Mapping SIENA

No better way to explore a city than by meeting its inhabitan ts. This interview with Lisa Jane Cappannini is the first one of a series of articles with Siena tips and insight by people who live here or who have a special connection to the city of the Palio.  Are you from Siena? Or when did you fall in love with Siena? I was born in England but at the age of 2 my parents moved to Siena, which is where my father is from. I grew up and went to school in Siena and I lived there till I was 24. My parents still live in the same house inside the historical centre, while I live in Montalcino, 50 minutes south of Siena. What are your must sees in Siena, for people who only have a day or two in town: the Duomo, the cathedral, which is not just beautiful from the outside, it’s also so rich inside. The marble floors are unique in the entire world, and if you happen to visit the Duomo between mid August and mid October, you’ll be lucky enough to see the floors completely uncovered . Fr...

The race is on.  Italy's department of culture in Rome requests a ll Italian cities wanting to compete  for the title of European Capital of Culture  (ECoC) in 2019  to hand in their bid b ook by the 20th September 2013 .    There is no official number yet,  but about  20 Italian cities are expected to  take part in the competition, and  it's likely that no more than three to six  of them  will make it through the first round. The shortlisted cities will then have another  year of time to fine-t une their bid  book for the final round of  ECoC 2019.  Being desi gnated as future  European Capital of Culture isn't just a question of pride. The winning cities  receive m ajor investments and undergo profound change  in their  socio-cultural setup. Siena2019 has its headquarters in the Santa Maria della  Scala museum and the tension must be high right now,  as the team has worked...

Missing Siena? Today is the day then to feel a little closer to Palio town with the help of a virtual chat with some people who know more about Tuscany and its art and history than most of us: the curators of some of Siena's best museums.  The Fondazione Musei Senesi joins the #askacurator initiative on Twitter and will answer questions by people who have visited or would like to visit one of the 43 museums that are part of the Siena museum foundation. From Montepulciano to Colle Val d'Elsa, the museums can be found all through the province of Siena and focus on archaeology, art, anthropology and science.  FONDAZIONE MUSEI SENESI Follow them on Twitter  @museisenesi and start firing those questions.  Not sure what to ask? Find some ideas on the AskACurator website

The twelve must-knows for people wanting to impress fellow travelers with their thorough knowledge of the Palio di Siena, the world’s oldest continually hold sporting event.  1. WHAT IS THE PALIO? Italy's most famous horse race takes place twice a year o n piazza del Campo, Siena’s shell shaped medieval square. 2. WHEN IS THE PALIO?  Each year on the  2nd of July and the 16th of August . The July race called  Palio della Madonna di Provenzano  starts at 7.30 pm, the  Palio dell'Assunta  in August at 7 pm. However, both races are proceeded by a pageantry procession, so prepare to access piazza del Campo three to four hours before the start of the race. The festival lasts for a total of four days each time, which are made up of trial races and neighborhood dinners. Piazza del Campo and Palazzo Pubblico during Palio  3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE? Siena has 17 neighborhoods ( contrade  in Ialian), but only ten of them can ...

The two Palio horse races have been run, so what to do with the rest of the year? The Siena Art Institute didn't rest during the summer break and has already put together a program of 11 artist talks starting from today. Every Tuesday evening a visiting artist hops into the hot seat at Siena Art Institute to talk about art and culture and to answer questions from the audience. The Siena Art guests are mainly visual artists but also musician, composers and writers, who live and work in Siena for a month thanks to the institute's Artists in Residence program (more details here ).  SIENA ART INTSITUTE  Starters - Artist Talks Via T. Pendola, 37.  Tuesday nights, 6 pm Entrance is for free.