Tour of Siena!
On October 12th, SAI took us on a trip to Siena, and it was quite the day! We started our journey at a the Basilica of San Domenico, where Tara and I prepared for our Art History midterm by pointing out all of the architectural features of the building. This church even had the real finger of St. Catherine as a relic for worshippers. After that, we went to the famous Piazza del Campo, a courtyard where they have the horse race called Il Palio every summer. This Piazza was huge, and apparently they cover it with sand for the horse race. Each district of Siena is represented by a horse, and it is quite the big deal in Siena.
Next we went to the gigantic cathedral of Siena, the Duomo di Siena, which was so beautiful both on the outside and inside. It was cool to see a building that is actually in my Art History book! The outside facade is incredible, and so much detail is in every bit of it. Pictures hardly do it justice! There were also mosaics covering almost all of the floor, and it was such a beautiful place to see.
We had free time to walk around and get food after that, and then it was back on the bus. We soon arrived at Villa Dievole, a famous vineyard in the Chianti region of Tuscany. There I experienced my first wine-tasting, and since I still have yet to acquire a taste for wine (especially red wine), I had more fun holding the wine glass and being fancy than actually drinking it! We also got to sample some excellent pecorino cheese and see the big barrels where they keep the wine. Overall it was really cool to see the beautiful vineyard and everything, but I still do not like wine- not at all! I always try a sip though, just in case my taste buds decide to change their mind one day.
It was a great day in Siena, and so culturally- enriching! =]
