Torre del Mangia Siena

Strolling around Siena in the mid morning sunlight and stopping to have a cool gelato on the steps of the Duomo is just one of  those delightful experiences that firmly imprint on your memory.

And nothing could dampen our fond memories of Siena, even though our car was broken into and our traveling companion, a stuffed dog named Chili, and Paula’s driving glasses were taken. This was the only unpleasant incident we experienced during our time traveling around Europe.

So onto ‘What you need to know about Siena’

Siena (also often spelled Sienna) is the capital of the province of Siena and is in Tuscany, Italy.  In 1995, the beautiful, historic City centre was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  This means that the state still owns Siena but it is considered of International importance to preserve the site.

Brief History of Siena

Siena was first inhabited by an Etruscan tribe called the Saina.  They made a settlement there from around 900 BC to 400 BC, building irrigation channels to improve the land.

During the rule of the Emperor Augustus, the Romans took over and called the town Saena Julia.  This is where Siena got its emblem of a female wolf suckling the baby twins, Romulus and Remus.  Rome itself was named after Romulus and legend has it that Siena was founded by the son of Remus, Senius.

Siena didn’t do well under Roman rule mostly due to its situation.  It was off the beaten track and so traders passed by.  It was so isolated that Christianity didn’t reach there until 400 AD.  About 100 years later, the Germanic Lombards invaded Sienna, re-routing roads and bringing prosperity to the town.  It also served as a resting place for pilgrims travelling to and from Rome.

In 774, the Lombards surrendered to Charlemagne and many abbeys were founded during this time.  The feudal system lasted until 1115 with the death of Countess Matilda and the area was broken up into several smaller regions.

However, Siena continued to prosper and became a large centre for money lending and trading wool.  It was originally run by the Bishop but during a dispute with a neighbouring city, Arezzo, the Bishop gave away a lot of power in exchange for help.  This culminated in Siena declaring independence and by 1179 it had its’ own written constitution.

This began the period that started the building of the Siena that exists today.  Most of the construction of the Cathedral (called the Duomo) was finished in the early 1200′s.  The Piazza del Campo became the centre with new streets built to lead to it.  Siena’s University, still famed today for law and medicine, was founded in 1240.  Throughout the 1200′s and 1300′s, Siena was a rival to Florence in the Arts and many examples of late Medieval and early Renaissance art still exist today.

Siena still keeps its ‘ward’ or area set-up from medieval times.  Each ward has its own identity, an animal emblem or mascot and its own boundary.  During the annual horse race in the Piazza del Campo, these ward rivalries can be seen in action!

What should I go to see if I visit?

The Duomo – This is Siena’s Cathedral.  Building began in the twelfth century and the façade was finally finished in 1380.

It is one of the greatest examples of Italian Romanesque architecture and is very unusual for a Christian Cathedral because it has an axis running north to south.  This is because the original aim was for it to be the largest Cathedral ever built and it would have a north south transept and an east west aisle as all Cathedrals do.

However, after the transept and the east wall were built, there was no money left in the budget and so building came to an abrupt halt.

The east wall still exists today and visitors may climb it by means of an internal staircase.

The Cathedral also houses a famous Gothic pulpit built in the 1260′s.

Piazza del Campo - the town square which includes the gothic Palazzo Pubblico which is the Town Hall and also an art museum housing some fine medieval pieces.

The Torre del Mangia - a tower in Piazza del Campo built between 1325 and 1348.  The clock was put onto the tower in 1360.   The tower and the Duomo were purposely built to exactly the same height to show that the Church and the state were equal in power.  The tower walls are around 11 feet thick and the stairs to the top are cramped allowing for one way traffic only.  Only 25 visitors are allowed up the tower at any one time.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena – the oldest bank in the world.  Founded in 1472 and still operating today with around 28,000 employees.  It is on the Piazza Salimbeni in the building called Palazzo Samlimbeni.  It houses an amazing art collection and pricelss historical documents sadly not often on view to the public.  However, it is well worth a visit.  How often do you get to step inside a medieval bank?

Sanctuary of Santa Caterina – and the home of Saint Catherine of Siena.  It holds a crucifix which dates back to the late 12^th Century from which Catherine is said to have been given her stigmata, as well as a 15^th Century statue of the Saint.  Catherine lived from March 1347 to April 1380 and was the youngest of 25 children.  At age 19 she experienced a ‘marriage’ to Christ and dedicated her life to him, corresponding with contemporary luminaries including Pope Gregory XI.  She called him ‘Papa’ in many of the 300 letters which survive.  Her body is buried in Rome.  In 1940 Pope Pius XII named her as a joint patron saint of Italy (along with Saint Francis of Assisi).  She is also the patroness of the American sorority, Theta Phi Alpha.

Gardens - including the Orto Botanico dell’Università di Siena, a famous botanical garden.

Jazz - the Siena Jazz School which is housed in the Medicean Fortress, runs courses and concerts all year round.  Concerts are held in the town squares and in other towns in the province of Siena.

If you love history and art then Siena is a dream place to visit.  Make sure it’s on your itinerary for a trip you’ll never forget. We had a lovely time strolling around taking in the beauty of Siena and the surrounding countryside.

One of the biggest concerns when vacationing abroad is how to avoid cholera when you are traveling. Getting sick in a foreign country is a scary thought. However there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from coming down with a nasty bug when out and about in a less developed country.

Let’s break avoiding disease down into the type of travel you’re planning. If you’ll be staying in hotels and eating at restaurants then you’ll take a much different tactic than if you’re backpacking in a remote area.

Typical tourist travelers only need to take a few simple precautions. The most obvious one is “don’t drink the water” order bottled water to drink and even for brushing your teeth. If you get a drink in a restaurant get it without ice cubes.  Make sure your  avoid any leafy vegetables. They could have been rinsed off in contaminated water. Instead stick with fruits and veggies that have a thick peel like bananas, oranges, and avocados. A little bit of common sense is all it takes to keep healthy on your trip.

I always carry a small bottle of  hand sanitzer gel which is a hand cleaning agent that doesn’t require water. Simply squirt a splosh into your palm and rub your hands together to get rid of germs and bacteria. Hand sanitizer is also available in handy to carry wipes.

Backpackers don’t have the same luxuries as the typical tourist. If you’ve decided to hike and pack in to remote areas then you have to have a water purifier. There are all sorts of commercial models out there. You can add chemicals to treat the water as well. But by far the safest thing you can do is boil your water before using it for anything.  It’s bad enough to get sick, but it’s even worse when you are far away from home and any sort of medical care.

Watching what you eat and drink and purifying the water is your best bet when thinking about how to avoid cholera when you are traveling. A little bit of forethought can prevent any nasty incidents and let you enjoy a well-earned vacation.

When Paula and I were in Venice we were captivated by the amazing array of Venetian masks available for sale.

The workmanship and attention to detail is quite extraordinary and they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles.

And because this is not an item that you want to jam into your suitcase you will find that most stores will arrange to ship your chosen mask home.

So what is it that inspired the Venetians to wear masks in times gone by. I wouldn’t mind betting that it was a cover up for when they were getting up to no good.

Well lets just take a sneek peek into the history of the Venetian Mask.

Venetian masks have a long and interesting history. Originally citizens of every rank and station wore them so that they could communicated freely and openly with any member of society, without fear of reprisal or recrimination.

It was  thought that by hiding a wearer’s identity every party was able to conduct business on an equal level. The lowliest servant could speak with a lord directly and honestly. Of course what starts out as a good idea often has it’s own pitfalls. The Venetian mask was no exception.

While it may have sounded like a good idea at the time the masks quickly became a tool during times of debauchery and promiscuity. It’s simply amazing what people will get up to when their identity is concealed. While wearing a mask they were free  to  conduct themselves in the most outrageous manner.  This led to a freer and more open society. And of course the church took umbrage with this and soon issued an edict outlawing the wearing of masks.

It was too late though, the masks were popular, and so the church relented and allowed the wearing of them between the day after Christmas and the day before Lent.

What has this evolved into? The typical Mardi Gras mask! The flamboyant decorations of today owe their roots to a societal attempt at equality. One could argue that the mask still serves the same purpose that it did centuries ago. All one has to do is checkout a Mardi Gras parade to see revelers in masks behaving in ways you would never expect were they showing their faces and could be recognized.

There are many types of masks and each has a particular significance. Some are full faced and others are half masks, then there are the colombina, jester and the long nosed Zanni, Scaromouche and many others  all with stories behind their development.

True Venetian masks are absolute works of art. Venetian artisans craft elaborate masks with jewels, folded paper, faux fur, feathers and all manner of accouterments,  and there will definitely be one to suit you.  They range in size from very small intricate masks to very large wall or meant to be worn masks.

The next time your travels take you through Venice take some time out to check out some of the this beautiful craftwork and pick up one for yourself? It will make a great decoration for the home or as part of a costume the next time you attend a masquerade ball.

Here are just a few of the beautiful masks that we saw on sale in Venice.  You can also purchase rather nice masks for parties and Mardi Gras from Amazon.com

Most people know that convicts were sent to Australia…but how much do you really know?  Here’s our guide to Port Arthur – the penitentiary where the very worst of male convicts ended their days.

Where is Port Arthur?

Port Arthur is on the island of Tasmania, off the south east coast of Australia.  As if that wasn’t remote enough, it is situated on the south east corner of the island, about 75km from Hobart.

When Port Arthur was built, Tasmania was still called “Van Diemen’s Land”.  The first European to explore Tasmania was a Dutchman called Abel Tasman.  He called the island Anthoonif van Diemenslandt to honour Anthony Van Diemen who was the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies.  It was Van Diemen who sponsored Tasman’s voyage of exploration in 1642.

In 1803, the British colonised Van Diemen’s Land as a penal colony which became part of New South Wales.  In 1842 the island became a stand-alone colony.  It was given responsibility for its’ own government in 1856 and the name, Tasmania – after the man who discovered it.

Brief History of ‘Transportation’

Van Diemen’s Land was the main penal colony in Australia from the 1830′s to 1853.  The sending of convicts to these colonies was called ‘penal transportation’, most commonly shortened to ‘transportation’.  It ended in 1853 because so many Victorians complained about convicts who had served their term, been released and then went on to re-offend, mainly in Victoria and Melbourne.

The settler population was mostly made up of by convicts and their descendants until huge numbers of people flooded into Australia during the Gold Rushes of the 1850′s.

When transportation to New South Wales was stopped in 1840, all convicts went to Van Diemen’s Land.  40% of all convicts sent to Australia ended up there.  That translates to over 75,000 convicts!

Men and women were separated.  There were five workhouse prisons for women, known as ‘factories’.  Women who were lucky enough to avoid this were given jobs in ordinary households.

Men were given jobs in hard labor, working in supervised gangs.  The worst of them – about one in every five –  were sent to Port Arthur.

When was it built?

Port Arthur was built in 1830 on the site of a timber station.  It was named after the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, George Arthur.

As well as the most rebellious of predominantly English and Irish prisoners, it housed those who had served their time and then re-offended.  As a result, it employed some of the strictest security measures.  It also housed boys as young as nine – many of them had been arrested for stealing bread or a toy.  Today, it seems unthinkable that these children should be in the same area as hardened criminals.  They were kept at the first boys’ prison of the British Empire, called Port Puer  and were put to hard labor including stone cutting and construction.  They helped to build the Gothic church at Port Arthur.

Port Arthur was ideally situated for a prison, being on a peninsula surrounded by (reputedly) shark infested waters.  The only connection to the mainland was a 30 meter wide strip of land which was fenced and guarded by soldiers and dogs that were all kept half starved.

Most Bizarre Escape Attempt…

Nevertheless, there were rare escapes and many attempted escapes.  The most bizarre attempt had to be by George Hunt, who disguised himself in a kangaroo skin and tried to hop across the narrow neck of the peninsula.  The starving guards tried to shoot the tasty ‘kangaroo’.  Hunt threw off the animal skin and gave himself up – receiving 150 lashes as punishment.

Desperate Prison…to Tourist Attraction

The site ceased to be used as a Prison in 1877.   The old prison buildings were destroyed by fires in 1895 and 1897 and the land was sold off to the public.  A new community called ‘Carnarvon’ was established.

Tourism was embraced almost immediately, to bring a welcome income to Carnarvon.  By 1927, this was so successful that the area reverted to the original name of Port Arthur.  In 1916, the site began to be managed by the Scenery Preservation Board.  By the 1970′s, the National Parks and Wildlife Service took over.  Funding was given to preserve the site because of its’ history.  Several of the magnificent buildings erected by convicts were covered in ivy and overgrown.  These were cleaned and restored to how they would have looked when first built.

Since 1987, the site has been managed by the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority which is funded by the Tasmanian Government.

What can I see there?

The site has more than thirty buildings, restored period homes and ruins, set in a 90 acre (40 hectare) site of beautifully landscaped grounds.  You can eat a family meal (with childrens’ menu) or dinner, featuring fresh local produce and local wines at the aptly named Felon’s Bistro or Port Café in the Visitor’s Centre.  There is also a gift shop and the Centre hires out wheelchairs and strollers.  You can also store backpacks there while you visit.  The Museum Coffee Shop in the Asylum building offers light meals and snacks.

Here’s a guide to some of the highlights of Port Arthur.

Buildings

• Penitentiary – This was built as a flour mill in 1843 and was converted in 1857 into a dormitory that housed over 480 convicts. The building also contains a mess room, library and Catholic chapel. Alongside it, were the Watchmens’ Quarters, workshops and a complex for the men to wash in.

• Separate (or Model) Prison – In 1848, the Victorians decided that punishment of the mind was more devastating than punishment of the body. Flogging was replaced by solitary confinement. This prison had 80 cells and was built in the shape of a cross with exercise yards around a chapel and central hall. The “Silent System” of punishment was used where prisoners were hooded and made to stay silent. The idea was for them to have time to reflect on their actions although in reality, many of them suffered horribly from sensory deprivation.

• Officers’ Row – This consists of five buildings constructed during the 1840′s. These were for the most important officials of Port Arthur. The five are:

1.       The Junior Medical Officer’s House built in 1848.

2.       The Parsonage, built in 1842.

3.       The Accountant’s House built in 1842.

4.       The Magistrate and Surgeon’s House, built in 1847 and

5.       The Roman Catholic Chaplain’s House built in 1843.

Of these five, the first two are furnished as they would have been originally and are open to visitors.

• Commandant’s Residence - The Commandant was top man at Port Arthur. The house started as a wooden cottage in 1833 but evolved into a multi-roomed home in ornate gardens. It was separated from the rest of the colony by high stone walls. When Port Arthur closed, it became the Carnarvon Hotel and then a guest house up unitl the 1930′s.
• Dockyards – From 1834 to 1848, Port Arthur was a place of shipbuilding. Over seventy convicts sawed timber and labored to build fifteen large wooden boats and over one hundred and forty smaller ones. The dockyards housed a blacksmith’s forge, sawpits, steamers to bend timber, a shed for rigging and many other workshops. This is also the site of the Master Shipwright’s Residence, built in 1834.
• Church – Built from wood and stone in 1836 – 1837 by convicts, the Church could hold over 1,000 people. It was never consecrated because so many denomenations used it. The authorities believed they could reform the prisoners through religion but this was largely a failure. The Church was gutted by fire in 1884 and has had intense conservation work.
• Hospital – This was the third hospital built at Port Arthur, in 1841 – 1842. Accidents were common due to the dangerous labor undertaken by the convicts. The staff consisted of one Doctor and several untrained convicts who worked as assistants.

Guided tours

• Historical Walking Tour – This is the best way to start your visit to Port Arthur. An expert guide will tell you about the site and its’ history. Tours leave from the Visitors’ Center.
• Audio Tours – Take a single player or share with a friend and tour the 25 stops at your own speed. This atmospheric tour will let you hear how Port Arthur would have sounded. It also includes history, readings from contemporary books and diaries and music. Hear the stories and sounds of Port Arthur where they happened.
• Isle of the Dead Cemetery Tour – This is a small island in the harbor where all those who died between 1833 and 1877 ended up. 1,646 graves are known to exist but only 180 of them are marked – not surprisingly, those of prison staff and members of the militia. Join the 30 minute guided tour and enjoythe short ferry crossing, giving you a different view of Port Arthur. Comfortable clothing (that is suitable for the weather) and shoes are recommended.
• Point Puer Boys’ Prison Tour – Between 1834 and 1849, over 3,000 boys passed through this prison. The tour includes a short ferry ride to Point Puer and a walking tour with an expert guide.
• Ghost Tour - This highly popular tour almost merits its’ own article but here are the main points:
• Tours last 90 minutes and start at the Visitors’ Centre.
• There are several tours each evening (twice in winter and four times in summer) and run every night except December 25th.
• The tours are never cancelled due to bad weather – it adds to the atmosphere!
• There are no special effects but the stories and atmosphere create their own scary experience…
• Wear warm, comfortable clothing and footwear – no high heels! Umbrellas are not allowed (so that you don’t jab someone with it by accident in the dark!) so if it’s wet, bear this in mind.
• The tour is popular with older children but if your child is prone to nightmares, give it a miss.
• If your child is disruptive during the tour, you will be asked to leave it.
• Booking in advance is essential as this tour is so popular and each tour has a maximum of 30 people. Call 1 800 659 101
• If your mobility is poor or you are in a wheelchair, please be aware that only a third of the tour is suitable for wheelchairs. Roughly 2 kms of walking are involved, often in poor light, on uneven ground and many steps.
• Still cameras may be used but only with a flash when the guide permits.
• Video cameras are not allowed.
• Smoking, alcohol and other substances are not permitted.

Booking

To book tickets for Port Arthur tours, click here.

Was Your Ancestor a Convict?

Through an ongoing Research Project, a database is being worked on which names those who came through Port Arthur.  This includes male convicts and also females who worked as servants or had some association with the colony.

Records will include details of

• The original place of trial
• The offense resulting in transportation
• Sentence
• Place of origin
• Age on arrival
• Trade
• Any offences committed after arriving in the colony
• Freedoms gained and locations incarcerated

Port Arthur offers an online enquiry service, with a limited research and transcription service for anyone researching convicts in Tasmania – regardless of whether they were at Port Arthur or not.

Visitors to Port Arthur can visit the Convict Study Centre in the Asylum.  The Visitors’ Centre also has many useful books on Convicts, Convict Records and Ships that sailed to the colony.

Tragedy at Port Arthur

On 28^th April 1996, Martin Bryant aged 28 went on a deadly shooting spree at Port Arthur which claimed the lives of 35 people and injured 21 others.  He is now serving 35 life sentences with no possibility of parole.  This was Australia’s most awful killing spree and one of the worst, worldwide.

The Port Arthur website respectfully asks visitors not to question staff about that day, as many had relatives or friends who were killed or injured.  There is a memorial center for those who died.

Book your trip with Expedia and enjoy the Expedia Best Price Guarantee!