Siena

Ancient cities and an old friend

Minimum quod potest haberi de cognitione rerum altissimarum, desiderabilius est quam certissima cognitio quae habetur de minimis rebus. (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I, qu. 1 a.5.)

The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things.

Before Remus was killed by his brother he had a son bearing the name Senius, who went on to found Siena presumably in the 8th century BC or something like that. He and his brother Aschius rode black and white horses which became the republics flag of black and white. The current city is overlain with mainly medieval buildings encased by a fortified wall. Hosted in the central square named 'Il Campo' is the infamous horse race called The Palio - apex of the year for the 17 contradas or city districts. Belonging to the contrada is not just where you were born or which colour scarf you like, but a lifetime commitment to your sacred emblem and all that it represents. The tradition and belonging may seem overdone anemoia, but it is nonetheless integral to the city.

The medieval streets are intimate with brick buildings facing each other with a small gap of 5-6m. Symmetry is death. The roads rise and fall upon the hill and twist around corners revealing ancient fountains and churches. Unfortunately the city seems not to have fully recovered since the plagues of 14th century Europe with the current population within the walls of 50,000 still being less than the 90,000 of yesteryears.

I give enormous thanks to my knowledgeable guide and kind host Alexander who definitely did not need any map to walk around the city. He pointed out each of the contradas as we passed between them, sharing their characteristics and histories. We saw all the main churches of the city, with 3 medieval and 2 renaissance, as well as the synagogue, town hall equivalent and more. We spent a couple of nights out on the town watching Italian Jamiroquai cavaughting around the packed Sindies bar and the other bars running up the ancient street. The setting was almost a Sienese La Dolce Vita, or The Great Beauty, but with decidedly less frivolity.

The idea of an Italian culture is a decidedly late 19th and 20th century feature. With unification only coming in 1871, the nation has only existed for a 150 years, whereas the Sienese Republic had existed as a city state for 500 hundred years, battling their bitter rivals, the Florentines for the best part of two hundred years, finally being defeated in 1555. Despite amalgamation into the Florentine state who were in alliance with the Spanish, the Medici's were unable to give a stable structure to the state, giving the Sienese significant agency in their affairs of the realm.

Classical philosophers viewed the city state as the perfect political organisation because when they compared it to others of its time - tribes, empires, monarchies. They thought the city had civilisation, unlike a tribe, and freedom, unlike the eastern monarchies. Dominic Cummings writes excellently on this subject on his substack page. Without getting into classical ideals of virtue and power, it seemed to me that the strength of the city and its long heritage keeps alive a strong belonging to each contrada and the Sienese people as a whole.

Much has been made about the attrition of British Culture over the past decade. I will try not to write at length about polarising topics, but my voyage certainly left me reflecting on my life at home both in Bucks and London. Hollow men lead us. I sometimes wonder what part of my life do I see disappearing for future generations and which part can I help to preserve? What shall become of my children's children?

As a tourist who has been elsewhere in Italy to Rome, Pisa and Florence, I suppose it is unusual to see these traditions so active today. A city full of Italians in it, lining the narrow streets. gesticulating and drinking red wine as the sun disappears. No hoards of crowds in groups, fat, packing the pavements and streets. Some of the wedding cake opulence of Florence and Pisa were slightly brash for my taste, compared to the graceful and understated medieval streets and churches of Siena. Florence especially was overwhelmed with tourists. The monuments and palaces were all very pretty, but I definitely to get a better understanding of its peoples and read more Dante, Boccaccio before returning.

We went to mass in the Duomo Di Siena - Sadly no Pope banter from the priest. In general, entrance comes with a fee, but mass is free. Maybe I am just not appreciative enough of the accessibility of English museums and churches with invariably free entry. The priest stood up for his sermon, delivering a speech about the sadness that not enough people go to church to his congregation of two dozen, with probably half being tourists. Although this irony seems to reflect the lack of religion in both Italy and the world, it is said that the Sienese are not religious all throughout the year, before become deeply superstitious for the weeks and days leading up to the great race.

VE Day and book thoughts

Since exams finished, I sought a book to accompany me on my travels to Siena, and then Sardinia on my geology trip [maybe blog number 2 ...] or possibly even Nice afterwards. I ended up with Captain Corelli's Mandolin - set in Cephalonia, accompanying the lives of a quiet town passing through the smelter of 20th century Greece. Italian Fascists, Nazis, Communists and more. In between this, there is a pure and fragile romance - one of the most soulful books I have ever read. The atrocities of the 20th century must never be forgot, and as the last of its survivors pass with time, the responsibility for remembrance falls from one generation to the next. Before my exams, I played in a sextet with two good friends who shared harrowing, yet important stories about their families experiences. The older one, now 72 is speaking about holocaust remembrance in school. Although many young children will not be able to comprehend the gravity of his words, it is an irreplicable in a world today where antisemitism is still a present threat.

As I mentioned I am going to Sardinia then Greece and later in the holiday Canada. Please give me good book recommendations in the comments below.