student apartments.

Student apartments came in all shapes and sizes.  I had five roommates in a huge apartment, while others remained on their own in tiny studios.  We were all very comfortable and found benefits in all of our accommodations.  I enjoyed being on the edge of the historical center because it was very quiet and it gave me an excuse to walk more than most on a daily basis.  However, I also enjoyed that my friends had an teeny tiny apartment that had a balcony that overlooked the Piazza del Campo.  It was great from people watching, and especially Palio watching.  Not only did we get to watch the actual race from the comfort of home, but we also enjoyed watching many parades and other festivities.

my bedroom.

dinning/living room.

kitchen!

laundry day.

Gabby and Alison's deluxe balcony.

did I mention they had an amazing view?

watching the Palio from the comfort of home.

we made the best meals in their tiny kitchen.

The Palio.

It is difficult to understand the power that the Palio has over Siena until you experience it for yourself.  

Siena is divided into Contradas, or neighborhood "clans", which used to battle for territory and for honor.  The Palio now takes the place of these age-old battles and the winner is believed to be chosen by God.  The city starts to prepare for the festivities a few weeks before the race which is held twice each summer, once on July 2 and again on August 16.  The first physical sign of the preparations is the barrier that is installed in Piazza del Campo that divides the designated areas for the horses to run and for the specators to watch.  

Next come the spectator bleacher that line the Piazza.

Flags fly high and proud.

Young men practice for the marches and parades with their flags.

Then they start to represent through the streets.

The horses are hand selected by the all of the Contradas collectively, then they are randomly assigned so that no one has a predetermined edge over anyone. I had witnessed many marches with waiving flags, banging drums, and proud Senesi singing through the street, but nothing had felt so intense up to that point as being in the Piazza for the horse drawing.  People anxiously awaited as horse selections were made and prayed that they receive best horse and that their enemy receive the worst.

In the end, a few left happy, a few left desperately miserable, and a couple of medieval rivalries came to life right in front of our eyes.  

Contrada Dinner:  Pantera.

The mix of emotions combines into one in the same for each Contrada that will run the race on the following day.  The Contradas dine in the streets and celebrate, hope and pray for their victory.  Our class had the chance to participate in this event.  It was a rare treat because these dinners are normally reserved for locals, but the Director of our school, Luca Bonomi, arranged for us to participate in this magnificent cultural event. We had a delicious meal and enjoyed some great local wine, but the best part of it was being in the middle of this Senesi dinner that felt intimate and grand at the same time.  

Day of the Palio:  Time to Battle.

But first the horses must be blessed.  

Parades: more celebration and anxiety for the Contradas.

Final Moments...

All of the anticipation explodes in a ninety second race to determine the fate of the chosen Contrada.

The Oca Contrada Wins.  They will march through the streets in this fashion for weeks to come.

The Palio is awarded and people disperse to celebrate or cry.  

The physical evidence of the Palio was washed away the following morning, but we felt its presence until the day we left Siena.

The Siena we fell in love with: Night.

Siena is most beautiful at night.  Glowing street lamps soften the harshness of the old building as people come out for a late dinner or just to hang out in the Piazza del Campo.  This is where wonderful friendships emerged as we used our new language skills and learned first-hand about Italian culture.  This is where we truly felt at home as the city embraced us and made us feel like family. It all happened here as we sat beneath the soft glow of the Siena lights.

The Siena we fell in love with: Days.

There is nothing like living in this city.  I fell deeply in love with Siena.  I loved the romance of living in a medieval city and the hills that made me work to get to know its beauty.  I loved how easily I made friends by simply sitting at the fountain at the Piazza del Campo or during our breaks between classes just outside of school.  I loved how I met so many people from around the world and learned about cultures from Italy and beyond. I loved my intimate Italian language class and the valuable lessons we learned in our Italian Culture class.  

There were many reasons why I chose to study in Siena, but the main reason was its size.  I have never traveled on my own and I was afraid that a big city would be too much.  I also wanted to live in a city small enough that I would be able to feel completely at home in the short time I was there. I wanted to be able to get to know the people and become familiar with the rhythms and pulses of the city.  Siena was the perfect city for me.