Siena the Great

"Letters to Juliet" a movie starring Amanda Seyfried, made me dream of Tuscany even more. Though the movie was not spectacular, the setting was breathtaking. So in planning the trip, it was a must for me to visit Siena. Yes it was another touristy town, but I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. So, off we went.

Coming to Siena, the first thing you ought to see is the Duomo di Siena. The cathedral was intended to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest Catholic building, but unfortunately due to an epidemic that hit the town in the 1300/1400s, the project was not finished.   note: Audio guides are available inside to give tourists all the history lectures they need.. hence, I was able to give a teeny bit of history!
The Duomo's highlight is no doubt its floor-- covered entirely of marble mosaics. To preserve them, the administration does not allow flash photography and feet stepping on the mosaics. Three other things that I loved about this city's Duomo were the cathedral's dome, the Piccolomini library, and the sculpture of St. Peter (part of the Piccolomini Altar) by the great Michelangelo.

Duomo di Siena's Dome surrounded by martyrs

Piccolomini library ceiling

St. Peter by Michelangelo

Lines are normally long for the tickets to enter the Duomo, but we were lucky that day. We arrived just before the heard. €12 gets you inside the main church and the baptistry located behind the cathedral.

One thing I did not like about this visit was the horrendous number of people in the lovely Piazza del Campo. One could no longer appreciate the beauty of the buildings, the view, etc. because there were just way too many people. Walking around the tiny streets quite far from the piazza were much more pleasant than sitting in a coffee shop and people watching-- something I normally would love to do.

It was here that I discovered Homer Simpson's first love: DUFF BEER!!! Dad and I just had to order.. we shared a bottle and tried to figure out what it tasted like. I was disappointed to find out that it wasn't an Italian product... The German - made beer cost us €3,50.. damn thing was hella expensive! But at least for a moment, I was happy knowing I just tasted Homer's best friend... parang San Mig lang!

Enjoy the pictures!