7. Siena… Now we know where all the tourists are

Buona Serra – April 17, 2023

Greetings from Siena-

Today we walked and walked, starting from the hotel to the Duomo, which while inundated with tourists (indeed this is the first place we’ve really encountered lots of tourists) is as I remembered it. The Duomo took 175 years to build, and they built it from back to front (so that mass could be held during construction). Frankly, I don’t remember having to deal with long lines to enter (which fortunately we were able to bypass because we bought tickets online prior to today) and I don’t remember as much chaos brought about by having so many people inside at one time. Anyway, we persevered and then just walked out past and through the wonderful Piazza del Campo––the main public space in the historic center of Siena—one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares. In the 13th Century, there used to be a marketplace on this site. Today, the public space was filled with people of all ages—kids running around, school children visiting with their classes (and teachers trying to explain the significance of the space—as the kids were on cell phones and also playing cards), adults drinking wine and cappuccinos at the cafes that surround the space, and tourists taking selfies.

We then walked about a mile or so into a functioning neighborhood where people shop at small stores; where laundry hangs out windows; where people are walking and eating paninis; and where there are laundromats and little food shops. We strolled and strolled and eventually stopped at a little pizza place where we sat at a counter, ordered three different kinds of very large pizza slices that we shared and two glasses of local wine (the pours were huge—probably 8 ounces each). Our bill for all of this was about $12.00. We laughed at the amount of wine since last night at Campo Cedro we got about 4 ounces at most in a glass (thus requiring many glasses). We then stumbled upon the city’s old synagogue and went inside. It was quite a contrast to the Duomo where every inch of space is covered with frescoes and bas reliefs and decoration of some sort. The synagogue, like all synagogues, was devoid of imagery and decoration. We saw the main sanctuary and the “women’s section.” And then we continued our walk—enjoying Sienna in the sunshine. (Yes, the sun shined today, which was wonderful, although it is still cold.

Apparently, there was a sizeable Jewish community in Siena as early as the 14th Century. In 1571 Jews were restricted to a particular neighborhood -– the ghetto—-and so the synagogue was built in that area. It wasn’t until 1860 that Jews were able to move out of that area. Interesting to note, Jews were not allowed to build houses of worship that could be identified at street level. Thus, the façade is very plain and looks like a residential building. The sanctuary is sort of neoclassical and there is a baroque ceiling. The women’s section on the second floor overlooks the main sanctuary but is only seen through an elaborately carved wood screen (painted white). At the entry level of the synagogue there was a small exhibit of photographs of Jewish families with their husbands and sons who fought for Italy during World War I and who fought with the Partisans against Mussolini and the Fascists; many died in both wars.

Then we took a long route back to the hotel and Mike decided to relax while I strolled for another hour or so, clocking in at 14,000 steps and six floors. Tonight, we ate at a tiny hole-in-the-wall place called Osteria il Grattacielo, where the owner (?)/chef prepares whatever he feels like cooking that day and that’s that. No menu. There are only about 5 tables inside and two tables outside. It’s on a somewhat hidden street under stone arches. The “chef” prepares an antipasti platter, three different kinds of pastas but the sauce is the same only the pasta shapes differ, and one main course, and biscotti and vin santo for dessert. He’s behind the counter all the time, but the restaurant is so small that he tells you what he’s offering and takes your order as well as prepares the food. There is a waitress—his wife– who delivers the food and clears the tables.

Tonight’s pastas had a pesto sauce with fresh tomatoes—I had it with linguini and Mike had it with a fat spaghetti. The main course tonight was pork (very tender, thin slices, room temperature, served with a sort of ratatouille. When we arrived, we were the only diners at 8:15, but by 8:45 all tables were filled and there was one group eating outside. Like eating at your uncle’s house if your uncle could cook.

We left, full and content.
Tomorrow, we head to Bologna, with a stop in Abbazia di San Galgano, which is a little out of the way and we’ll need to circle back a bit… more about that tomorrow.
Best –
Fern