Colour of Siena

Ranjita Biswas

Painters love to use colour ‘sienna’ to give that lovely earthy tone to their work. The reddish shade has also given its name to pretty Siena in the bosom of Tuscany in Italy. Like towns and cities in this region, a birthplace of European Renaissance, medieval Siena is also known for its art treasures. The whole place is a Unesco heritage site.

For those who don’t much care for art treasures, something more modern may connect the city to them. The famous horse race scene in Quantum of Solace with Daniel Craig was shot at the Piazza del Campo. The race, known as Paliodelle Contrade, has been held twice a year since the 14th century. Even bareback jockeys are allowed, and wonder of wonders, as also a rider-less horse! Rivalry between ‘contradas’ (districts) for the coveted prize started in the Middle Ages.

Piazza del Campo, literally at the heart of Siena, is rather unusual. It is shaped like a shell and paved with brick in a herring-bone pattern subdivided into nine sections sloping down to the well. Apparently it was originally meant for regulating rainwater down to the canals. Around the square are elegant medieval buildings. 

Curio shops displaying Sienese handicrafts and el fresco coffee shops line the sides of the square. On one side of the square is the beautiful marble Fountain of Joy by Jacopo della Quercia where pigeons drink from the ‘mouths’ of the statues. Just sitting on the steps and watch the world go by is an experience to savour. Which is what locals often do.

Frozen in time 

Siena rests on three hills. Woven by narrow alleys and skirted by buildings in their  burnt sienna colour, it’s a landscape that seems frozen in time. However, at the entrance to the closeted city, there is also an Indian connection: a square named Piazza Madre Teresa di Calcutta. It was named even before Mother Teresa was canonised. Another powerful woman associated with Siena was Caterina Benincasa later canonised as St. Catharine. You can see the handsome brick-built house where she lived. She was the one who made the Pope return to Italy, then in exile in France due to a conflict with the Roman emperor and also an internecine war between the city-states that was destroying Italy. The Chapel in her name contains the relic of her head and hand.

Follow the crowd, Siena is popular with tourists. You will arrive at the square with beautiful Duomo di Siena. Don’t be surprised to see a statue before entering the Cathedral — a she-wolf with two suckling human babies, as in Rome. Yes, the babies were the legendary Remus and Romulus, founders of Rome. Siena is said to be founded by Aschius and Senius, sons of Remus. No wonder, this statue pops at many points across the city.

If the edifice of the Duomo catches your breath with its filigreed work in marble, the interior is even more impressive. The fantastic mosaic floor with marble inlaid work that somehow reminds of the Taj Mahal, was designed by 40 of the leading artists of Siena between 1369 and 1547. Its Piccolomini library has illuminated choir books that have never been touched up but the gold-lettering remains as bright as also colourful frescoes by Pinturicchio. Michelangelo was in Siena for some time and has left behind four sculptures.

On the food trail

Moving around and drinking in the beauty of the place does not mean that you won’t feel the more mundane hunger pangs. There are plenty outlets around Piazza del Campo with ushers trying to attract your attention. Local food ‘pici’, a kind of pasta, served with pepper and generous spread of ricotta cheese, is mouth-watering. To wrap up, don’t forget to taste Riccialli, almond pastries with icing on top. Another famous Siena gastronomic delight is the dark and nut-filled Panforte, literally ‘strong bread’, a delicacy that is a cross between a fruit cake and candy. The recipe is supposed to go back to the 1100s.

Fact File

• How to get there: Take a high speed AV train from Rome. You can also travel by road from Rome, Florence and Pisa.
• What to do: Explore the winding alleys, visit the Duomo, relax at Piazza del Campo.
• What to buy: Souvenirs, tiles and local pastries.