Siena

Siena: September 27th-December 15th

           As the myth goes, Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of Rhea and Mars, founded Rome. Rhea's uncle Amulius abandoned the twins and left them for dead, but miraculously, a shewolf finds them, and suckles them.  The twins grow up, and when they learn the truth of their origins, they kill their uncle.  They decide to choose a town to rule, but they can't agree on a location.  Romulus chooses the Palantine Hill, but Remus prefers the Aventine Hill.  The twins fight and Remus is killed, and then Romulus establishes Rome on the Palantine Hill.  According to Sienese mythology, Remus had children before his death.  His son, Senius then went on to found the town of Siena.

           The history of Siena dates back to the time of the Etruscans, who lived in Tuscany before the Roman Empire conquered Italy.  Originally, a tribe called Saina occupied the area.  During Augustus's rule as emperor, he established a city called Saena Julia in 1st century AD.  Siena was a poor town until the Middle Ages when the Via Francigena between France and Rome was established.  This road ran directly through the town of Siena, and even today, the most prominent road in Siena is what used to be the Via Francigena.  After this road was established, there was a massive pilgrimage from France to Italy, and Siena became very wealthy.  New ideas and techniques for artwork and other skills were spread during this time.

           Siena originally had an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Minerva.  When Christianity dominated the country, the first cathedral of Siena was built in 9th century AD.  This church was built directly on top of the temple of Minerva.  In late 12th century, Siena built another cathedral on top of their first.  Siena had gained status and was growing, so the new cathedral was built to accommodate the city's larger size.  Siena continued to grow with the expansion of the Via Francigena, and by mid 13th century Siena was extremely wealthy.  The town built a third, much more decorated cathedral, which is the Duomo that we can see today.  In the mid 14th century, Siena began expanding the cathedral, but the Black Plague hit in 1348, and the additions were never finished.

           Since Siena was our home for this vacation, it's my favorite town.  Learning about the history and culture of Siena has made my experience here much richer.  We've learned about the Etruscans, Romans, Renaissance Sienese culture, the Palio, the World Wars, and Sienese culture today.