Luca gave us a tour of the local cemetery. Italian cemeteries are usually on the outskirts of town, which meant that Siena's case it had some of the best views around. When we first walked in it looked as if the entire grounds were relatively small, but as we continued to explore we discovered a whole other section that expanded down the hill. Every citizen is guaranteed a proper burial by the city so after 100 years of being buried, the bodies are exhumed and cremated in order to make room for the more recently deceased.
During our impromptu tour, Luca told us a few anecdotes about the cemetery. One in particular stood out as characteristically Senese. He said that a woman was once buried on the northern end of the cemetery to the dismay of her daughter. She did not want her mother placed in that specific spot and petitioned for the city to move her. Upon this request she was required to give an explanation. She explained that since her mother was from the Tower contrada, she would not want to live in eternity overlooking the Duck contrada (the Tower's archenemy). After hearing this explanation the city decided that this was a very good reason and granted the daughter's request. The mother was moved to a spot that was out of the Duck's sight.
While story made us chuckle it also gave us a good idea of the relationship between this particular city and its citizens. While there is definitely a cohesiveness in Siena amongst its citizens, rivalries and deep histories are maintained and honored by almost everyone.
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