Last weekend I went to Siena, had oh such a wonderous time.
Siena is much more hilly than Florence, which were rival cities in the Gothic period (Florence won, OF COURSE). The Sienese tried to outdo the Duomo of Florence, but after they'd built like the first wall, apparently realized it was architecturally unsound ... aka impossible. Then the plague hit, which kinda put a damper on all that grand thinking.
I did manage to see the preserved head of St. Catherine (skin and all!), along with some other equally elaborate (and disturbing/ridiculous) reliquaries.
We also saw a baptismal faunt with Ghiberti, Donatello, AND della Quercia relifes/statuettes for it.
We also traveled to nearby San Gimignano, which has 17 towers (it used to have over 40) from families trying to out-do one another. These we climed for an amazing view of beautiful northern Italy at sunset. We then finished the day with some wine tasting (with peccorino cheese and wild boar salami) at one such tower.
I also saw the Allegories of Good and Bad Government, which any art history nerd will recognize, as well as many other cool, and some very strange, frescos. Also I saw some amazing illuminated manuscripts and stained glass windows.
Check facebook for photos.
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