la prima settimana . . . finito!

Wow - we have finished our first week! I mentioned to the kids that today is the end of the first third of the trip, and they couldn't believe it. In one way, it feels like time is flying through the trip, but, on the other hand, they're feeling so settled in and comfortable that it's like they've been here for a long time!

Yesterday was the kids' first free day, and, besides seeing me at the breaks between class, they didn't have to deal with me at all. Well, Stephen and I had a laundry date (everything of mine is stained from the sweating in this heat), but besides that.. . . Today, we will be heading to the Fortezza which is located just on the edge of town to do a little journaling and share our experiences from this first week, plus look forward to our opportunities this weekend and next week.

A little aside about the Fortezza - most cities in Tuscany have a "Rocca", or small fortress which sits on the highest point of town, and overlooks the countryside, defending the town. Siena is a little different - their biggest foe in the medieval times was Florence, and, to defend themselves, they simply don't have any gates on the north side of the city (which is the way it is still today)! They were such rivals with Florence that, when the Guelfs overthrew the Ghibellines in Florence, Siena embraced the outcast Ghibellines with open arms. When Florence finally subjected Siena (one of the last cities in that area of Tuscany to give into the Florentine expansion), the Medici family of Florence had the Fortezza built, so that they could live there and keep an eye on the Siennese, to avoid any fumes of rebellion.

This week, we learned about the difficulty of finding ourselves in a new world, having to live a new lifestyle in a new home. This transition is extremely challenging and difficult, even for me, who returns to the same family every year! I have been so impressed with the fortitude and maturity with which your kiddos have handled these changes (in diet, in lifestyle, in living space) - truly, they made this the easiest first week for me. They appreciate the differences, but still have found a way to make themselves comfortable and settled into this new lifestyle, as well as to develop a relationship with their homestay families. We also learned a little about Siennese art history and the politics of Siena during the medieval times through the art which we have viewed. It really differs greatly from Florentine art - sure, you see the development of the incorporation of perspective, but the Siennese actually used more of the dichotomy of light and dark to emphasize and focus.

Tomorrow, we are headed to Florence for our day of culture there. For the first year ever, SPI has booked reservations for us for both the Accademia and Uffizi (no more 3-hour lines! Thank you, Jeremy and Becca!). Many tourists choose to stay in Florence, and then travel out to other cities in Toscana, but, to me, it's just another big dirty, dusty city for us to honor for a day, then return to the beauty and cleanliness of Siena. However, there are some great works we can't deny (THE David - none of those in-the-streets copies for us; the works of the great painters such a Botticelli, Raphaello, and the Dutch painters; sculptures of great artists, as well - Bernini is my favorite) which exist there, so we go! I'll also be sharing a history of art in Florence with them during our journey, so perhaps they can take something home to you afterwards!

Sunday is our official first "free day", where the kids have time to themselves to rest or to take opportunities of the events around them. Sunday is a big holy day for the Church, as well - the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, where, in Rome, the new archbishops are dedicated by the Pope outside in the Piazza di San Pietro (Vatican Square). And, in Siena, the 29th is the first official day of the Palio events. I'll share far more about the Palio on Monday with you, but here's a little about what's going to happen this weekend:
Tonight - Presentation of the drappelone, where all of the contrade's flags will be posted on the front of the Palazzo Pubblico, and will stay there until after the day of the Palio. This also means that the colors will be posted throughout the contrada - lamps are placed up on the walls, flags hung outside their windows . . . we don't decorate like this for Christmas in the U.S.!
Tomorrow - at 5 PM, the trial run on the Palio. Every year, there are about 30 horses which are chosen to be the best in the area (by veterinarians). The horses are released on the track (which is the gray part of il Campo - they laid a full packed-sand track down yesterday) to let them try out the turf.
Sunday - at 9 AM, the horses are divided into various batterie (groups), and the 10 jockeys who will compete will all wear the colors of Siena (the shield is simple - white on top, black on the bottom). Just like in every prova (practice run) and the actual Palio race on the 2nd, the last horse to enter determines the start of the race (he's called the rincorsa). At the end of this, the 10 Capitani (chosen leader of each contrada for this Palio) will meet together inside the Palazzo to choose the 10 best horses for the race.
THEN, at 1 PM is the Selection, where the 10 horses are assigned by lottery to each contrada. Each competing contrada marches in, with the jockey and Capitano at front, the leading men following along with them, the younger men just behind them, then the women and children in the back, all wearing the colors of their contrada, all singing the city Palio song. The Lottery is exactly as you'd imagine it - literally, there are 10 balls, each of which has the colors of the 10 competing contrade (out of the 17 total contrade), and 10 numbered balls, one for each horse (the number is painted on its rear). They come rolling down out of a big tumbling machine, done by the city officials in front of the Palazzo Pubblico, and a contrada is paired to a horse. From now on, the horse is the center of the celebration, treated like a king (they have their own personal human to take care of them the whole time - the barbaresco). In fact, the horse determines the winner of the Palio . . . even if it crosses the line first without its jockey, it wins. This event is quite a spectacle - if a contrada is paired with a good horse, people will be jumping for joy and yelling as they drag the terrified horse (by their jumping and yelling) back to their contrada. If a group is paired with a weaker (still one of the best among hundreds of others) horse, you'll see grown men crying in the streets, moping all the way pack with the horse to their contrada.
Finally, at 7:45 is the first trial run - the prima prova. This is the first time to have the jockey paired with the horse on the actual track, but jockeys aren't geared up - no nerbo (whip, made of a bull's tendon . . . NERVE) with which to hit each other (they tend to do this more than use it on the horse), nor zuccoto (metal helmet to keep their heads guarded from the nerbo). The starting order of the jockeys is determined days before in another lottery. Each practice run has myths attached to it, too - the first one, they say, often determines who the winner of the actual Palio will be. Last year, there was a big to-do - one of the horses got tangled up at the starting line, got its leg caught in the rope, and fell, hurting its leg (the contrada didn't get to compete, but the horse lived on) and taking a few other horses and jockeys down at first. The entire city had an ominous feeling about it. In fact, when the actual Palio happened, there was a discrepancy for about 20 minutes in the town before they determined the actual winner - and they felt that the fall in the first race was almost something that cursed the whole festa.

More to share about this event next week, but I'll be encouraging the kids to join me for everything on Sunday in town!

Off to Florence!

Grazie,
Laura :)