Siena means Palio, but not only that: I would also say endless art. The Heritage itinerary proposed by the Fondazione Musei Senesi in conjunction with the upcoming anniversaries of the Unesco certification is exciting. In a program that is always renewed, a selected audience of lovers of beauty was offered a walk, we could say “according to the rules of art”, in which monuments, poems, memories and historical recipes passed the baton with great harmony.
Yes, in fact the baton was there in the form of a lamp, to symbolize the beacon of light that must guide our spirit towards peace and love.
For the occasion, art expert Ilenia welcomed us at the wonderful baroque church of San Raimondo al Refugio: commissioned by Aurelio Chigi, the place where Sano di Pietro and Iacopo della Quercia make a fine show of themselves, stands next to the ancient boarding school of the Conservatori Riuniti, created to welcome girls from noble families who fell into disgrace with the arrival of the Medici in Siena. The spirit of the institution, now a Foundation, has remained: young people, male and female, from refugee countries, artists working in the Siena area and young people looking for a place created for youth training in the city are welcomed. Always in the spirit of the Unesco award, the stops at the various locations, interspersed with poems and splendid walks, have demonstrated a dedication to conservation, a Sienese inventiveness typical of a city that has adapted the entire design of the urban structure to form a whole with the surrounding cultural landscape. Once again the Chigi family reappears on the street, opening the doors of their home, the noble Palazzo Chigi Zondadari. Here Ludovica, with her grace, led us into the splendid rooms overlooking the Campo, contaminated by the exhibition of the Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova, Devil of Comparison. Infiltrated among the artistic realities of the residence, a series of works inspired by the ongoing war unfolds, photographs, installations, including the now famous series “Palianytsia” stone breads, which shock the visitor with their immediate crudeness, inviting sincere reflection. The splendid poems recited by students, guides and museum workers who took turns along the street, enriching every corner with gentle pathos, including the steps of the Logge del Papa, helped us enter into this spirit. In just a few meters we passed from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, from Gothic to Baroque, styles all elegantly interpreted by Siena. The urban trekking circuit ended with Simone Martini's Maesta at Palazzo Pubblico, expertly explained by the guide Alessio. Here we found ourselves in front of a striking testimony of the creative genius of Siena that best expresses the artistic and aesthetic capacity of the man suckled by the Capitoline Wolf, symbol of Siena since the Middle Ages, which rose almost to a new Rome. Well, after a nice walk of Heritage Urban Trekking, we really needed to refresh ourselves; promptly to our aid a selection of Ricciarelli, Panforte and Panpepato that recalled the ancient popular legend: it is said that the Sienese won the battle of Montaperti in 1260, beating the Florentines, thanks to the energy provided by Panpepato. Native, seasonal, highly artisanal, this relic of the early Middle Ages, typical of an immaterial culture that like the Palio continues to triumph in a riot of colors, this panes fortis and then panes pepato has made the fortune of apothecaries, monasteries and the glory of Christmas tables all over the world. In a celebration of honey, walnuts, spicy aromas, almonds, washed down with the prestigious Vernaccia di San Gimignano between one bite and another. The producer Leoncini representing the Coripanf committee, transported us to a world of ancient flavors with "the love for beautiful and good things" a fundamental ingredient of the Sienese Panforte. The tasting location, the Teatro dei Rinnovati that welcomes us with a splendid season www.teatrisiena.it
Valentina Niccolai