destination

Siena

Siena is located within the Tuscany region of Italy and is characterized by its seashell-shaped main square, Piazza del Campo. Surrounding this square are hilly streets of shops and restaurants. I visited Siena for a field trip for one of my classes during my semester of abroad, and quickly fell in love. The city is organized into 17 neighborhoods, or contrade, all characterized by an animal or symbol. For example, I ate lunch (famously delicious Pici pasta) in the goose neighborhood. Every year during the summer, two horse races called the Palio are held. Each contrada elects a jockey and a horse to represent them in the race, and compete against each other in the main square. The city itself, and the races, are dedicated to the Virgin Mary.