When we last got together on my Italy travel blog, we were spending a wonderful day being toured in Tuscany by Stefano, which you can review HERE.
Now, we are back in Siena and it is time for a bit of beautiful sightseeing. Specifically, we will be visiting the Cathedral of Siena. It is oh, so gorgeous…but I’ll let you decide its beauty.
“If you read to the end of this article, you will find out a bit of what is going on in my life”
An archway to Piazza del Campo
As we leave our hotel to go to the Cathedral (which are also known as Duomos in Italy), we pass under an archway to the famous Piazza del Campo of Siena.
And now we are in the Piazza del Campo.
The Piazza del Campo of Siena
It is a very famous piazza. One of the reasons is the famous horse race held right there in the piazza. The race is called the Palio di Siena and it is held twice a year…July 2nd and August 16th. The race, which goes back to the 17th century, is a competition among the different districts of Siena. It is a very intense race, with the winning district celebrating for many days. If you have not seen the movie Solo Mio, I highly recommend that you do so. Among the other attributes of this beautiful movie is the actual horse race.
Ok now…let’s make our way to the Cathedral of Siena. As you can see in the arial view below, it is not very far…it’s just a bit up hill, which is a great place to have a cathedral.
Aerial view of the Cathedral of Siena and the Piazza del Campo
I will now give you a few facts about the Cathedral, and then I will let the photos that I took there speak for themselves. The Cathedral took a good while to complete: its groundbreaking took place in 1196, but it was only completed 1348. Such a large church, with the limited construction amenities of the day takes a long time to complete. The exterior is wonderfully covered with carved stone.
And now, the photos of this magnificent Cathedral of Siena.
The second photo of the series is a closeup view of the lower part of the first photo. The exterior is a magnificence of carved stone.
As always, please click on the first image to get a full screen view, and then make you way through the photos. When photos begin to repeat, click on the “x” at the top right of your screen.
Did you notice the pipe organ? It is absolutely beautiful. Amd that poor lion has been holding up that column for many, many years. And the animals in tile on the floor?! The animal at the very bottom is a unicorn, and his logo in Latin says “I Live Long”…so, maybe they do exist. Maybe Big Foot and Yeti ride a Unicorn!
That’s it for today’s article from Siena, with love. It is a magnificent town in the magnificent Italian region of Tuscany. But there is one more photo from within the Cathedral of Siena. I can only assume that these people are looking at the Baby Jesus. Since He is not in swaddling clothes, perhaps they are back in Nazareth.
My Story
Perhaps it is time to tell you about my life of late. It is not a pretty story, but it is what it is and I take it as God has delivered it to me without my complaint. During the fall of 2025, my voice began to have a bit of a slur. Pursuing the cause, I was diagnosed in January of this year with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The ALS abbreviation stands for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neuron disease (MND). My particular version is known as “Bulbar ALS”, and it is less affecting of my whole body muscles, and has more impact on my throat muscles and tongue…thus the slurred voice. Right now, if we were to talk on the telephone, you would definitely have trouble understanding what I’m saying. The best thing about this Bulbar ALS is that it does not involve dementia of the brain! Yes, that is the best thing about this.
If God was looking for candidates for having ALS, I am the perfect candidate. That is because I do not need any Visiting Angels, because I have a Resident Angel in my wife of 49 years. Yes, with 5 years as a nurse, and with 39 years as a practicing physician, I am under her wonderful care daily. She even retired from practice in March to be able to attend to me. We do not plan to sit at home every day of the rest of my life…we have plans to travel here and there, including Italy in the fall!!! Yes, that’s right. So, stay tuned for more articles about Italy, our Italy.
Are you wondering if there is something you could do for me? If so, there is something you can do for me…and it is so easy if you are prone to prayer. That’s right, prayer is the best thing that you can do for me…praying that my life will continue to be filled with joy (which it is…everyday) and longevity. And, that our God will continue to bless me, my family, and my friends, in so many ways. I will continue to share my love of Italy and photography with you as long as I am able, so your prayers for that are also appreciated.
And if you are praying for me, is there something I can do for you…in the realm of photography? I can modify from color to black & white, remove things that you want removed, improve lighting, add artistic effects, switch heads from one body to another, etc. Just contact me at steveburkett1977@gmail.com,
So, as always I say “Ciao for now!”, and “May God Bless You and Yours!”
Steve