Church displaying the flags of the Contrades of Siena

Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption or Siena Cathedral

Part of the floor of the Siena Cathedral

Library ceiling inside the main Duomo of Siena

One of the books in the Library of the Duomo of Siena

A stained glass window in the Siena Cathedral

Siena, Tuscany

June 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

This Tuscan hill town will transport you back to the Middle Ages. Siena's grand cathedral, built in the 1200s, has treasured artworks and marvelous marble floors. It is truly breathtaking and can even rival St Peters Basilica in Rome. The Piazza del Campo, the main town square shaped like a fan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It's also home to the Palio di Siena, perhaps the most infamous horserace in the world. Riders representing seventeen Contrades or districts of Siena ride around the square twice a year. Think of it as NYC if Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, etc each had their own flag alliances and rivalries. Very Hufflepuff versus Slitherin. Then, twice a year they had horserace

You can read more about the Contrades below.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrade_of_Siena

Read about the Palio di Siena below (with pictures)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_SienaRead more