Siena as wedding location
Siena, its Palio, its history, its charm
It’s almost impossible to separate the word Siena from the word Palio. In an unlikely survey it would be for sure one of the most popular events in the world. It does not matter if this duel horse racing of reminiscent character has a very little sporty feature but it’s very parochial and socially rooted . For tourists who come here from all parts of the world to witness the beautiful Piazza del Campo in this race among 10 of the 17 city quarters ( districts ) of the beautiful Tuscan town in the two annual occasions (2 July and 16 August) , the Palio has a life and death in the same day in which it runs . Although the actual race lasts just over two minutes – while the whole costume parade and the famous hard -heralded last an entire afternoon – for the Siena people the Palio lasts 365 days a year , 366 when the year is a leap year . The division between the factions, the antagonism that survives despite the passing of the years and the strong sense of belonging to the district , are a real purpose in life , an opportunity to meet, to organize, to have a fervent and active social life that few other cities in the world can have.
Wedding Ceremony
The couples who are planning a Civil Ceremony in Siena will have the privilege to celebrate their union in the Palazzo Pubblico ( the palace’s town hall) that is positioned in the wonderful Piazza del Campo. Piazza del Campo is the square where is held the Palio House racing.
In Siena you can also marry a religious rite. For those who wish to get married in a Catholic ceremony, there are beautiful churches where to hold your wedding. For couples who wish a religious ceremony stunning venues with breathtaking view will be the perfect setting for you special day.
Wedding Reception – A land dotted with farmhouses and fairytale settings
The richness and beauty of the area has led to a rising in the province of Siena of a myriad of farmhouses, some of very high level, with all the comforts (some with their own SPA), which give the opportunity to organize weddings and spectacular events surrounded by greenery and immersed into nature, in a fairytale landscape that is difficult to find in other areas. The bride and groom and their guests will find a warm welcome that will make the event unforgettable.
For a wedding reception that pleases the palate
May we talk then about wine and food ? The whole area around Siena is a riot of vineyards and olive groves that give an enviable production both of wine and oil. A few kilometres away the area of the C hianti Gallo Nero doc, the Brunello zone ( Montalcino ) of the Rosso and of the Nobile di Montepulciano : what else do you want? And the land , once a hunting area, is inhabited by game that finds many uses in the cuisine , from boar to roe deer, from hares to pheasant and so on.
Particularly valuable and delicious the pig Cinta, so called because it has a tinge of color on the sides which makes it seem to have a belt ( “cinta” in Italian, to be precise) , which has its origins from a cross between wild pigs and wild boars . For those who prefer a different style of eating , you can find sheep cheeses (the famous Pecorino di Pienza is just an example) , soups and dishes that have nothing to envy to meat dishes.
Obviously Siena is not only this . In addition to being one of the most beautiful historical Italian cities , and the world’s (not uselessly, Siena was awarded in 1995 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site), it can boast some wonderful monuments that date back to that era in which this city was a part of Italian history . Its origin dates back to the Etruscan period , of which today you can still find artifacts dating from the sixth and seventh centuries BC. Its name seems to have originated right from that time ( Saina / Seina ) . The Romans then changed its name to Saena Julia , and settled there until the arrival of the Lombards. As today still it has the “war ” between the districts, Siena has had a very troubled and quarrelsome past: famous the wars of the thirteenth and fourteenth century against Florence with mixed results ( the victory in Montaperti , mentioned also by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy , or the subsequent defeat in Colle Val d’Elsa) and episodes related to the Napoleonic period and after the Risorgimento , until the accession of the Kingdom of Italy in 1859.
The importance of being on the Via Francigena, which lead pilgrims to Rome, the particular economic importance related to one of the biggest and most historical Italian banks ( Monte dei Paschi di Siena, well- founded in 1472 ) , have made it a fundamental crossroads for years in Tuscan history and Italian in general. Just wander up and down the narrow streets in the city center, just admire the Town Hall overlooking the famous Piazza del Campo, with the slender bell tower called Torre del Mangia, the Fonte Gaia , Renaissance palaces ( as the famous one in Piazza Salimbeni headquarters of Monte dei Paschi ) , as well as the Duomo with its whites and blacks marbles (the colors of the city) , the Sanctuary of Santa Caterina ( in fact dedicated to the Saint who had her origins here ) and so on in a succession of corners and blinks of the eye that, especially in summer evenings , at dusk or at night , take on that reddish color so famous that it gave its name to a color ( burnt sienna and burnt sienna umber )