Spectacular Scenery of Siena

The next day we head to Siena, which was about 2 hours away from the port. Once the capital rival to Florence, Siena is Italy’s most spectacular medieval town. It was at its peak power between 1260 and 1380 before Florence subdued it through military force and the black plague wiped out a third of its population. The combination of those events froze the town’s population and acted like a brine to pickle it as it sat for centuries uninfluenced by the progress of time. The population of 60,000 is about the same as it was during its peak power. The heart of the city is the public piazza. Shaped like a fan that culminates at a spectacular town hall complete with imposing tower. And if the Piazza del Campo is the heart of the city, the Duomo is the soul. This church rivals St. Peters in Rome both in its scope and beauty. If they had finished the final planned naïve, it would have been the biggest Christian church in the world. But somehow loosing a third of the population from the plague and ruling authority to Florence managed to kill that idea. I actually found it more beautiful and more impressive than St. Peters. Its sculpted outside is done in the same black and white striped marble that Florence is famous for. Inside, the marble floors are intricately inlaid with multiple colors to depict various scenes. I have never seen such beautiful floors anywhere. The floors alone are well worth the visit. But the grandeur of the cathedral continues up the walls that include sculptures by Michelangelo and paintings by Donatello and culminate in a spectacularly painted ceiling. The library displays illuminated manuscripts done in gold leaf and brilliant colors painted by monks who dedicated their lives to this art. And the frescos on the walls are just as dazzling. The colors are brilliant colors. We are told that the room was closed to everyone for centuries and the unrestored frescos are as they were painted, I have seen a lot of cathedrals since I have been over here, and this one is at the top of the list of magnificence and beauty.

The next morning, we once again peek our bow out of the harbor in hopes of calmer seas. Sure enough, the waves are just a shadow of their former selves. So on to Elba we go.