BITTER ORANGE: DANCING BEYOND THE MONTE DEI PASCHI NIGHTMARE

It is a tough week in Siena. Instead of getting better, the crisis of the world's oldest bank (MPS was founded in 1472) has turned into a full blown nightmare. Evidence is mounting that the bank's former chairman Giuseppe Mussari and some of his co-workers may have main responsibility for the massive losses accumulated by Italy's third biggest bank. (See Bloomberg news for regular English language updates in regard to Giuseepe Mussari and the situation of MPS).

Monte dei Paschi Head Quarters on Siena's piazza Salimbeni

MPS headquarters: Things definitely looked brighter in the past

Bitter Orange is the title of a dance performance that suits the momentary climate in the city of the Palio only two well. Second part of a triology by the Francesca Selva dance company, the performance will take place this Saturday night at the Rinnovati theater in piazza del Campo.

Considering that a huge amount of Southern Tuscany's cultural life has been supported by the Fondazione Monte dei Paschi (the foundation of the MPS), we better fully enjoy every single live event or museum exhibition coming our way in these months. Siena's contemporary cultural programm hasn't been keeping us madly busy in the past, but things are due to become even much more quieter in the near future.

TEATRO DEI RINNOVATI, piazza del Campo 1, Siena
BITTER ORANGE by Francesca Selva and Marcello Valassina
2nd of Febbruary 2013, 9.15pm (theater ticket office open from 4pm)

BEST BIKE RENTAL IN SIENA

Villa Catignano: one of the many beautiful places an e-bike can get you to from Siena A few years ago, I interviewed an American writer , who during her month-long stay in Siena whizzed through the city on a bicycle. This was an unusual sight - vespas are the two-wheelers of choice in Siena's hilly town center, not bikes like in mostly flat Florence. But the invention of e-bikes is about to change this. The city of Siena has installed an electric bike sharing program which is functioning well. However, it's mostly aimed at locals and residents, as its set-up is a little complicated for visitors who only stay a couple of days in town. Hence, for tourists, the best bike rental options in Siena are with the privately owned shops which supply bycicles of every size and type for a day or two or an entire week. Giulia from Julskitchen.com cycling through the hills of Siena Siena Bike Shop rents out racing bycicles, hybrid and e-bikes and is a great optio...

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SIENA AS EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE IN 2019? AN INTERVIEW WITH PIER LUIGI SACCO

Every year the European Union designates at least two cities from different member countries to become European Capitals of Culture for a period of 12 months. Italy’s turn is up again in 2019 (together with Bulgaria), and Siena has joined the race as one of the candidate cities, which are competing to represent the country and the whole of Europe. Recently the website of SIENA 2019 has been launched in English, which gave me the opportunity to meet project director Pier Luigi Sacco to find out more about the reasons behind Siena’s candidature. Originally from Pescara the head of # SIENA2019 is professor of Cultural Economics at IULM university in Milan and of Creative Industries at the university of Lugano in Switzerland. No doubt a busy man, Pier Luigi Sacco nevertheless took proper time to thoroughly answer my questions. The interview took place at the headquarters of # SIENA2019, which are based in the fascinating underground maze of the Santa Maria d...

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Ambrogio Lorenzetti's frescoes and paintings

From toddlers to octogenarians, when in Siena I schlepp everybody to see Ambrogio Lorenzetti's 'Buon Governo'. The long title of the painting is 'The Allegory of Good and Bad Government in the City and the Countryside' and it is exactly that - namely an accurate depiction of daily life in medieval Siena. The detailed and elegant fresco cycle is a rarity not just in regard to Lorenzetti's style and technique, but mainly due to its subject matter. In the 14th century, paintings and frescoes focus on stories and characters from the old and new testament and not on the day-to-day tasks of builders and farmers. Medieval Siena depicted on one of the walls of Ambrogio Lorenzetti's fresco cycle in the Palazzo Pubblico (©Wikipedia) And this is exactly why it's so much fun to spend some time in front of the fresco cycle in the civic museum in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico. Whether its kids - or meat lovers - looking for the famous Cinta Senese pig ...

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