EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2019: AND THE WINNER IS....?

Siena's historic town center seen from the Valdimontone neighborhood

Today is the big day. The European and Italian jury meets in Rome to proclaim Italy's European Capital of Culture 2019. Two cities in Europe will share the title; Plovdiv has already been designated to be Bulgaria's ECoC city in 2019 whilst Lecce, Perugia/Assisi, Cagliari, Matera, Ravenna and Siena are still in the race for the title in Italy.

Until 5 pm today that is, when the jury chosen by the European Union will supply the name of the Italian winner. In Siena the press conference will be followed via live streaming in piazza del Mercato (the square below piazza del Campo). From 3 pm members of the Siena 2019 team will meet voluntaries, locals and supporters of Siena's bid in the former market square. Join the crowd for a party with events and live music and keep your thumbs up.

Pier Luigi Sacco and his team have worked hard on an inspiring bid book. If Siena wins the title, every single project in it will be put into practice over the next years culminating in 2019. But whatever the jury's final verdict, be assured that Siena's #ECoC2019 journey to bring back the creative forces into town can't be stopped!

Read on about the objectives of #Siena2019 on the official website or find a summary of the projects in Siena's bid book on this blog.

SIENA AND THE MONTE DEI PASCHI CRISIS

The world's oldest banking institute (founded in 1472) has made it into the media big time since 2012. But not because of its longevity. Wondering what the financial nigh tmare is all about? I'm still trying to figure it out - just as everybody else who's living in Southern Tuscany. The crisis of the Monte dei Paschi bank isn't just about MPS employers losing their jobs and museums their funding (which on its own is already bad enough). But it's also about research, universities and even kindergartens. Basically every age group in and around Siena will be affected in some way or another by the drying up of the streams of money that supported most social and cultural aspects of Southern Tuscany. Right, I would look worried too. Palazzo Spannocchi, part of the MPS HQ in piazza Salimbeni Want to know more? The art newspaper has published a well researched article in April, which explains some of the artier effects of the bank's crisis.

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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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DRIVING IN ITALY AND ROAD FINES IN SIENA

Thought if the Italians do it, you can do it too? These were the good old times. Speeding, bad parking and drink-driving are no longer part of the Italian way of life. Okay, the rules of the road still aren't as strictly followed as in Northern Europe, but things have definitely changed during the past decade. With driving being more strict now, it's only right that paying your fine should become easier too. Siena and many other of Italy's tourist destinations have finally installed online payment. Click through to the website of Siena's town council to get done with it right away.

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