November 30th Festival of Tuscany

We would like to share with you this interesting opportunity to people, who will be in the area of Florence tomorrow, but also to those who are planning a trip in the future (who knows you might get lucky and visit this beauty).

Friday, November 30, 2012
FESTIVAL OF TUSCANY: SPECIAL OPENING OF THE LARGE CLOISTER OF SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
The Large Cloister of Santa Maria Novella was built

in the 14th century, thanks to the generosity of a few noble Florentine families, and is decorated by a fresco cycle depicting the Life of St. Dominic and of other Dominican saints, executed between 1570 and 1590 by over 15 painters from the Accademia. Since 1920, it has been part of the Marshalls and Sergeants School of the Carabinieri and is normally closed to the public, but is viewable on the occasion of special openings and of community festivities. Access to the Large Cloister is included in the entrance ticket to the Museum of Santa Maria Novella.

Location: Museum of Santa Maria Novella, Piazza della Stazione 4, Florence
Contact: http://www.museicivicifiorentini.it/smn

Just a reminder about our history. Tuscany officially joined Italy in 1961 after an election, so there were no battles required like with the Kingdom of Naples or the Vatican State. Until that time there was the Great-dukedome of Tuscany, the first state ever to revoke capital punishment. We're proud of our heritage and proud to share it with people who come to visit.

Wine exhibition "Vino tra mito e storia".

Hello there lovers of wine, of beautiful landscape, art, history and traditions. Out here the autumn is raw, pouring rain and all. But let's not forget about beauty. The exhibition that will be on until May 5th 2013 in several museums around Siena might help in this hard winter times. It's an exhibition that connects wine with the history of Siena. Let's not forget that Brunello, Chianti and Nobile di Montepulciano all come from this area, so if you like red, you need to know all about them.

Click here for more info, and... see you 'round!

Look for the beauty around you

Especially during spring. Start looking out of the window, take walks outside, be in the sun. Get the most from this wonderful season. This is what spring brings us in Tuscany!

Snow

This is usually one of the best views of Siena but with this snow it's even better!
And following are some other cool pictures of our beautiful city in snow.

Best wishes for the Holiday Season

All of us guides from Guide Siena e Oltre wish you Italian food, art, and culture lovers all the best for this holiday season. We also hope all the best for your future.

Christmas is coming...

And there's lots of interesting activities and events in Tuscan and Umbrian cities and towns. Just as an example, here's a link to the official website promoting all events for this December in Siena. We hope you'll find something interesting for you!

Here's a picture of a recent event. A market commemorating the old tradition of the market in our beautiful Campo Square.

751 years later in Montaperti

Too late to hide the fact that the person writing the blog was born in Siena, and has Sienese blood flowing in her veins (though it's mixed with other Tuscan cities).

So, how else can I stress my origins if not by remembering the toughest battle that Siena had against its worse enemy, Florence, in 1260. It is the only battle that every average Sienese person knows, and the reason for this is that it's the only one in which we really and truly won.

Ok it was 751 years ago... But every year we remember what happened and we celebrate by staging a mock battle, which envolves the Sienese army and the supporting army of the Emperor Manfred, and the Florentine army. The latter being almost magically defeated after having threatened the destruction of Siena, if the governement of the city hadn't given up its independence to Florence.

It was a cruel and fierce battle. Even our Dante Alighieri wrote about it in the Divine Comedy saying that the water of the nearby river Arbia turned red because of all the blood of the Florentine soldiers dying in the battlefield.

After the 4th of September 1260 Siena became the "capital" of Tuscany, or rather, the most influent city in Tuscany. This period didn't last long though. But shhhhhh, don't tell all those proud Sienese people, who don't know what happened just a few years later... So let's keep dwelling on this memory for another 751 years, and maybe even more. We in Siena are used to looking at the past glories, and forgetting the present.

For those who read Italian, following is a piece, which describes what happened.

La battaglia durò passato il vespro. Era tanta l'uccisione che i sanesi facevano dei nemici che non potevano più combattere per la stanchezza e la moltitudine dei morti "che tute le strade e viotoli corivano sangue e fu alora"- narra il cronista-che la Malena "corse sangue de' fiorentini". I sopravvissuti si dettero a una fuga disperata, ma erano inseguiti, braccati, incalzati e raggiunti dai tedeschi che li mettevano al taglio della spada. Un tal Geppo, un taglialegna per conto di Siena con la sua scure ne scannò 25: un fiume di sangue correva per le vie e sui campi.
Dalla torre intanto l'annuncio della vittoria: I fiorentini sono stati sconfitti.

A picture, so that we all have an idea of how it might have been...

And finally a link for more info.