Hill Towns Tour Day 2

Siena
Our second day in the hill towns was spent in Siena. Siena is a very Medieval city and not what you would expect from a city located in Tuscany. I really liked the city - there was a lot to see but still it was very relaxing. We started our day at the Torre del Mangia - the tower that is synonymous with Siena. I climbed the 502 steps to the top to get a great view of the city and the surrounding countryside.




From above, the Piazza del Campo can also be seen. This is the Campo where the famous horse race, the Palio, is held every year and has been held here since 1310. This Campo is packed with dirt and the bareback horse race is held. Ten contrade are chosen to run. A contrada is a nieghborhood ward in Siena and there are currently 17 contrade, each named after an animal or object. The campo is divided into nine sections representing the city's medieval ruling body, the Council of Nine.



From there we went to the Duomo, built between 1215 to 1263.



After lunch, the rest of the afternoon was spent strolling around the city. We eventually ended up back at the Campo in the late afternoon where Oliver got to stretch his legs and contemplate the tower.