field of Miracles" an huge grassy lawn which included a stunning white marble duomo and baptistry as well as large indoor cemetery. This enormous gleaming duomo, the largest church in the 11th century world, impressed visiting sailors at the time, prompting the area's name.
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| And of course the famous bell tower! |
After handing out tickets, and giving a few last-minute instructions, our MG led us into this large walled area of ancient marble structures. I gasped in delight at the stunning white duomo and baptistry buildings. They were amazing, ornate works of art! I could see why those 11th century sailors would've been rendered speechless. But rising up behind the duomo I spotted the top tier of the attraction we'd all came to see - Pisa's famous bell tower.
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Kim striking the classic leaning tower pose
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There is was in all its glory - the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Everyone in our tour group bypassed the duomo and baptistry in favor of seeing this iconic structure first.
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Lots of people were crowded around posing by the tower
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The lawn area between the duomo and leaning tower was fenced off, I supposed to keep people from trampling the grass. However the crowds seemed to congregate right next to this barrier, their arms extended in a pose on the tower's lower side, pretending that they were trying to hold it up.
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| It was entertaining the watch the people getting their pictures |
Besides gaping at the leaning tower, which was quite lovely, my main source of entertainment was watching all the people striking various poses for photographs with the tower in the background.
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| Of course I had to do it too! |
But I have to admit, my friends and I weren't immune to the silly photo madness. We found a semi-clear area near the barrier to pose for our own "holding up the tower" images. (You gotta do it!)
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| The Leaning Tower of Pisa was quite beautiful |
Once we'd taken our fill of fun photos, it was time for a few more serious images. Weaving through the huge crowds, my friends and I moved closer to the tower itself. Standing near its base I was struck with how beautiful this leaning tower really was. It was made of dazzling white marble, each story encircled by columns with high arches. The tower looked so pristine, it appeared to gleam in the sunshine.
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The tower details were extraordinary
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Of course the fact that this 55.86 meter tower (183 feet 3 inches in height) leans at an angle of nearly four degrees is quite remarkable. Despite its tilt, this amazing structure has stayed upright since the 12th century.
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| The tower base |
How did the Leaning Tower of Pisa get this way? In the 12th century, when construction work began, no one realized that this mighty belltower was being built on soft, marshy soil. This unstable ground was not able to support the structure's weight, and one side of the tower began sinking. Over the years that followed, authorities tried many different methods to stabilize the tower, but nearly all just worsened the degree of tilt. Finally in 1990, when authorities believed the tower was on the brink of collapse, engineers excavated approximately 38 cubic meters of soil on the higher side, in an attempt to right the structure. Although they could've straightened the tower close to vertical, they opted to preserve the 4 degree tilt to keep its famous tourism appeal. In May 2008, engineers announced that the tower had been stabilized enough that it had stopped moving and they predicted it would remain stable for the next 200 years.
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| Sculptures over the tower entrance |
Kim, Debbie and I walked up to the base area of the Leaning Tower and marveled at its intricate exterior details. Figures were sculpted above the main entrance, and the column tops were also fabulously carved. Pale blue accents adorned each level (a different color of marble?) Visitors could obtain tickets to climb all the way to the tower's very top, but it required an advanced purchase, which we didn't know about. No big deal, it was just special be here and see this engineering wonder in person.
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| Baptistry building exterior |
After my friends and I had spent ample time gawking at this amazing leaning tower and taking a bazillion photos (well, I did anyway!), we decided it was time to see the other buildings in the Field of Miracles. We followed the crowd around the corner of the Duomo and ended up between the entrances to both the Duomo and Baptistry buildings. They were surrounded by a huge lawn of the greenest grass I'd ever seen. Here, it appeared visitors were allowed on the grass, and I noticed many folks relaxing there in the shade of the buildings.
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| Going in to the duomo |
Which building should we visit? Since my friends and I happened to be closest to the Duomo, we decided to check this magnificent building out first. So we got in line behind several other tourists and shuffled through the required security check, that was becoming routine here in Italy.
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What a gorgeous cathedral!
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This Duomo, also known as the Pisa Cathedral, was built between 1064 and 1092. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, it was the oldest of the three structures in the Field of Miracles.
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| Artwork on the walls |
Like most of the churches I'd seen in Italy thus far, the Pisa Cathedral was also stunning inside. From the majestic marble-arch lined main aisle, to the gorgeous paintings lining both longitudinal walls, to the intricate gold ceiling, it was an absolute feast for the eyes.
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| Beautiful marble columns |
My friends and I happily wandered through this beautiful place, marveling at all the fantastic artwork. They sure knew how to built cathedrals back then!
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| Stunning side altar |
As with all grand Italian cathedrals, there were many side altars branching off from the main church. One of my favorite was an altar built entirely of white marble, surrounded by several statues.
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| Several incense burners hanging from the ceiling |
Hanging over the main altar were several ornate metal incense burners. One in particular was called "Galileo's lamp" because legend says he formulated his theory of regular pendulum timing (isochronism) from watching the movements of this lamp swinging from the ceiling. The lamp displayed here in the Duomo was a duplicate and the original had been placed in the adjacent cemetery building.
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| Galileo's lamp |
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| Beautiful mosiac |
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| Candles on a side altar |
After spending ample time exploring the Duomo's lovely interior, it was time to hop next door and check out the Baptistry building. Upon exiting the Duomo, I stopped to take a few photos of its ornate metal front doors that I'd failed to notice when entering. Full of detailed scenes depicting Bible stories, they were quite a work of art!
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| Intricate artwork on the duomo's main door |
Centuries ago, it was common for churches to have a separate baptistry building located outside of the main cathedral. Since only baptized members of the faith were allowed inside the church, they built these smaller structures for one purpose - to baptize any new members.
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| Time to check out the baptistry |
The Baptistry building's exterior was similar to the Duomo's. Both were composed of gleaming white marble, intricately carved into decorative arches and other small sculptures. This particular baptistry was the largest in Italy, and the building was famous for its acoustics.
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| Look back at the duomo's exterior |
The building's formal name was the Pisa Baptistry of St. John. Construction began in 1152 but it wasn't completed until 1363. Built on the same unstable ground as the Leaning Tower, this building also tilted 0.6 degrees towards the Duomo.
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| Ground floor of the baptistry building |
Compared to the Duomo's extravagant interior, the Baptistry building's inside was rather sparse. A large baptismal font, ornate pulpit, and small altar were all that comprised the ground level.
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| Baptistry, upper level |
But there was an upper level walkway located at the base of the building's dome. To get there we three ladies climbed an extremely narrow staircase with uneven treads to reach this high balcony.
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| View down below from the baptistry's upper level |
There wasn't a lot to see on this upper level, but we did get a great view of the Baptistry's ground floor from this high perch.
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| The Duomo was an enormous building! |
After a quick tour of the Baptistry building, my friends and I decided to check out the fourth and final building bookending the Field of Miracles, the Camposanto Monumentale, or Monumental Cemetery. It was comprised of a huge covered rectangular building. Although not as stunning on the outside as its three neighbors, the inside was filled with ancient sculptures and frescoes.
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| Inside the Camposanto Cemetery building |
This cemetery was also known as the "Holy Field." According to local history this cemetery was built around a shipload of soil brought back from Golgotha (the place where Christ was crucified) by the Crusades. A popular medieval legend claimed that bodies placed here would decompose within 24 hours. The building itself began construction in 1278 but wasn't completed until 1464.
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| The gravestones were all impressively sculpted |
This Pisa cemetery was famous for it's extensive collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi. Scavenged from Roman ruins, these beautifully sculpted marble tombs were reused during the Middle Ages to bury the city's upper class and nobility.
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| One of the long corridors in the cemetery |
The cemetery building consisted of two parallel long corridors separated by an outdoor courtyard. As my friends and I wandered down the first hallway, we all admired the work of the sculptures sitting atop these sarcophagi.
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| Such details in this sculpture! |
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| Another ornately sculpted coffin |
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| The artist even depicted the folds of the clothing |
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| Grave markers on the floor |
Not only the sarcophagi, I also noticed many grave markers on the marble floor of the structure. They were all intricately decorated and roped off to keep people from walking over them.
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| Another floor grave |
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| So much to see! |
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| Loved the carvings on this coffin |
The inner walls of this cemetery building were covered with colorful frescoes. I later read that there were 2600 square meters of frescoes in this building, more than the Sistine Chapel.
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| I could see the duomo from here |
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| All the artwork was exquistie |
During World War II a bomb fragment hit the roof of the Camposanto, starting a huge fire that burned for three days. It caused the timber lead roof to collapse, severely damaging the artwork within. Decades of restoration work have saved and reassembled some of this historic art.
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| One room displayed fancy metal boxes |
On one end of this covered cemetery building was a separate room that appeared to function as a chapel. It had a few glass cases containing several gold plated religious items - things used for a Catholic mass I assumed.
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| Large frescoes covered one wall |
Around the corner in the second parallel corridor, the walls were covered with the restored frescoes. These all depicted some of the Bible stories, although one had a very creepy rendering of the devil.
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| This one depicted the devil and was quite creepy |
The three buildings in the Field of Miracles were very interesting, but after finishing our tour of the cemetery, my friends and I were becoming quite hungry. It was time to find a local cafe and get something to eat.
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| The subway sandwich man was out and about |
Back past the Leaning Tower we strolled, through an open square full of gawking tourists. Someone dressed up in a Subway sandwich costume was wandering through the crowds, handing out what appeared to be coupons. I thought it was quite amusing in a land of delicious Italian food to see crummy American fast food being advertised.
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| Time to find some lunch! |
An adjacent street was lined with the colorful umbrellas of outdoor restaurants (and a few more tacky souvenir stands.) My friends and I found a place that suited our tastes, and gratefully plopped into our seats.
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| A shady spot and cold beers for the win! |
It was time for a beer - and more pizza! Having been in Italy nearly two weeks now, my friends and I were beginning to realize our meal choices were limited to pasta, paninis, or pizza (the three p's!) But the local food was always very good.
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| Top of the leaning tower |
After lunch, we three ladies wandered back along the street leading up to the Leaning Tower and gazed some more at this gorgeous bell tower. Even though I'd seen it in many photographs throughout my life, I was surprised by how beautiful it was in person. Another surprise - I hadn't realized until now that the Leaning Tower would be surrounded by three other equally stunning buildings.
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| Fancy sculpture nearby |
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| One last photo of this most amazing tower |
We met up with tour friends Ward and Sally and I made them, Kim and Debbie pose for a few final goofy "holding up the tower" pics.
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| And one last "holding up the tower" pic |
And then it was time to make our way back through the mass of souvenir stands and busy streets to our waiting bus. On the road again, destination Sienna!
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| Downtown Sienna |
It was late afternoon by the time our bus pulled into Sienna. Another large, busy city we crept through heavy traffic until finally reaching our hotel near the center of town. In contrast to our gorgeous hotel in Monterosso, this was one older and not quite as nice. Kim and I discovered our air conditioning wasn't working very well, and since we were in a ground floor room, our windows didn't open at all. It was gonna be a couple of hot, stuffy nights.
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| Famous Sienna bakery |
After a bit of time to settle into our rooms, my tour group reassembled in front of the hotel for an evening walking tour of Sienna. As with the other Italian cities we'd visited, a local guide led us through this interesting Tuscan city full of history and unique local customs.
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| Metal sculpture on the street corner |
First off, our guide stopped beside the display case of a well-known bakery. Sienna is famous for its panforte, a thick, chewy spiced fruitcake made with honey, almonds, candied fruits and spices. Despite it's fruitcake-y reputation I thought the panforte displayed in the bakery window looked good. Sadly, I didn't get around to actually sampling a piece - guess that just means I need to come back!
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| Fancy bank building |
Our guide explained to us that the city of Sienna is divided into seventeen neighborhoods, called contrade. These contrade function as close-knit communities. They are named after different animals and each have their own special colors. If a person is born in a certain contrade, that is the one they remain associated with for life. Walking throughout the streets of Sienna, the contrade boundaries were marked by tiny signs embedded into the adjacent walls.
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| Marker denoting a "contrade" or neighborhood |
The above tile denoted the caterpillar, or "Bruco" contrade.
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| She-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus |
Our tour guide led us past a small square with a statue of a she-wolf nursing two babies set atop a pedestal. We were told the she-wolf is the official symbol of Sienna, representing the myth on which Sienna was founded. Local legend says Sienna was established by the sons of Remus, who fled to Sienna from Rome after Romulus murdered their father. They stole the sacred statue of the she-wolf from the temple of Apollo and carried it north, to the future location of Sienna.
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| San Cristoforo church |
Our group walked by a lovely brick church with tall columns called the San Cristoforo church.
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| Looking at the different Contrade flags |
After a bit more walking we came to a huge plaza in the center of the city. This was the Il Campo, home of the Palio, Sienna's famous horse race.
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| Il Campo |
Held twice a year, on July 2nd and August 16th, this race pits the contrade against one another in furious horse races. Although there are 17 total contrade, only ten of the neighborhoods compete in each race. The brick surface of Il Campo is covered in packed clay to create a racetrack. Jockeys ride bareback for three laps, with the first horse crossing the finish line declared the winner (the horse does not have to have a rider.) Our guide told is there are very little rules, and most anything goes. The winning contrade receives a silk banner and bragging rights for the following year.
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| Sienna city hall |
The Palio is hugely popular in Sienna. On race day, crowds of over 50,000 people pack the Campo, rooting for their local contrade. We were told it's quite a spectacle - huge groups of people dressed in the colors of their contrade, all waving flags and cheering loudly.
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| Clock on city hall tower |
The modern Palio began in the year 1633 so it is a very ancient tradition. It also has religious origins - the July 2nd race is held on the Feast of the Visitation, honoring the Madonna of Provenzano, a sculpture of the Virgin Mary once owned by a Sienese leader that was said to have miraculous curative power. The second race, on August 16th, is held on the day after the Feast of the Assumption.
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| Impressive top of city hall tower |
Anchoring one end of Il Campo was a striking building of earthy brown bricks. This building, called Palazzo Pubblico, was Sienna's city hall. Built between 1297 and 1310, this impressive Gothic structure still functioned as a city hall while housing a well-known museum. To one side, a tall bell tower rose into the sky.
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| Beautiful city hall building |
Unlike most of the Italian cities I'd visited thus far, Sienna's buildings were all the same warm reddish brown color. This distinct hue came from the iron and clay-rich soil of the surrounding Tuscany region that was used to make the bricks. In the early evening light, the sinking sun gave these buildings a rich, orange glow. Our guide told us that the color burnt sienna was named after the earth tones of this city.
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| All the Sienna buildings were the same brown color |
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| Some of the buildings surrounding Il Campo |
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| The Fountain of Joy |
Along one side of Il Campo was a large, white marble fountain. Called the Fountain of Joy, it was surrounded by lovely marble sculptures.
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| Lovely sculpted marble fountain details |
I stood in this huge wide-open plaza and tried to imagine it holding a racetrack with ten thundering horses and filled with fifty thousand screaming fans. What a sight it must be!
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| Wide angle view of Il Campo |
From the Campo our guide led us back into the maze of Sienna city streets. Many of the buildings had high overhead arches that connected adjacent buildings.
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| Lots of arched alleyways here |
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| The buildings were all very interesting |
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| Walking through Sienna |
We passed into the Rhino contrade, so marked by a beautiful coat of arms adorning a nearby fence.
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| Contrada marking - this one was the rhino |
Along one street was the official stables of the Palio, which housed the horses that ran the races every year. Luck was with us that day because the stable door was open, enabling my tour group to have a peek inside.
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| The official stables of the Palio |
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| Our tour group peeking into the stables |
Our guide then led us into a local contrade church. This particular church was where the Rhino contrade took their horse on race day to be blessed by the priest. A horse inside a church? Apparently the locals think nothing of - blessing their contrade's horse is a local tradition. And if the horse happens to relieve itself inside the church, it is taken as a good sign. (Our guide did tell us papers are laid down on the church floor in the event this happens.)
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| Neighborhood church that blesses the Palio horses |
This local church was absolutely stunning, with beautiful paintings on the ceiling and walls depicting Bible stories.
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| Beautiful altar artwork |
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| More stunning paintings |
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| Art is everywhere in Italy! |
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| The walls were covered with paintings |
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| Altar details |
Near the church was a museum that held Palio memorabilia. Our guide led the group inside, for us to have a look around.
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| Banner awarded to the winning horse in the Palio race |
All the banners from the winning contrade over the years were displayed here.
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| Palio museum |
There were also numerous glass cases holding costumes from past races.
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| Some of the outfits worn by Palio participants |
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| Saddle and more outfits |
It was such an interesting museum! I loved learning about this unique local custom. However, after a short bit of exploration, my tummy was starting to grumble. Dinnertime was past due.
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| Another Palio banner |
Happily, our guide soon gathered the group back together and led us to a nearby contrade community center. Here a group of people from the local Rhino contrade were preparing a dinner just for us.
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| Having dinner at the Rhino Contrada clubhouse |
Inside the building was a large hall with artwork depicting this famous Sienna horse race lining the walls. A long table had been placed in the middle of this room, all set up for our tour group's dinner.
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| Our group was seated at a long table |
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| Kim, Debbie, and Lotti are ready for dinner |
We could see local contrade members coming in and out of the kitchen area. They placed baskets of bread and ample bottles of wine on the table.
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| Lotti approves of the wine |
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| Artwork on the clubhouse wall |
First everyone was served a plate of apertivos, or appetizers. It was a fantastic spread of cheese, cured meats, and bruschetta. So delicious!
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| Delicious appetizers |
Our second course was a simple plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. I have to say in all my travels through Italy, it was the tastiest pasta I had.
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| The pasta was the best I had in Italy |
For a third course, we were served a plate of beef stew with potatoes on the side, which was also quite good. It was so much food, but so tasty I couldn't help but eat it all.
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| Watching videos of past Palio races |
While our group was enjoying all the good food, a video of past Palio races began to play on a nearby television screen. It was fascinating to watch both the horse races and also the crowd reactions. People really got excited for their contrade and the winners celebrated heartily. We even got to see one past race where the winning horse crossed the finish line without its rider.
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| We're all happy to be here |
We ended our fantastic meal with dessert - which included a frozen ice cream bar and biscotti that you dipped into a small cup of sweet wine. It was one of our tour-mates 70th birthday, so our servers brought out her ice cream treat topped with a lit candle.
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| It was tour-mate Arianna's birthday |
This was hands-down my favorite meal in Italy. All the food was exceptional, the setting unique, and I loved being immersed in the local culture. As a bonus, I learned more about Sienna's famous horse race. The contrade group that served us really hit it out of the ball park!
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| Dessert wine and a biscotti to finish our meal |
After waddling back through the streets of Sienna, Kim and I settled down in our stuffy hotel room for a night of rest. From seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, walking around Sienna, and experiencing Italian home cooking at its finest, it had been a sensational day. Tomorrow we'd have another chance to further explore this historic, earth-toned city.
Coming next - it's all about Sienna!
