SIENA'S DUOMO - WALK ON THIS FLOOR AND PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!

Our first visit to Siena on Boxing Day 2011 took place on a dreary, rainy day and in the afternoon we were glad to take refuge inside one of its most important buildings - the Duomo. It may have been a short stop on a dark day, but it was a visit that re-ignited my interests in Italian architecture and art history and it was formative in getting us to talk about having a place in Italy we could use on a regular basis. We took a vow then to return to to the cathedral as soon as possible to explore its treasures in greater detail. Its been five years since we were there, but now we have our place in Umbria and this will hopefully be the first of many sojourns to see this iconic structure. I can foresee lots of day trips from Citta so we will have the luxury of focusing on one or two things at a time - by far the best way of getting to know a huge building like a cathedral in depth.

Siena's cathedral,which takes the form of a latin cross with a dome and tall bell tower, stands in a central position on one of the city's three ridges and from a distance its soaring structures dominate the skyline; we could clearly see the prominent bell tower from the vantage point of our hotel's terrace. Begun in round about 1230 it took getting on for 150 years to reach today's appearance. The site of the church has a sacred origin which goes way back in time and investigations over the years have shown there was an ancient temple here dedicated to the goddess Minerva. Following the fall of the Roman civilisation a small Christian church probably initially occupied the site, but that presumably expanded and became more important and in 1058 a Synod was held there which led to the election of Pope Nicholas II and the deposition of the anti-pope Benedict X. The rising importance of Siena as an important and wealthy trading centre no doubt led to the decision to convert the church in to something much bigger and more impressive in the early 13th century.

SIENA'S MAGNIFICENT MEDIEVAL DUOMO
WEST FRONT & BELL TOWER

I love visiting cathedrals for they are surely one of man's greatest achievements. This one, and its nearby neighbour in Orvieto, are two of the most splendid in the whole of Italy. Not only are they superb examples of a multitude of crafts being combined in to single endeavours, they are a reminder of the use of great wealth creation to satisfy the spiritual needs of humanity through the building of awesome places of worship. They were intended as earthly representations of the glories of heaven - truly different worlds to the one found in the streets of the cities and lands which surrounded them. They offered the populous a glimpse of the awesome power of God, the glories of heaven and often the path of damnation for those that sinned. As we made our way from the Siena Campo that sunny Saturday afternoon in early autumn, leaving the medieval domestic architectural achievements behind, it was a moving experience to step in to the cathedral square again and once more discover the extraordinary black and white striped marble monumental structure that forms the main body of this humongous church.

People often ask what the origins of the black and white humbug like striped appearance are and the most logical explanation seems to be its relationship to the black and white Balzana coat of arms of the city which dates back at least to the early 13th century.

Entire books have of course been written about this glorious building so what I can achieve in one tiny blog posting is of course minimal. I've therefore chosen to focus on just two features of it - one outside - the splendid west facade and one inside - the truly awesome marble floor of the nave. Together they encapsulate the glories of this fabulous cathedral church.

The beautiful front facade of the cathedral was constructed between 1284 and 1370 in white marble with contrasting elements in dark green/black and pink Siena marbles. Careful observation shows that initially it seems balanced and harmonious, but there are differences in form and detail between the lower and upper parts. This is due to the way the scheme for the frontage evolved.

SCULPTURES FROM THE WEST FRONT OF SIENA CATHEDRAL
BY UNKNOWN ARTISTS

Essentially the facade can be divided in to the two separate levels - the ground floor part and the area above it. In 1284 the Cistercian monks of Galgano called in renowned architect and sculptor Giovanni Pisano to plan and work on the front part of the church and it was he who initially designed the facade, but he only completed the ground floor section. Typically there is a grandTuscan Romanesque three arched ground floor entrance frontage, each portal with a pointed arch above it. The central one is capped by a bronze sun. At the doorway heads and on other pedestals, carved sculptural figures of prophets, philosophers and apostles, designed and sculpted by the master himself ornament the composition and the vertical columns between the doorways are also richly decorated with acanthus scrolls and other details. Pisano only worked on the front of the cathedral until 1296 when he suddenly left the city following arguments about the project with the cathedral elders. The lower section was finally completed by Camio di Crescentino.

The upper section of the facade is by another artist - Giovanni di Cecco and its elaborately decorated in a gothic style. Work largely followed Pisano's original designs with alterations - the inclusion of a rose window for example seems to be di Cecco's contribution. Work seems to have been interrupted around 1317 when the emphasis switched to the east facade and the consensus of opinion seems to be that the front was finally completed around 1365. The upper part is also more elaborate in its ornament than the lower Pisano part and appears to be influenced this time by the French gothic style and is finished in 3 points like the cathedral at Orvieto which must have acted as a prototype for this one as the facade there is slightly earlier in date. I found it interesting to discover that the height of the facade also had to be increased to accommodate a raising of the nave behind it. The rose window is surrounded by a border containing niches containing sculptures of church patriarchs, but this time they are by unknown sculptors. Finally, the colourful mosaics on the facade are not  medieval and were added in the 19th century. They were made in Venice in the late 1870's and the central one depicts the Coronation of the Virgin flanked by two others showing a Nativity and the Presentation of Mary to the Temple. It's also worth noting that the impressive bronze central doors are a recent addition replacing ones made of wood. They were added in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena and were designed by Vico Consorti and cast by Enrico Manfini - they show scenes of the Glorification of the Virgin - the patron saint of the city of Siena. So, this great church frontage has essentially a medieval origin with some later additions, but the overall effect today is one of great intricacy, harmony and beauty. Stand back from it and it's overall composition is pleasing to the eye, focus on its details and it entices one to contemplate what's inside!

I promised to talk about the cathedral floor next and this might seem a strange choice of case study given I could have chosen to discuss a world famous pulpit which appears in many art history text books or perhaps I could also have selected the amazing Piccolomini library with its stunning fresco cycle but I rejected both of those in favour of the floor, the likes of which I have never seen before. Our friend from London, Peter, who visited the cathedral with us that Saturday afternoon, thought it to be the most amazing sight he saw in the whole of his ten day trip to Italy! What's also interesting is that we didn't see or notice it on our first visit and there's a specific reason for that - it wasn't visible on the day we were there in December 2015. The marble floor covers the entire internal area of the cathedral but for most of the year it's covered up for conservation reasons. Only in mid to late August are the covers taken off to reveal it in all its splendour and the window of opportunity to see it is not very long - they cover it again at the end of October.

THE CATHEDRAL FLOOR IS ONLY REVEALED AS A WHOLE
FROM LATE AUGUST TO LATE OCTOBER EACH YEAR 

The marble floor consists of 56 panels of various sizes, each with a decorative border and a subject represented within the frame. It took getting on for 200 years to complete and what fascinated me was that a close study of the panels in different parts of the cathedral was like looking at a history of Renaissance art. Whoever heard of a church floor telling such a tale? - but in terms of a history of techniques and of composition it makes for a fascinating study. The earliest panels have been attributed to  1369 - the latest - a composition in front of the alter from 1547. Subjects range from representations of Sibyls, Virtues and Allegories to Bible narratives. Some have been restored and even relaid but overall the originals are in remarkable condition and retain their original characteristics.

Thinking about the techniques used to make the floor panels first. The earliest panels the late 1300's show the use of a "sgraffito" technique to make them. This is where pieces of marble have been gouged with sharp instruments where these have then been filled with bitumen or black mineral pitch to effect the lines of a composition.

THE LIBYAN SIBYL
THIS PANEL DEMONSTRATES THE USE OF THE GRAFFITO TECHNIQUE
ON THE WHITE MARBLE OF THE FIGURE ALL AGAINST A BLACK
MARBLE BACKGROUND

One writer has described the results looking like a giant woodcut. A hundred years later and the techniques of panel making were much more sophisticated and elaborate producing very different finished results.Here the panels are more like marquetry work where subtly patterned coloured marbles have been inlaid in the white background producing a complex pictorial effect with light and shade effects giving the subjects depth and the three dimensional character of Renaissance paintings, A whole variety of artists have worked on the floor panels over the years - the first well known one being Domenico di Niccolo dei Cori, a famous sculptor who was in charge of work on the cathedral between 1413 and 1423.

THE "SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS FLOOR PANEL"
SIENA CATHEDRAL

One of the most famous panels in the sequence is "The Slaughter of the Innocents" which appears to have been laid in 1481 and was the work of Matteo di Giovanni. This tells the story from the New Testament of King Herod ordering the slaughter of all new born children in an attempt to make sure of the death of the new born messiah. I found looking at this very moving and on further observation marvelled at the way the artist craftsman was able to make figures look "realistic" and able to suggest depth to the composition through the use of architectural perspective in the background and on stairs.  truly remarkable achievement.

ONE OF HEROD'S SOLDIERS ATTACKS A WOMAN WITH A BABY
IN HER ARMS

DETAIL FROM THE ABOVE PANEL
SHOWING SLAUGHTERED BABIES ON A STAIRCASE
FOLLOWING HEROD'S MASSACRE

If you do visit Siena do try and go at the time of year when the cathedral floor is exposed for it truly is one of the best art historical things I've seen in ages - neither painting, nor sculpture but drawing on Renaissance developments in these areas. It's a fascinating exercise to trace the history of western art during the late 15th and 16th centuries by looking at a floor rather than at a series of paintings or pieces of sculpture. Put this wonderful floor on your Italian bucket list.

"THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" LAID IN 1372

Well - that's it until next time.

CIAO AND KBO
IAN

SIENA & THE PALIO - WHAT A VENUE FOR A HORSE RACE - PART 2

Siena's annual Palio horse race is renowned throughout the world for its traditions and spectacle and people travel from the four corners of the globe to see it every year. It's not an event purely aimed at tourists though for its rites and rituals are deeply embedded in the history of the city and continue to play a role in defining the place that Siena is today - despite it being controversial to some.

I find it interesting how my present travels in Italy stir memories from life 20 or 30 years ago. I first came across it watching TV in the 1980's when chat show host Russell Harty did a Grand Tour of Italy and included Siena and the Palio as one of the venues and events to be filmed for the programme in the series focusing on Tuscany. I happened to know Russell then as we were both inhabitants of the small market town of Settle in the Yorkshire Dales. Russell was a frequent visitor to my Mum's antique shop. I remember talking to him about the Tuscany programme then and I found his description of the history of the Palio fascinating. Today I consider it a privilege to have been to see the place where it takes place and to be able to write about it in my blog.

"MR HARTY'S GRAND TOUR" 1988
Interestingly the book cover shows that chat show host
sitting in Siena's campo.

I have to confess though that I haven't seen the race first hand and what follows is an account of the event based on my experience of visiting the city a couple of .weeks ago, reviewing the race in U tube clips and doing some research. Sitting in the Campo, as we did a couple of weeks ago, fired my imagination and it wasn't difficult to imagine the atmosphere of the place on Palio day. I'm a bit saddened to also think that I won't be seeing it in the future either. The race takes place in the high summer when it can be very hot and the only place for unticketed members of the public to watch is from the cordoned off central part of the Campo. Any visitor wishing to be a spectator would have to turn up early and be prepared to probably stand for several hours before the evening race and there are no loos!! There are some tickets available every year for the banked seats round the edge of the race track, but I'm supposing its not easy to get hold of them. So - unless I'm invited to be a special guest by a group occupying one of the balconies or windows overlooking the square (I wish) the Cox presence will probably not be felt at the event. Awww - I can hear you saying!! I should mention though that the race itself is only a small part of the Palio experience and lots of preparatory rituals and pre-race events have to be gone through over several days prior to the race itself. So what exactly is the Palio and how did it originate?

Throughout Italy festivals rooted in sporting competition have played a significant part in community life for centuries. In Citta della Pieve in Umbria, the little hill top town where we have our apartment, there's an annual Palio held every August in which the town's Terzi compete with each other in an archery competition preceded by a grand procession through the town's narrow streets. The term "Palio" actually means "banner" - the trophy awarded in a competitive event. Such festivals must have provided an opportunity and an outlet for alpha males to bond together and collectively defeat opponents from a different part of town. In Siena, during the medieval period, "elmora" were popular. These were mock battles fought by teams of young men wearing light armour and carrying quarter staves. Usually it was the Terzo di Citta against the other two Terzi - the aim being to drive the other side out of the Campo. In 1263 records show that stone throwing had to be banned at these events and in 1291 ten men died at the elmora leading to its suppression and replacement with "pugna" - fist-fighting competitions. In the 14th century other types of event were recorded including one involving the contrade (districts) when 30 young men would try to get a donkey painted in the colours of a ward first round the Campo against the obstruction of the the other teams. These "asinate" or similar ones called "buffalate" involving buffalos, may have been the antecedents of what would evolve in to the Palio involving horses we know today.

What the precise origins of the Palio are remains a matter of conjecture. A Sienese palio is recorded as early as 1238, but it appears to have been a straightforward race between single owners and had nothing to do with the contrade. It was held outside the northern gate to the city and even foreigners were allowed to enter horses in the race. Later it was run inside the city walls on certain religious festival days and in a more or less straight line from the Porta Romana to the Duomo. Even then it was not run along contrade lines.

The modern day Palio probably began in the 17th century when horse races round the Campo were introduced with rules which allowed interference with competitors during the race, no use of  bloodstock and an element of pageantry to boot. This time it involved the various contrade entering horses and riders for the event and herein lies the origin of the modern race.

Seventeen contrade have survived in the city from originally a much larger number in the middle ages. We can think of them as city neighbourhoods and their boundaries were finally established by statute in 1729. Originally each probably had a militia drawn from the men in the community whose responsibilities involved patrolling the streets at night to help preserve law and order. As time passed these groupings were forged into fiercely independent, close-knit groups with clear identities within the larger city community. Each had a strong spirit of mutual aid (rather like a brotherhood) and each proudly took their civil responsibilities seriously. Competing with other contrade groups would have been a feature of life and a ritual like the emergent Palio would have been a perfect outlet for showing prowess in a competition with other contrade. Even today the Sienese are fiercely "contradaioli" (loyal residents of a contrada) first and Sienese second.

A VINTAGE SILK HEAD SCARF SHOWS THE COSTUMES AND FLAGS
OF THE VARIOUS SIENA CONTRADE WHICH COMPETE IN THE PALIO

Today the Palio is held in Siena twice a year - on July 2nd to commemorate the miracles of the Madonna of Provenzano and on August 16th to honour the assumption of the Virgin. Only 10 of the 17 contrade compete in each race through a rotation system linked to a lottery which takes place before each festival. Jockeys are selected by each contrade from a range of professional jockeys available and so each can become familiar with his horse and make a bond with it - 6 trial races take place in the campo - the last one on the morning of Palio day itself. The 5th trial is held the evening before the festival and is named the Prosa Generale (general trial) and after it each competing contrada holds an outside rousing celebratory dinner. Many spectators choose to watch one of the trials rather than the event itself.

EACH HORSE TAKING PART IN THE PALIO IS BLESSED IN THE CHURCH
OF THE CONTRADA IT REPRESENTS ON THE MORNING OF THE RACE

A number of important rituals take place on the day of each race. Each contrada takes its horse inside its own community church or chapel for a blessing ceremony with the local priest and the contrada members and tourists turn up to witness it. Also on the morning of the race, in the chapel next to the Palazzo Publico in the Campo, the Archbishop of Siena says a mass for the jockeys taking part in the race and the contrade captains all go to the town hall to register their horse and rider. During the day the atmosphere builds up in anticipation of the grand historical procession which begins at 5pm and lasts about an hour and a half.

BY 4PM THE CAMPO IS FULL AND THE CROWDS WAIT FOR
THE HISTORIC PROCESSION TO BEGIN AT 5PM

The historic procession, called the Passeggiatia Storica, is taken very seriously indeed and is well organized and rehearsed. The parade is colourful, vibrant and all of its participants are in historical costume. There are mace bearers, trumpeters, bandsmen, grooms. standard bearers and individuals who represent the traditional rulers of the city including the Podesta - the Captain of the People of Siena. Each contrada taking part in the race has the opportunity to present its credentials to the crowd through its 19 costumed members and though I'm amused by the commentator who described the event as being a bit like a traditional deck of cards come to life, it seems to be something much more significant than that. The costumes of each contrada are based on the colours of the standard and the flag is the keynote emblem of each one. The most spectacular part of the procession is the flag throwing when standard bearers from each contrade toss their flags and throw them in to the air in spectacular displays. A special award is made to the contrada who presents itself best in the procession and its a valued prize. As one commentator has put it - rivalries between different contrada are much more complex than they are say between two football teams from Manchester or two baseball teams from New York!

STANDARD BEARERS FROM THE "AQUILA" -
THE NOBLE EAGLE CONTRADA  WAVE THEIR FLAGS FOR THE CROWD

The procession ends with four white oxen pulling a cart in to the Campo on which the Palio - the standard that will be awarded to the winning horse and jockey representing one of the ten contrada taking part in the race.

THE CARROCIO EXHIBITS THE PALIO THAT WILL BE
AWARDED TO THE WINNING CONTRADA

After the parade the horses and jockeys enter the Campo and get ready for the race to begin. Nine of the horses will line up behind a rope and the tenth, chosen by ballot I think, will be the one that will have the power to start the race by galloping up to the rope and then the race begins and all hell breaks out.

THE RACE IN FULL SWING

The race is three circuits of the Campo and lasts only 90 seconds and there are some hair-raising parts of the track for the horses to negotiate; at one corner of the Campo for example there is a sharp downhill turn which is dangerous for all the competitors. During that brief 90 seconds, horses can stumble and fall, jockeys can be thrown and still the race continues apace until the winner crosses the finishing line and then its over. The winning horse and rider, swamped by supporters, will eventually make their way to the Duomo in the August race for a Te Deum service of celebration involving the Siena church hierarchy and the winning contrada members. In the evening there will be an open air banquet in the streets of the winning contrada.

Should one see the Palio? Well having described its historical and contemporary importance and its form and nature, I am persuaded that I would if I had the opportunity to see it from a good, safe vantage point. Horse lovers might think differently though so you might not wish to view the U tube video of the 2016 August race which is below

Who won the August 2016 Palio race then? Well it was won by the Lupa - the She-Wolf District whose church is St Rocco in the Via Vallerozzi.

Until next time
Ian

SIENA & THE PALIO - WHAT A VENUE FOR A HORSE RACE - PART 1

I finished off my last posting in Siena's Palazzo Salimbeni so it's onward now to the city's most famous space the Campo or to give it its proper name the Piazza del Campo. I love the musicality of the Italian language and just saying it got me excited. I first saw it on that dreary Boxing Day trip in 2011, so now I would be able to savour it in all its glory drenched in sun and with a glorious blue sky above it.

First though the topography of the city centre. This will be important in explaining bits and bobs later on so here goes. The city sits on top of a hill of three gently undulating ridges and way back in the medieval period these formed arteries radiating from a meeting point at the juncture of  three districts or TERZI.

THIS AERIAL PHOTO CLEARLY SHOWS THE POSITION OF THE CAMPO AND
THE RADIATING ARMS OF THE STREETS LEADING IN TO THE THREE TERZI

Together they define the oldest part of the city within the city walls which were built for defensive purposes during the 12th and 13th centuries. Each Terza was then subdivided into a number of contrade  and there was a fort or rocca to the northwest which can still be seen today
.
The terzi are:

TERZO DI CAMOLLIA
TERZO DI SAN MARTINO
TERZO DI CITTA (the oldest part of all Siena)

THE CAMPO IS SITUATED AT THE HEART OF THE THREE TERZI
AND THE CONTRADE ARE SIGNFICANT IN THE PALIO HORSE RACE

If you are one of my few dedicated followers, you will know I wrote last time about entering Siena through the Porta di Camollia in to the Istrice contrada; this contrada in turn forms part of the Terzo di Camollia. The area grew up along an enclosed bit of the Via Francigena - the whole an ancient route way which began in northern Europe and provided pilgrims with a road to travel on as they made their way first to Rome and then on to the Holy Land. That Saturday afternoon, as we strolled along the street, I revelled in absorbing this history knowing I was treading the path of pilgrims who'd entered the city by this route all those centuries ago.

Next it was time to discover the Campo so we walked a bit further on from the Palazzo Salembini but just beyond it is a corinthian column with a piece of sculpture on top of it representing a wolf feeding a pair of young boys, Ah - Romulus and Remus I can hear you cry and I can also hear "but they were the founders of Rome so what are they doing here in Siena?". Well - yes there is a connection. It turns out that the Roman she-wolf recalls the legend, according to the tourist publicity anyway, of Ascius and Senius, running away from Rome after the murder of their father Remus by Romulus and founding a new community right here. I hate to tell you though that more serious sources, based on the archaeological evidence, ascribe an Etruscan (pre-Roman) origin to Siena and only later did it become a Roman town. The wolf and young boys, however, turn up all over the city for there's another pair of columns outside the front entrance to the cathedral with the same story told in sculptural form on top of them!

THE SHE-WOLF WITH ASCIUS AND SENIUS
ARE EMBEMATIC OF THE CITY OF SIENA

By this time I knew we were almost at our destination and ready to encounter the wonderful Campo. Sure enough, a few paces forward brought us to the top of an archway covered flight of steps leading down to the Campo and what a perfect vantage point for a first glimpse of what some say is Italy's finest square! Walking down the steps it gives the impression of descending in to a giant dish or shell and in some ways its just like that.

A FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE CAMPO IN SIENA

At the centre of the three Terzi in early medieval times this spot was a field used for the sale of livestock and it wasn't until the 13th century - due to its central position - that it was chosen by the city elders as a perfect site for the civic centre of the growing and increasingly wealthy city. It was paved over at this time but not straightforwardly. The photo below shows the square from above in this borrowed image. Measuring 333 metres round its shell shaped perimeter it was subdivided into 9 divisions - a visual representation of the council of nine who ruled the city according to some experts. It was completed in the 14th century.

SIENA'S WONDERFUL CAMPO
THE BOTTOM PHOTO SHOWS PART OF THE SEGMENTED
NINE SECTIONS OF PAVING WHICH DATE FROM THE 13TH CENTURY

The Palazzo Publico, the city chambers if you like, dominates the top side of the square. It was designed to deliberately separate the civic square from the market square behind and it epitomises the power and wealth of Siena at the beginning of the 14th century. Architecturally its a distinctive domestic version of the Tusccan gothic style. The three parts, a central block with a pair of wings, don't line up to present a single flat elevation. Instead the wings project inwards slightly giving the impression of embracing the public space like a girdle. The original structure was modified at different times - the wings for example had an additional storey put on each later in the 14th century. The lower part of the building was constructed in stone and is punctuated with a series of pointed arched windows. The storeys above are built in terra cotta coloured red brick - again pierced with pointed arched windows - this time the mullions were made as white marble columns. The top of the central block is encrusted with a wealth of decorative detail beneath the crenellations and I wished I'd had a pair of binoculars to look at them more clearly. Attached to the central part of the facade is a huge copper shield with a painting of Jesus Christ, emblematic of St Bernadino and painted in 1425 by Battista Niccolo di Padova. The the left the eye is drawn to the dominating, tall brick tower - the Torre del Mangia - named after an eccentric ringer whol tolled the bell at the top of it in earlier times.
The present bell used today was cast in 1665.

There are wonderful views to be had from the top of the tower, but there's no lift to the viewing platform so its a steep climb to the top. Our friend Peter, who's a bit of a fitness chappie, was up and down the tower like a shot, but we three stayed firmly on the ground. At the reunion and to celebrate Peter's achievment we enjoyed tasty but hugely expensive gelatos bought from a kiosk in the campo itself.

JON, PETER & PHILIP ENJOY AN EXPENSIVE ICE CREAM
TO CELEBRATE PETER'S ASCENT OF THE TOWER IN THE CAMPO

Round the square most of the buildings are of a similar period and many of them have been adapted to house modern day bars and restaurants like the one shown in the photograph. The architecture was deliberately designed to complement that of the Palazzo. These provide wonderful opportunities for people watching as they all have outside seating areas, but the visitor needs to be wary - they are, not surprisingly, expensive ! Most of the visitors to the square this sunny Saturday afternoon seemed happy to lie on the central paved area for there are no public seats.

THE BUILDING TO THE LEFT HAS AN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
WHICH CLEARLY RESONATES WITH THE PALAZZO PUBLICO

THE CAPELLA DI PIAZZA - PALAZZO PUBLICO - SIENA

The Capella di Piazza is an interesting architectural structure built at the foot of the tower of the Palazzo Publico. The main structure was erected and dedicated to the Virgin in thanks for those from the city fortunate enough to have survived the Black Death which swept through the area in 1348. The ornamentation is stylistically different from the other details found on the rest of the palazzo. The reason - this was applied some time later between 1468 and 1470 and in the style of the classical Renaissance which was making its effects known in Siena from Florence just then. Further additions were made when niches and statues were introduced at even later dates. So there's a good opportunity to hone an eye for architectural details here in the Campo and spot the differences between Gothic and Renaissance elements - all in the space of a few yards.

Well there we almost have it - a fabulous medieval Tuscan gothic building in a wonderful public space, but we haven't finished there. One of the most noticeable features of the square is the broad, flattened causeway like structure which runs right round the perimeter of the entire space enveloping it like a girdle. This is the famous track on which the Palio horse race is run, once in July and once in August each year. This infamous and exciting race has a story all of its own and I'll tell that in part 2 of this item.

THE PALIO TRACK CAN BE SEEN IN THE GREY AREA
BETWEEN THE PAVED AREA AND THE BUILDING LINE.

CIAO & KBO
IAN

Part 2 will be published soon.

SIENA AND A BANK IN CRISIS

Having recently spent a long weekend in Siena I've returned to Britain with a head full of information and thoughts about this most alluring of Italian cities. Disentangling this lot has given birth to several blog posting ideas so in the next few months I've decided to hit the computer keys with postings about Siena topics I've thought about and researched since I got home. As Winter approaches here in Lincolnshire - it's a perfect way to transport myself back to warmer climes and beautiful cityscapes if only to provide substance to some of the things I've seen and been thinking about. It's not all "feel good" stuff though.

This posting is about Italy's oldest bank - the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

Our long weekend in Siena involved a stay at an interesting hostelry outside the city walls converted from an early 20th century villa in to a hotel in the 1960's. It had a huge and fabulous terrace overlooking the old town on the hill top opposite and it was a perfect location to plan our activities for the weekend.

VIEW OF SIENA FROM THE TERRACE OF THE GARDEN HOTEL

On the first day we decided to walk in to the old town and this involved a 25 minute stroll down a road largely lined by 20th century buildings - offices, hotels , shops and the like until we reached the Porta Comollia - one of the medieval gateways in to the old city.

SIENA'S NORTHERN PORTA COMOLLIA GIVING ACCESS TO
THE ISTRICE CONTRADA

THE FLAG OF THE ISTRICE CONTRADA - SIENA
WHICH INCORPORATES A PORCUPINE IN A CENTRAL ROUNDEL

We were entering the old city through the gateway on the road from Florence and originally built in the 13th century this three arched structure was imposing. It was evidently razed to the ground during the siege of Siena in 1555 and rebuilt after that. The sculptural coat of arms above the central arch, a heraldic coat of arms of the Medici family who controlled this part of the Tuscany in the 17th century, was added in 1604. Passing through this historic gateway we entered the contrada of Istrice, one of Siena's seventeen contrade and as we strolled down the medieval street towards the main square I wondered if it had played a significant part in this year's Palio - the city's celebrated horse race. Had the Istrice horse with liveried rider based on the colours seen in the flag above been victor in either of the races held the Campo in July and August this year? I made a mental note to check later on.

As we ambled down the atmospheric street stopping to look in various shop windows I thought of our visits to the Tuscan villages of Cetona and Sarteano the week before. Each is very close to where we have our place for they are on the other side of the valley from our apartment in Citta della Pieve. I visualized the small local branches in each of Siena's famous bank -the Banco Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Having studied the map of our route walk in to the city centre I knew that at the bottom of the Via Montanini we were about to come upon its headquarters and I was looking forward to it.

On our left we came then to the Piazza Salimbeni in what was the heart of commercial Siena during the medieval and Renaissance periods. There were three buildings here of architectural interest and today all three of them form the headquarters of the Monte del Paschi bank. The one in the middle, the Palazzo Salimbeni and the original headquarters building of the bank, was constructed in the 14th century and is in a gothic domestic style with pointed arched windows at second floor level. The building was heavily restored in the 19th century with additional details added taken from those found on the nearby Palazzo Pubblico in the Campo.

On the right is a wonderful Renaissance Palazzo built in 1473 and not dissimilar to the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. The rusticated base and projecting cornice near the roof line are particularly distinctive, the latter complete with projecting heads of various Roman Emperors. The building belonged to Ambrogio Spannochi, who had been appointed Treasurer to Pope Pius II who came from the Siennese Piccolomini banking dynasty.

This Palazzo stands opposite a third building, the Palazzo Tantucci, which is much more classical in appearance and later in date. It was commissioned by Mariano Tantucci in 1548.

The square was remodelled in the 19th century and this involved removing a garden in front of the Salimbeni Palace to make the piazza. A statue of a Sienese priest, Sallustio Bandini and one of Italy's first economists was placed in the square in 1882.

This square, with three magnificent buildings arranged round it, presents to the viewer an interesting case study in the history of medieval/ Renaissance secular architecture and its well worth spending a short time here to study the palazzi details. The buildings, over the centuries have stood for the permanence, stability and steadfastness of Sienese banking institutions inspiring confidence in all who use them - but not so today sadly!. On returning home I was keen to find out more about the history of the famous bank that started right here on this site, but which has recently been the subject of much discussion in the media - for all the wrong reasons.

PALAZZO SALEMBINI - 14TH CENTURY
HQ OF THE BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA

As one of the most important city's in central Italy in the medieval period Siena's rise to prominence was based on two things - trading in commodities such as wool, wine, saffron and spices and banking. Between the 13th and 14th centuries a number of families developed banks focused on local activities at first and headquartered in Siena but eventually many of them with branches all over Europe. These included the Tololmei, Piccolomini, and Bonsignori families and they became very rich from what were then innovative activities based on money-lending and currency exchange. At one point Sienese banks controlled the Papal finances and collected all the tithes destined for the Holy Land.

PALAZZO SPANNOCHI - 1473

PALAZZO TANTUCCI - 1548 

The Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is the oldest surviving bank in the world, founded in 1472 by a city magistrate Monte di Pieta  as a "Mount of Piety"and its been doing business continually ever since. It was created with an underpinning statute of 1419  entitled "Statuto dei Paschi" which set out to regulate banking activities associated with agriculture in the Maremma area. In modern times it really dates to 1624 when Siena was finally made part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The then Grand Duke - Duke Ferdinando II, granted to depositors of Monte, the income of the state owned pastures of the Maremma - the so called Paschi which gave the bank its name. During the 17th and 18th centuries the bank both consolidated and expanded its activities and in the mid 19th century, with the Unification of Italy, it expanded its activities throughout the country.New financial services included the granting of mortgages on properties - a new banking activity for the Italians at the time.. In 1995 the government created two separate institutions - a banking arm the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena S.P.A and the Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena - a  non-profit organisation designed to provide assistance to charities and organisations concerned with education, science, health and art especially concerning the local Siense community.

In the run up to the financial crisis of 2008 the banking arm of the business, like so many others in Europe and America, began a period of unparalleled expansion taking over various regional banks as well as expanding its interests in the fields of personal loans and investment banking. A whole trench of new branches were opened, To finance the expansion - wait for it - the bank entered in to the field of concealed derivatives through Operation Santorini in 2002 and Operation Alexandria in 2006.

For a variety of reasons the bank has performed badly in recent years despite two recapitalizations by the government. Essentially its become yet another bank with a catalogue of bad debts caused by lax lending standards, political interference and poor management. Rock bottom profitability and the bad debts have caused a collapse in confidence amongst new private investors and the bank has been for sale since 2014 with no one wanting to buy it. Various commentators have signalled there is no future for the bank without further public money being used to bail it out and eliminate the bad debt problem once and for all. But there's another issue which takes the problem into another dimension.

New European Community rules state that no public money can be used to bail out a bank until private investors have been wiped out first. MPS, interestingly reflecting its deep routes as a community based bank, has a large number of small private investors who hold MPS bonds - they would be the first to suffer if these rules are adhered to and these small investors are targeted first.

I'm not sure where the situation stands today. In September trading of the oldest bank in the world's shares and Italy's largest lender was suspended after the shares slid 6% over concerns about weak investor interest in its latest emergency rescue plan. All of this of course may impinge on the upcoming Renzi referendum in December, where a NO vote on government reforms could trigger a fall in the government and another escalation of the financial crisis facing Italy's banks.

I found myself fascinated but not surprised to discover that the world's oldest bank, rooted in fine traditions and serving the community for centuries, has gone down a similar path to our own Royal Bank of Scotland in Britain - another fine institution blighted by the recklessness of fat cat executive bankers. What a world we live in! To lose faith in our banks is surely a sign of a broken and crumbling system and again I can't help thinking of small bank customers here in Britain and in the small towns of Italy being made to pay the price for policies based on these gross and distorted values??? We can visit Siena as tourists and admire the fine architecture of these mighty financial institutions, but in the full knowledge of the fact they no longer represent the values that underpinned their design and construction in the first place. Sad!!!

Caio & KBO
Ian

P.S. - Oh - and by the way the contrada of Istrice, the porcupine, hasn't won the Palio since 2008. In August it was the contrada of Lupa the wolf that took the crown.

LA SCARZUOLA - A BONKERS UMBRIAN GARDEN IN AN OUT OF THE WAY SPOT

Well - I've been to some extraordinary places in Italy but La Scarzuola is right up there for eccentricity, curiosity and charm.

Situated near Montegiove in Umbria and only 30 minutes drive from Citta della Pieve where we have our place, we've been meaning to visit this renowned but off the beaten track church and garden for ages, but its only available to visit by appointment. When there are only a couple of you wanting to visit its necessary to tag along with another booked group. Anyway - we managed to arrange to go on the morning of Thursday October 6th at 11am so we set off about 10am to get there in good time. A dull morning coupled with a twisty road to negotiate necessitated a careful drive, but I was not quite prepared for the off-road experience we were to encounter just south of Montegiove in the final approaches to the site.

APPROACHING LA SCARZUOLA ALONG THE UNMADE ROAD

An insignificant sign on a wooden post saying "La Scarzuola" marked a turning from the tarmac narrow lane on to an unmade track which led uphill and towards the forested hillside. It turned out to be a several kilometre drive over deep pot holes and mini ravines and about half way there we came upon a group of men out hunting. Some of their cars were almost blocking the track and we could hear the dogs barking and the guns going off at regular intervals. I pitied the wild boar fleeing for their lives in this remote area. Stories we'd heard of tourists being accidentally shot by over-enthusiastic alpha male hunters flashed momentarily through my mind - but soon we had passed the group of cars and we were onward bound again. Another couple of kilometres and we were finally there - pulling in to a gravelled yard where there were already several vehicles parked. We got out of the car and approached a gateway with large firmly closed wooden doors. There was no impression of anyone being about. Jon pulled an old fashioned ring pull at the side of the gate and we heard the bell tingle on the inside. The impression was like something from an old Italian film. Gradually one of the doors slowly creaked open and there stood a chap about the same age as us dressed in blue jumper and slacks.



BRIAN OUR LONG STANDING AUSTRALIAN GUIDE
AT LA SCARZUOLA

He didn't say anything but looked at us enquiringly as if saying "What are you doing here?" A brief mention of our telephone call the previous day brought s smile to his face and a welcome. Through the gate and we were inside a walled courtyard. On the lawn was a group of a dozen or so people - most of who seemed to come from Australia though there was a couple from Britain and a woman from Foligno nearby. One of the Australians asked if we'd had any trouble with the hunters coming up the lane. Tongue in cheek I said we hadn't. The man who met us, our guide for the tour, was called Brian and he also was Australian. He's evidently lived here at the house for the last 27 years so we were assured of some interesting tales and commentary. He was accompanied by Sebastian, a 15 year old hound who evidently goes on all the tours with Brian. I bet he could have told us a few stories as well.

AT 15 YEARS OLD & A TOUR  REGULAR
SEBASTIAN KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT LA SCARZUOLA

We were stood in a grassed over courtyard walled on three sides with an arcaded building at the back of it. Enclosures on the two long sides contained 18th century bas reliefs of stations of the cross.

THE FRANCISCAN CONVENT CHAPEL FROM THE
COURTYARD AT LA SCARZUOLA

 I hadn't known it but this was the site of a Franciscan convent founded by St Francis in 1218. He evidently had travelled here from Assisi, only 30 miles or so to the west, and planted a bay and some roses bushes causing a spring to gush forth from the hillside. The spring still runs today and  we would later in the tour see a stone cistern catching the cool, fresh water from the hillside. The name La Scarzuola comes from the fact St Francis used the stems of a marsh plant - the Scarza- to construct a shelter for himself near the spring. Inside the church building, parts of which date back to the 13th century, in the apse there survives one of the earliest known images of the saint in fresco.

ONE OF THE EARLIEST KNOWN FRESCO IMAGES OF ST FRANCIS
IN LEVITATION
CHAPEL APSE - LA SCARZUOLA

 It depicts the saint in levitation. On another wall there's a later image of him picking the Scarza plant to make his shelter. Much restoration using private funding has taken place inside the church since the second world war and today there's alot to see in this wonderfully atmospheric sacred interior.

ST FRANCIS PICKING THE SCARZA MARSH PLANT TO
THATCH HIS WOODEN DWELLING
LA SCARZUOLA

RESTORED DOMED CEILING FRESCOS OF
FRANCISCAN MARTYRS
CHAPEL - LA SCARZUOLA

By the early 1950's the old convent was in a mess and down to only a couple of friars. The church was delapidated and being used as a store and the site was run down. The convent was finally bought in 1956 by the renowned Italian architect, Tomaso Buzzi from Milan and he would, over many years, transform it in to what it s today.

TOMASO BRUZZI (1900-1981)

Tomaso Bruzzi (1900-1981) was an architect and designer of distinction from Milan and all his clients were either very rich or from the nobility according to Brian. Buildings he worked on include the Villa Nechi Campiglio in Milan, Palladio's villa Maser and Palazzo Papadopoli Treviso in Venice. Gio Ponti was his friend and collaborator and with him he was a leading exponent of the Novocento Milanese design movement of the 1930's. He also worked extensively with Murano's Paolo Venini of the famous Venetian Venini glassworks in 1932-33 producing modern designs exploiting the form and materials of glass. With apartments in Venice and Rome La Scarzuoloa was an opportunity for an experiment and he never actually lived there, but between 1958 and 1978 he created this most extraordinary garden folly next to the remote convent chapel in the middle of the Umbrian countryside.

Inspiration for his work came from a Renaissance illustrated story book by Franceso Colonna - the HYPNEROTOMACHIA POLYPHILI (The Strife of Love in a Dream) published in Venice in 1499.
Famous during the Renaissance as an allegorical celebation of the powers of love and beauty and where architectural ideas were also discussed - it fired Buzzo's vivid imagination and although the garden was unfinished at the time of his death - it was later completed by his nephew and heir.
I couldn't wait to get our first sight of it.

FIRST VIEW OF THE EXTRAORDINARY BRUZZI COMPLEX
FROM ONE OF THE PERFORMANCE PLATFORMS
AT LA SCARZUOLA

Essentially we left the chapel by the front door and walked round the side of it, through an arbour where the hillisde spring cistern was situated and then took a path round to what Brian described as a good vantage point. I vaguely knew what we were in for, but the reality took my breath away to say the least. The chosen spot provided us with a view of an amazing complex of buildings and spaces  which almost defy description. The complex, designed to be a complex intellectual puzzle as well as a feast for the eyes, was in essence an integration of seven theatres of different sizes, levels and accommodation - the smallest for only 10 people, the largest on the lower hillside accommodating 500. In Tomaso's mind, Brian told us, he was creating a city of the profane to complement the sacred city of the chapel next door. There are staircases going to nowhere, lots of conceits and visual puns and buildings which challenge ones perceptions in every respect. The whole, constructed without architectural drawings and made of a tufa material from Viterbo, was always problematic from the start and its an expensive nightmare to conserve and repair today evidently.



THE HILLSIDE AMALGAM OF VAGUELY CLASSICAL BUILDINGS

Up on the hillside above one of the theatrical arenas stands a pile of miniature edifices, what have been described as a pastiche of famous buildings including the Parthenon of Athens to name but one. Elsewhere there's a masonic temple and even a building inspired by the famous La Scala opera house in Milan. Some of the oddities include a musical staircase, a transparent pyramid and an organ where the pipes are represented as cypress trees. I was particularly drawn to the inside of a building constructed as the hull of a boat, the whole surrounded by water, and from where the were unuusal garden vistas to be had. This was evidently inspired by the stage in the story concerned with the "beginning of a voyage".

GETTING READY TO LEAVE LA SCARZUOLA

My art historical knowledge was trying to apply labels to what I was seeing as we went round - a massive folly? - a modern day piece of installation art designed to challenge? a Surrealist dream perhaps?  The possibilities are endless. A mannerist Pontormo painting in the National Gallery in London with a staircase going to nowhere came to mind - as did visions of Roman grotesques and Bernini's dramatic baroque sculptures. All in all I think its something of a masterpiece. I've always loved wild eclecticism and this garden had it in shovels full.

NAKED FEMALE TORSO - LA SCARZUOLA

Many concert performances have been held here over the years but they are less frequent today. I can imagine European Community health and safety legislation is enough to put off any would be entrepreneur from holding a concert here. Brian told us the Pittsburgh Philharmonic Orchestra had once performed here to great acclaim.

STRANGE STAIRCASE AND GATEWAY

This is an off the beaten track experience undertaken only by the few - if you can go and be one of them and be amazed!!

ADMISSION TO LA SCARZUOLA IS ONLY BY APPOINTMENT
Tel 0763 837 463
10 euros per person
Tour time about 2 hours.

Ciao & KBO
Ian x

AVIGNONESI AND "THE BLOOD OF JOVE" - A UNIQUE UMBRIAN VINEYARD.

There is no way I would call myself a wine afficianado - I wouldn't even profess to be able to tell the difference between a good merlot and a fine cabernet, but a day out to a renowned Tuscan vineyard last week completely changed my outlook on the concept of "fine Italian wines".

THE AVIGNONESI VINEYARD FROM THE ROAD

Tuscany is known the world over as a producer of characterful, individual wines and Chianti is probably the best known of the production regions. There are, however, a number of  reputedly important vineyards not far from where we live and particularly along the road through the beautiful countryside in the Valliano di Montpulciano between the Tuscan towns of Cortona and Montepulciano. With this knowledge in mind I texted our estate agent friend Laura, who lives in Chianciano Terme and who is knowledgeable about all things to do with hospitality, food and drink in this area, to ask where we could take the friends staying with us for a vineyard experience. She quickly texted back and said there was only one place to go - Avignonesi. We looked up the vineyard's details on the internet and discovered they offered a vineyard visit followed by a premium wine tasting lunch - the whole lasting about 4 hours. It seemed perfect, but at 95 euros per person a bit on the pricey side. After talking it through we decided to go for it and rang to make a reservation. They were booked up for the next few days (we thought this was a good sign) but we managed to get a date about a week ahead. With other visits to organize and prepare for the Avignonesi vineyard then went to the back burner and I forgot all about it for several days.

TOUR OF THE VINEYARD
The morning of the vineyard visit finally arrived and it was another perfect autumn day - azure blue cloudless skies and a predicted temperature in the 20's - we couldn't have placed an order for such a day and got a better one. I still wasn't especially motivated about the day though - I tend to get much more excited about a visit to see some fine Renaissance architecture or a museum full of antiquities these days. Not wishing to dull the enthusiasm of Jon and my friends, however, I donned suitable light, comfortable clothing and a hat and we set off to arrive at the vineyard by noon.

I know enough to appreciate most vineyards in this area are situated on a hillside to provide good drainage and suitable aspects to the sun and Avignonesi was no exception. When we turned off the road we gradually followed a small lane marked by the ubiquitous and dignified line of tall green cypress trees. We were soon also passing by the regimentally aligned vines and even from the car window I could see they were laden with black grapes. Harvesting looked imminent and I would later discover these were the famous Sangiovese grape variety vines. At the top of the hill we parked the car and walked back to approach the vineyard buildings through a pretty gateway.

THE COURTYARD - THE BUILDING AT THE FAR END IS THE VIN SANTO
CASK CELLAR

The reception building was on our right. A warm welcome awaited us within and we were soon offered a seat on the outside terrace and a glass of prosecco whilst we waited for the rest of our group to turn up. Evidently numbers are limited in each premium tasting group to 18 people. Soon others joined us and I could hear American accents and conversations going on in other European languages including Dutch and German. A few minutes later and it was time to set off to see the vines. Our guide was the delightful young woman who had greeted us when we arrived and we all followed her out to the courtyard gate. First we heard about the fascinating history of the vineyard.

Founded in the late 19th century by a local family, the vineyard has been producing wines ever since though the Avignonesi brand was not established until 1974. Now the enterprise involves growth of vines and production of wines on several different sites stretching from Cortona to the area round Montepulciano. There were several points of interest which I'll try to recap on here. In 2009 the vineyard and its related vineyards were sold to a single owner - a Belgian lawyer called Virginie Saverys who had evidently been an enthusiastic and knowledgeable sleeping partner for many years.

VIRGINIE SAVERYS - THE BELGIAN OWNER OF AVIGNONESI
SINCE 2009

The new ownership from the start produced some radical changes - principally in turning all production over to organic methods. For one whole year, whilst this was in progress, there was no wine production at all. The vineyeard workers were anxious at the time as organic certification is a long and drawn out process - but the first organic wines have now reached the shelves and more will soon follow. Confidence amongst the vineyard community is now at an all time high and the vineyards employ over 100 people from over 20 nationalities. Secondly, a scientific approach to grape production has been also been taken very seriously here and this was signalled by our guide first showing us an experimental circular vine cultivation area just outside the main gate. The objective is to get the very best from the Sangiovese grapes grown on the  hillsides surrounding the property.

THE EDGE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL CIRCULAR VINEYARD
OUTSIDE THE MAIN GATEWAY

This distinctive grape has an interesting history and takes its name from the latin SANGUIS JOVIS - "the blood of Jove" (Jupiter). The name Sangiovese, legend has it, was coined by the monks of the commune of Santarchangelo di Romagna. Its origins appear to go all the way back to the Etruscan period and the Romans also probably cultivated it.

BUNCHES OF BEAUTIFUL SANGIOVESE GRAPES
IN THE DRYING ROOM

DNA analysis in 2004 revealed its ancestors to be the Cilieglio and Cababrese Montenuovo grapes - the latter originating from the toe of Italy. In the late 16th century Giovanvettorio Soderini noted its qualities in his writings. By the 18th century its cultivation was widespread and today it's cultivated all the way from Romagna in the north to Sicily in the south, but its especially suited to the lands of the central area making it a vine of choice in many of the limestone rich soils of Tuscany. Its a famous component of Brunello di Montalcino and the main component of Vino Nobile de Montalcino.

The Sangiovese grape is not surprisingly the main vine of the Avignonesi vineyard and its cultivation, as I mentioned earlier, is evolving on the back of careful research. The first field we were shown by our guide, established in 2006 and just outside the gate and on an area of flat land, was unusual in that it was circular - focussed on a central point marked by a single tall Cypress tree. The vines had been cultivated in circles emanating from the middle creating a density difference between vines grown in the inner circle compared with those in the outer rings. The vineyard wine makers were keen to discover what differences there would be in the annual harvest when different densities of vine cultivation were employed. Surprisingly the results showed the vines did best in the inner rings where the density of vines was greatest. It might have been expected that where each bush had less space and possibly not as much sun - the harvest would be least favourable in terms of the quality of the grapes and the amounts harvested. In fact the opposite turned out to be true. High density planting seemed to make the vines more vigorous - forcing the root systems to go lower down in the soil to exploit the nutrient layers there and producing a generally more vigorous bush with more flowers and better bunches of grapes. The results of the survey have led to high density planting systems being introduced in other fields in the vineyard like the one we visited next.

This field contained a high density planting of vines - 7150 plants per hectare in fact and each planted independantly and never to be in the shade. The company expects to pick about 4 bunches per vine during the harvest and these are selected whilst the grapes are still at the green stage. All processes are done by hand. 2016 has not been a good year for the production of Sangiovese grapes however. Poor weather conditions, including a bad hail storm just a couple of months ago, has affected the production. The harvest, which has taken place only recently, has been very poor. Whereas the yard usually expects to make for example 2000 bottles of Vin Santo dessert wines per annum - this year they will be lucky if they produce 200.

OUR GUIDE INTRODUCES US TO THE FIRST OF THE
HIGH DENSITY PLANTED SANGIOVESE VINE FIELDS

Our next stop was back inside the compound where an attractive red brick building next to reception and the shop housed the drying room for the Sangiovese grapes.

THE PRETTY EXTERIOR OF THE SANGIOVESE GRAPE
DRYING ROOM

Most of the grapes in it had only just been placed there so we were lucky to see them at the beginning of the drying cycle. Inside it was dark and gloomy but our eyes soon adjusted to the dim light and we could soon make out an elaborate racking system, each shelf covered with bamboo to provide decks where the grapes could be set out and the air could circulate round them.

INSIDE THE GRAPE DRYING ROOM
THE GRAPES WILL REMAIN HERE FOR 6 MONTHS
AFTER HARVEST

 The grapes would rest here at a controlled temperature of 16 to 17 degrees for 6 months before being taken away for pressing at one of the other sites and where the wine making could begin in earnest. After these processes have been carried out for the dessert wine Vin Santo - 100 year old yeast cultures are added to the proto wine and it is then casked so fermentation can start in warm temperatures and then continue over a long period of time.

THE VIN SANTO CASK CELLAR
THE CASKS WILL REMAIN HERE FOR 10 YEARS!

EACH VIN SANTO CASK IS CLEARLY LABELLED
AND DATED

Our next visit took us to the first of the vineyards cellars and here we could see the small racked oak Vin Santo casks containing the fermenting wine. Each was stamped and labelled and I was shocked to discover the process takes 10 years to mature and fully oxidise the wine - the volume inside the barrel reducing from 85% to about 50% during that time. Only then is it bottled and it will then rest for a further year before it is allowed to be sold. It takes 7 kilos of grapes to make one bottle of the wine.

THE 1882 CELLARS AT AVIGNONESI

Finally we were taken down a flight of stairs beneath the Vin Santo cellar to the ones below it, the date of 1882 carved on a stone above the door. This we were informed is where the large barrels of Sangiovese wine are matured for varying periods of time. The guide asked if any of us were allergic to moulds - nobody owned up to being of that disposition! Inside it was windowless, dark and gloomy but amazingly atmospheric and as we all gingerly walked along the pathway between the lines of casks slightly in awe of what we were seeing. A few minutes more and we were back in the bright sunshine and it was time for lunch, A short stroll over the courtyard brought us to the restaurant building.

THE LUNCH
Lunch was taken in a beautiful garden room overlooking the vineyard and the hillside below. Tables were reserved for each group of guests and every one was attended by three members of staff.

THE GARDEN RESTAURANT WHERE WE HAD LUNCH

There were three choices of dish available for each of the three courses and I'm showing you here what I chose. All of it was perfectly cooked and served and made from locally sourced produce. Needless to say it was absolutely delicious and I would give all of it a 10/10 Cox scoring. Jon and our friends from London made other selections. A vegetarian option was available at each course.

FIRST COURSE

ZUPETTA DI VERDURE DEL NOSTRO ORTO CON BASILICO FRESCO
Vegetable soup (vegetables from our own garden) with fresh basil

JON SAMPLES THE FOOD AND TASTES THE WINE AT LUNCH

MAIN COURSE

BOCCONCINI DI CHIANINA IN UMIDO AL VINO NOBILE SU SPINACI AL VAPORE E FLAN DI PATATE
Chianina beef stew, slow cooked in our own Vino Nobile served on wilted spinach, accompaned with potato flan.
This stew, made with beef from the famous Val di Chiana cow, was outstanding - beautifully flavoured and it melted in the mouth!!

DESSERT

PROVOCAZIONE: DELIZIE CREATE DALL CHEF IN ABBINAMENTO AL VIN SANTO.
Provocation - Vin Santo pairings created by our chef.
I have a picture of this - I would kill to have a repeat of this dessert!!

THE CHEF'S "PROVOCAZIONE" I CHOSE FOR DESSERT

THE WINES
The menu had been planned to allow for wine accompaniments from the vineyard to be presented in the best possible context. Again there was a choice of wines availabe with each course. This is what was presented to us. Each wine was described and explained so novices like me could make an informed choice at each stage. There was also no stinting on quantities offered and the waiting staff regularly came round offereing top ups.

THE WINE SELECTION WE WERE TO TASTE AT LUNCH

AVIGNONESI - IL MARZOCCO
The chef's welcom wine - white and delicately flavoured and an example of the newly certified organic wines being offered by the vineyard.
Grapes - chardonnay, Grechetto. Aged for 6 months in French oak casks.
E22 per bottle

FIRST COURSE

Either
AVIGNONESI - LA TONDA
or
AVIGNONESI - GRAND ANNATE
Grape - Sangiovese
Aged for 18 months in French oak casks
E59 per bottle


SECOND COURSE

Either
AVINGNONESI DESIDERIO
Grapes 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged for 18 months in French oak casks
E32 per bottle
or
AVIGNONESI GRIFI
Grapes 57%, Sangiovese 43% Cabernet
Aged for 16 months in French oak casks
E 35 per bottle
or
AVIGNONESI 50&50
Grapes 50% Merlot, 50% Sangiovese
Aged for 36 months in French oak casks
E99 per bottle

At a supplement special vintage wines from the Grifi and 50/50 wines were available but we didn't feel the need to sample these.

DESSERT

Either
AVIGNONESI - OCCHIO DI PERNICE VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
Grapes - Sangiovese
Aged for 10 years in 50 litre oak casks
E60 for 100ml bottle
or
AVIGNONESI VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
Grapes Malvasia, Trebbiano Tuscana
Aged for 10 years in 50 litre oak casks
E50 for 100 ml bottle

Prices per bottle are those quoted in the shop for October 2016.

OUR FRIENDS LEARN ABOUT THE WINES

I feel inadequate to comment on what we tasted other than to say all the wines seemed to me to be of excellent quality. I could definitely appreciate that the red wines in particular were both rich and complex and whilst I wouldn't profess to be able to establish the notes for each, I could identify contrasting blends of fruitiness, spiciness and woody tastes from the oak casks used to mature all the wines. They were just lovely and a complete contrast to what I realise is the plonk I mostly seem to have consumed back home. The Vin Santo is something else. Not a great fan of sweet dessert wines I tasted this one with some trepidation. When it was poured from the bottle I could see it had the most gorgeous amber colour and consistency. The taste was to me smooth, creamy and deliciously subtle - I would definitely have it again.

I came away from the Avignonesi experience with a new appreciation of Tuscan wines and good food. We thought the price for the premium tour represented excellent value for money.The passion and love which goes in to making these wines, not to mention the length of time it takes to produce them, is awesome and has provided not only good memories but also a small knowledge base I shall use when purchasing future bottles of Italian wine. Perfecto!!.

CIAO & KBO
Ian

PS The vineyard kitchens offer cookery courses to accompany the premium tour which begin in the morning. I'm thinking of sending Jon on one of those. See the vineyard's web site for details.