Day 5 - Siena

One of our most anticipated days was our trip to Siena to meet author, Dario Castagno and tour Siena.  We read several of Dario's books and Paul was able to contact him and arrange a very special tour of the Nobil Contrada del Bruco (The Caterpillar).  Dario explained how the city is divided into 17 neighborhoods that are represented by various coat of arms and colors.  He explained how every contrada has its own church, community hall, small museum, and its own well.  More Photos Inside the Contrada



The leadership of the contrada of about 40 representatives are elected and oversee social and youth activities, care of the elderly festival participation but most importantly the duties of preparation for the Palio, a historic (beginning in 1238) horse race held twice a year in the Piazza del Campo.  While a lot of money is spent by each contrada on the Palio the only prize is a painted flag. The contrada proudly displays its spoils dating back centuries in their museums.  

These garments are very heavy!

Baptismal Font for Nobil Contrada del Bruco

   

Piazza del Campo

           

A Really Old Wine Cellar!

Duomo di Siena



Day 4 - Florence

From Feltre we took the train to Firenze (Florence). 

.

Market on the street

Cosimo I

When we arrived in Florence we had just enough time to throw our luggage in the rooms and freshen up.  We met our tour guide, Corin, and headed to the Galleria del'Accademia. Michelangelo's orginal David is located here now with a number of his other works.  A copy of the David statue is located in a public square, outside the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence, where it was originally unveiled in 1504.

Michelangelo's orginal David is located here now with a number
 of his other works. 

 ,
 
 A copy of the David statue is located
 in a public square,
outside the Palazzo della Signoriathe seat of civic government in Florence, where it was originally unveiled in 1504



Corrin en"lightening" us on
history & how urine was used for
lightening your hair & to get
a secondary high from someone else!

Michelangelo's Doni Tondo

 We toured the Galleria degli Uffizi, which was commissioned in 1560 by Cosimo I of the Medici family to be a suite of offices for the magistrate's administration.  It now belongs to the city and contains masterworks of paintings and sculptures dating from the middle ages.

Botticelli's Birth of Venus

Rosso Fiorentino's Madonna and Child with Saint

I have a print of this painting, Musical Angel, that has been in my house for years.
I was a little disturbed by Rosso Fiorentino's work which may
have been his attempts to make a statement for his day.

 We were pretty exhausted after our tour -

there were so many famous works in one place - it was overwhelming. 



Duomo S. Maria del Fiore, construction started in 1296 under Arnolfo di Cambio.  The Campanile construction began in 1334 under Giotto di Bondone and was finished under Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti.

 

We were ready for dinner!  Kenny tried a steak with roasted vegetables and I had gnocchi.  We enjoyed a Chianti Classico Castello d'Abola and 2011 Chianti Classico Banfi.

I'm pretty sure these pictures were taken just before we got lost on

our way back to Hotel Porta Faenze.  Florence has an active nightlife,

it actually seems busier at night than in the daytime.

 

 



Day 3 - Laghi and The Dalmolins

After lunch in Vencenza, the men headed to Laghi with Sonja while the women did a detour into town to help Marie find a gold cross at Stephanie's Jewelry Store.  Most people we talked to (Americans or Italians) had never heard of Laghi even our driver, Fabio had never been there.  Our Dal Molin cousin, Sonja, told us only about 90 people live in Laghi.  Many have moved to nearby cities to live and work.

When we back up in Laghi, we visited the cemetery and found the graves of Dal Molins, Rechs, Loranzato's and other Italian families whose relatives had immigrated to Manvel.

We drove about a mile or so up the mountain to Berta, a cantrada of Laghi where the Dal Molin's lived and where Valentino Dal Molin was born.

 

Giuseppe treated us to bierre and vino rosa.  It was beautiful sitting under the pavilion looking out over the place where Kenny's grandfather once lived.  We all asked why anyone would ever want to leave such a beautiful place - already knowing the reason they left was due to desperation during difficult times.

  After our tour of Berta, we headed to Rocchette to the 1873 Bierria Summano where we were treated to more family, aperitivo and a variety gnocchi.  Kenny had printed photos of family from home that we shared.