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Siena
Siena was probably one of my favorite cities for a few reasons. It's a city located in Tuscany and it has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is a medieval city that has been protected and preserved by its people throughout centuries. The city is devided in ''contradas''(districts) and each one is represented by an animal or mascot. The rivalries among them is especially strong during the ''Palio'' - horse race that takes place at the Piazza del Campo each year.
People from Siena were popular bankars which is why they have the oldest surviving bank in the world, ''Monte Paschi di Siena'' founded in 1472 and it operates until this day.
Something I was very happy to (finally!) try were the cantucci dipped in Vin Santo (holy wine). It is a traditional Tuscan dessert wine representing the blend of different grapes such as Muscat or Trebbiano. Once picked, they get hung to dry and sometime around January they are pressed.
I must say that I really enjoyed it, maybe because I love cantucci to start off...
At the same place where we tried Vin Santo, I got the opportunity to try the famous ''Panforte'' or in translation strong bread. It was created by the poor, because it could last for a longer period of time without going bad. It consists of different dried fruits, honey, spices, and nuts. There were 5 different varieties and each one of them was good, with the flavor changing slightly with the addition of orange peel, cinnamon, or some other spices.
The next day we had a full tour of the city with visits to some famous historic sights. The most memorable for me was the beautiful view from the top of ''Museo dell' Opera''. Opera is the institution that built the cathedral and this is basically the cathedral's museum with a collection of the most important historical pieces. This is the Duomo or cathedral of Siena. Beautiful architecture.
And here's the view from the top...stunning!
Post je objavljen 24.06.2009. u 13:54 sati.