Palio, June 2011

Yesterday, in the Cortile del Podestà in Siena, the mayor presented this year's Palio, made by Tullio Pericoli, and dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. Below, you can see it in the picture. And here you can find detailed informations about it (in Italian though).

The Palio is the prize given to the winning district (Contrada, in Italian) of the horserace, which takes place every 2nd of July and 16th of August. It is made of silk and handpainted by an artist. Traditionally, but not always the Palio it's painted by local artists in July, while in August it's made by a "foreigner" international. In the past, we've had universally known artists such as Botero (here is a list of the artists of the 20th century).

The Palio (dedicated both in July and in August to a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary, e.g. the Virgin Mary of the ascension in August), must include the image of the Virgin Mary, the coats of arms of the City, the Province, and of the People of Siena, and the colours of the Contrada, which are taking part in the Palio. So this July we have: CHIOCCIOLA, CIVETTA, LUPA, OCA, PANTERA, TARTUCA, VALDIMONTONE, DRAGO, BRUCO E ISTRICE (snail, owl, she-wolf, goose, panther, turtle, ram, dragon, caterpillar, and porcupine).

Stay tuned! We will keep you posted on this week's horserace!

Living the medieval times in Monteriggioni, Siena

Late spring and early fall have always been times of the so called Sagre. A Sagra is a local festival usually taking place in smaller villages and towns rather than cities. Most of them are dedicated to a special kind of food, like pasta, fish, artichokes, cardoons, frogs (yes we do have this Sagra). Some are related to a theme, like the middleages, a time, which characterises our area, and which attracts so many tourists, who want to have an idea of how people lived 700 hundred years ago.

One of the best organized, and the most well-known (also abroad), is the one held in Monteriggioni the first two weekends of July. This year for example, the festival is dedicated to "war and peace". (See the link below)

But, however small a Sagra is, what's important is to eat well, that is enjoy the food and the wine, to have fun with friends, maybe meet some people, and dance or sing during the free concerts, which are always a must in these events.

For some information on the Sagre in the Province of Siena here are some of them. (Not much information in English unfortunately!)

www.monteriggionimedievale.it
www.sagradellapastasciutta.it
www.festaincollina.com/
www.serremaggio.it

Curiosities on Duccio di Buoninsegna

I was looking for some info on this fabulous Sienese artist of the 13th and 14th century, when I found this little rarity, which stamp collectioners might know about already. It is a stamp that Poste Italiane (the Italian post), issued in 2003, the year of Duccio's great exhibition in the Spedale Santa Maria della Scala in Siena.

It is a good example of the fine details, which characterise Duccio's paintings, of the sweetness of his faces, and of the beauty and poetry of what he left us.

I hope you enjoyed as much as I did when I found it!

700 years after Duccio's Maestà is brought to Siena's Duomo

Yesterday at 6:37 pm it was exactly 700 years after the largest painting on wood ever done in the history of art was brought into Siena's cathedral in a great procession from the artist's workshop.

GSO was there and took some pictures of this exciting moment for the history of art and for the history of our city. Have a look at the picture to get a tast of what happened on June 0th 1311.