Archive for 'Siena'

For those visiting the stunning cathedral of Siena, there is another stop on the premises that you won't want to miss: the Piccolomini Library. Another artistic and architectural gem in this great Tuscan Renaissance city, it can be reached when you turn left about halfway along the length of the cathedral's aisle. The Piccolomini name holds a lot of weight and history in Siena. Enea Silvio Piccolomini was a 15th century noble who served as mediator in trying to reconcile Emperor Frederick III with the papal state, arranging the emperor's marriage to Eleonora of Aragon and organising his coronation in Rome and was rewarded by being made the Bishop of Trieste in 1447 and the Bishop of Siena in 1450.

He went on to become a cardinal in 1456 and was elected as Pope Pius II min 1458. A very powerful figure of the time, the library was named after him by the subsequent Pope Pius III, another Piccolomini, his nephew.     Read More

Siena's Cathedral was built between 1215 and 1263 and was designed by Nicola Pisano and his son, Giovanni continued the design when more building was undertaken from 1285. The upper half of the facade was not added until 14th century, a time of great wealth and prosperity for Siena. At the time, plans were considered to transform the church into a giant masterpiece that could even rival the mammoth St. Peter's in Rome, with the existing building forming transept of this huge imagined cathedral. However, this ambitious project sadly never came to pass as work was halted by the arrival of the Black Death in the city in 1348, which decimated the population of the town. Walls of the new cathedral still remain but are only a shell of the intended finished product.

Despite this, the rich and beautiful Tuscan church is still a gem and an important tourist attraction for those who have found a villa with pool in Siena and are planning a visit to the city.     Read More

Siena is one of the less hyped but most beautiful of all Tuscan cities. While it may not compete with Florence in terms of scale or choice, it is an equally lovely town, blessed still by the looming presence of the Renaissance. By day, there is much to see and do – many galleries, museums, architectural gems and more to visit, restaurants to try out, customs to learn about and much more besides – but, by night, the city takes on a different and rather special charm. The best way to experience this is by checking out “Divina Bellezza – Dreaming Siena”. Taking place in the unfinished Duomo Nuovo, part of Siena’s Duomo complex, Divina Bellezza is an immersive video mapping project that sees huge 3D images projected on the Facciatone and on the other two facades of the Duomo Nuovo and is accompanied by tales of the city in times gone by and more. It is an evocative, special spectacle that is unique to the city and is a must-see for those who have found a villa with pool in Siena and are planning to spend time there.     Read More

Tuscany is well-known for her delicious food throughout Italy and beyond. Most of us are familiar with Tuscan dishes, whether we realise them to be from that region or not, and it is a hearty, rich cuisine full of simple ingredients that anyone can enjoy. Less familiar, however, might be the many delicious desserts of the region which must be tried once you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are spending any time in the area.

To help you out, we've compiled a list of some of these amazing desserts.     Read More