Gli Angeli Bed & Breakfast, Siena

Siena

American art critic Bernard Berenson, who came to Siena to study its painters, fell in love with the city and stayed for an entire winter. In his words:
"There's nothing in the world quite like Siena, it is a medieval city that might be likened to a rare beast,with heart, arteries, tail, paws and teeth. Only the skeleton is left, intact, and it is enough to astound us...".

The land of Siena

The land of Siena is above all a hill country - the Sienese love the hills so much that they built their city on hilltops. In fact, Siena stands on three hills, where building was difficult and laborious, and the TUFO - the type of soil on which the city is built - is so unusual and particular that it gave its name to a color: the ochre yellow tone we find described in crayon and paint boxes as "Sienna".
It is this tufo that covers the "track" of Piazza del Campo during the famous "Palio di Siena" horse race (July 2^nd and August 16^th).

The waters of Siena

Equally interesting is the history of the waters of Siena, beginning with the legendary "Diana" underground river, which today lends its name to the association that protects and studies the city's "Bottini," its monumental fountains and all the historic and cultural heritage linked to the Waters of Siena. The Bottini are beautiful, ancient network of aqueducts, dating back to the Middle Ages, that beneath the city's "pietra siena" streets, while fountains, large and small, are present throughout the territory. These structures made life possible in a city located far from large rivers or bodies of water, and today they are among the innumerable attractions to visit.

The Palio of Siena

To know and understand the Palio, one must come to Siena and see that here, in Berenson's ancient "fossil," life continues to pulsate, the Gothic palazzos are still inhabited, and in the ancient contrada neighborhoods the people live, celebrate, suffer and, above all, are part of a community in which each member makes a contribution. Each contrada is like a little state, with its own governing bodies, its own museum, its bar, its kitchen, its playgrounds, its "little fountain," its church and its parish priest.
It is love for one's contrada, love for the tradition passed down to us by our parents and grandparents, that fuel this grand organization. During the period of the Palio, these little states are "at war" with one another, and it is at this time that the competitive and combative spirit of the Sienese emerges in all its splendor and energy.

The city

It is really too easy to talk about the city's attractions: from the Duomo, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world, to Piazza del Campo with its Mangia Tower and City Hall; from its innumerable churches to the ancient and modern museums; from its still-intact Medieval city walls with the majestic Gates, to the magic of its maze-like web of alleys, archways and little squares...
Siena must be visited as a whole, because, as Berenson said, its skeleton is still there, fully intact.

The 4 pearls of the "Terre di Siena"

UNESCO has declared WORLD HERITAGE SITES:
Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, la Val d'Orcia.

The Province

The "terre di Siena" is all hill country.
North of Siena, we find the splendid Chianti hills characterized by a succession of olive groves, Medieval villages, castles, vineyards, wine cellars and farms, where Chianti, one of the world's most renowned wines, is produced (Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti).

On the edge of the Chianti zone is Val d'Elsa, run through by the Elsa River. This area is less frequented by tourists and, perhaps for this reason, maintains intact its traditions of good wine, good food and ancient farmhouses.

(Casole d'Elsa, Colle Val d'Elsa, Monteriggioni, and San Gimignano).

The Val di Merse is furrowed by the homonymous river, which the Sienese call "the sea of Siena", a stream of clean, crystalline water that ducks into shady woods and then come out into clearings, showing itself to visitors in splendid sunny glades where it is not unusual to find locals swimming during the summer. In this valley stands the beautiful Gothic-style Abbey of San Galgano, which we all call "the roofless church", as it has the sky for its roof and a lovely grassy lawn for its floor. On the little hill alongside it stands the consecrated Church with the famous "sword in the stone". (Murlo, Monticiano, Chiusdino).

The Crete senesi or chalk hills are the most essential and simple landscape of the "terre di Siena". A primordial, chalky, stark territory interrupted here and there by small cupolas of earth, a few meters high, with characteristic spots marked by a cypress tree, an old farmhouse or a country road.
Here we find the splendid Abbey of Abbey of Monte Oliveto hosting Olivetan monks on a marvelous hilltop near Buonconvento.
The Val D'Orcia is the southernmost zone of the province of Siena and one of its gems. Here the population still has strong ties to the land and to traditional trades. Its chalky hills once frightened travelers on the road to Rome, with their profiles that suddenly turned hard and sharp, then softened into vineyards and gently curved hills.
Here we find the marvelous abbey of Sant'Antimo, a place of sacred music famous for Gregorian chants; San Filippo and Bagno Vignoni, known for their thermal waters; Montalcino, home of Brunello, one of the best red wines in the world; Pienza, the city built "from scratch" at the behest of Pope Pius II.
To the east lies the Val Di Chiana, ancient land of the Etruscans, which embraces the beautiful sixteenth-century town of Montepulciano, famous for its Nobile wine. Also of note are Chianciano Terme and San Casciano dei Bagni, with their thermal waters.

Nearby cities

In addition to its wonderful province, Siena is an excellent point of departure to visit the Renaissance city of Florence (60 km), Grosseto (70 km) with its splendid coastline, Volterra (60 km) with its Etruscan tombs, Arezzo (75 km) with its "grand piazza", Lucca (130 km) with its ancient walls, and Pisa (km 160) with its famous leaning tower, as well as many other stupendous attractions of Tuscany.