Latest news with #Sienese
The Herald Scotland
03-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
I discovered a fascinating link between Scotland and the art of Siena
Siena, helped by its position on the Via Francigena, an important pilgrim and trade route to Rome, had risen as a centre of culture as well as of commerce after it defeated its rival Florence in 1260. Architecture and art in all forms flourished and Sienese painters, originally influenced by byzantine art, began to move away from stylized and devotional representations towards more secular, narrative portrayals. Some feature skilfully executed architecture, many are decorative and lyrical and others notable for the expressive and poetic faces. For those not lucky enough to be able to visit Siena, the exhibition Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300 - 1350 running at the National Gallery, London until June 22 contains fine examples. The artists included the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini but it was undoubtedly Duccio who was the master. Fresco by Pinturicchio in the Piccolomini Library showing Aneas Silvius Piccolomino meeting King James I of Scotland (Image: unknown) It was in recognition that he had created something superb that the procession of the Maestà was arranged. To show it off it did not however, take the direct route to the cathedral but a more circuitous one and I realised that by following it, even today I would discover much of the art and architecture for which Siena is famous. The procession in fact headed straight down to the newly built Piazza del Campo which the year before had hosted the very first Palio, the horse race which still takes place every summer. It is a unique scallop-shaped space of great charm which, then as now, quickly established itself as the heart of Siena. Sheltered by tall imposing buildings and edged with cafes, there are fewer more pleasant places to sit and relax. Within the piazza is the town hall, the Palazzo Pubblico, an impressive example of medieval/gothic civic architecture. This was commissioned by The Nine, the governing body of the city, together with a series of magnificent frescoes still to be found in almost every room. The most outstanding are the enormous Allegories of Good and Bad Government painted in 1338 by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, which not only reminded citizens of the importance of good governance and the potential consequences of bad decisions but also provide us today with an unparalleled glimpse of 14th century Tuscan life. Piazza del Campo (Image: Visit Tuscany) Here too in the Sala del Mappamondo is Simone Martini's Maestà painted just after Duccio's as well as his fresco portrait of the mounted warlord Giudoricco da Fogiano, between the castles he had conquered, resplendent in the same striking livery as his horse. This is one of the first truly secular paintings created with both realism and imagination. From the Piazza the procession did not have far to travel to the cathedral but the followers may not have seen all its wonders as we do today because it took many years to complete. Conversely, if we want to see Duccio's Maestà now (many Sienese art works were lent to the London exhibition but this one remained firmly at home) we need to cross over to the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana. There I sat quietly and contemplated the glorious masterpiece which, although stripped of some predellas and smaller paintings, still finds itself 714 years later at (almost) its original location. It remained on the high altar for some years and was then moved around the cathedral several times before being dismembered and sections sold off in the eighteenth century. It was moved to its present location in 1878 and now some 33 of the smaller sections are found in 10 collections in I 5 countries. Hotel Duomo in Siena (Image: Hotel Duomo) Before leaving the cathedral complex, I entered the Piccolomini Library where I came upon a fascinating link between Siena and Scotland. Amongst the frescos painted by Pinturicchio around 1505 there is one depicting King James 1 of Scotland receiving Aeneas Silivius Piccolmini, the future Pope Pius II. The king sits enthroned under a loggia surrounded by courtiers but there is nothing remotely Scottish about this rather enchanting scene. The style of the clothing is entirely Italian and the background, a lake on which a gondola-like boat sails, is as different from the Firth of Forth as one can imagine. Yet such a meeting did occur. In 1335 Aenaes Silvius, aged 30, did go to meet the Scottish monarch in Edinburgh on a mysterious diplomatic mission. He had many adventures including a shipwreck - he also got a Sienese lady pregnant…Later, another famous Scotsman, James Boswell while ostensibly looking at art on his Grand Tour also had several dalliances in Siena and was in fact the love object of Girolama Piccolomino, a situation from which he apparently, 'beat a hasty retreat.' Read more Of course Siena has much more to offer than art; there are numerous excellent restaurants: La Taverna del Capitano, Enoteca I Terzi, Ristorante il Particolare, Ristorante San Desidero and Ristorante il Tufo were amongst those wherein I enjoyed good local dishes. There are also all the smart shops one expects from a thriving Italian city but why not take the opportunity in this city so imbued with art, to buy enduring treasures from local artist and crafts people? A complete list of artisans can be found at For truly exquisite paintings ( expensive but worth it considering work involved) Chiara Perinetti Casoni together with her brother Paolo, use the old traditional techniques of wood, egg tempera and gilding to produce both copies and enchanting original works which capture the essence of the Sienese masters. Several other people including Marco Caratelli, offer similar works Siena is not only a beautiful city in itself but the visitor will find within it a unique treasure trove of beautiful things to enjoy. Duccio 's Maestà (Image: free) FACT BOX Patricia Cleveland-Peck travelled to Florence courtesy of Vueling Airlines. Flights from Edinburgh connect via Barcelona. She was hosted by Tuscany Official Tourism She stayed at the Hotel Duomo, Siena Thanks too to the Comune di Siena, Councillor Mrs Vanna Giunti and Veronika Wobbe. Also to the city guides, Giulia, Lucovica and Anna
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Glossy food travel show with Hollywood star is airing on TV tonight
Glossy, cinematic and hosted by a movie star, the latest travel show has been given the Hollywood treatment, as Tucci In Italy airs right now on Disney+. It's no longer enough to just be a travel show - this one is a 'cinematic journey through food, culture and history'. Pretentious much? Fortunately, award-winning actor Stanley Tucci, who seems to have morphed into a foodie type recently, is completely captivating in this stylish series. The 64-year-old American, born to parents of Italian descent, embarks on this culinary voyage across five regions of Italy, exploring the essence, traditions and flavours of each. He even manages to speak a bit of Italian. Tucci meets with locals, chefs, fellow foodies, fishermen, artisans and even cowboys to unearth hidden gems and untold stories, resulting in a filmic journey across the full series. With National Geographic's signature immersive storytelling, the series offers a fresh perspective on both well-loved and undiscovered corners of Italy, guided by Stanley's signature wit and charm. He says: 'I believe that the best way to understand what makes a country and a people unique is through their food. And this is true nowhere more than Italy where even the shape of your pasta and the sauce you serve it with, speaks directly to identity. Italy is a feast for the senses, and this is an invitation to the table. It's about more than just the food; it's about the people, the history, and the passion that makes Italy so special. I hope you'll join me on this new adventure. I believe that eating well is inspiring, and I hope to inspire viewers to embrace the beauty and richness of Italian culture.' From a lavish Sienese feast in Tuscany to a futuristic farm-to-table experience in Lombardy, from pine needle pesto to wild seafood, Stanley experiences Italy through his stomach. And with his storytelling and stunning camerawork, it's all a joy to watch. Chris Packham explores a subject that's very close to his heart in this emotional instalment, since his stepdaughter Megan is dyslexic. Megan says to Chris: 'I have a vivid memory of you walking into my room, and I must have only been six or seven, with a pile of books in your arms. It was a big intimidating pile, a big reminder of something I couldn't do. To this day, if anyone hands me a book, it still stresses me out.' Chris adds: 'I would read to you up until the last two paragraphs of a cliffhanger and leave the page open to see if you were so enraptured in the story that you would finish it, but you never did.' The naturalist, who has Asperger's syndrome, has been making documentaries about neurodivergent minds, looking at autism, ADHD and now dyslexia, which affects around one in ten people in the UK. Determined to help those who are 'misunderstood', he gives people the chance to make a powerful short film, bringing their experiences to life. He says: 'While a difficulty reading and spelling is at the core of any dyslexia diagnosis, most dyslexic people will tell you that they also experience problems in a wide range of things - from memory to organisation.' Chris meets construction site manager Lee, 53, who was only diagnosed recently and says his dyslexia gives him 'tremendous anxiety'. He's only ever read one book. Chris also meets psychotherapist Suiki, 35, who struggles to order her thoughts and recall information, especially under pressure. It's a Great British lunch-time obsession - something we all like to discuss endlessly. Which sandwich did you get? Which flavour crisps? Did that include a Mars Bar? Was it under a fiver? Joe Swash is excitedly yelling his head off in this interesting little documentary that analyses the Meal Deal, dubbed by one expert here as 'British tapas' - bit of a stretch. Joe says: 'A meal deal represents two things that I love most, eating and getting a bargain. 'You may think that me and my missus live a life of glitz and glamour but really me and Stacey love nothing more than sitting on the sofa and debating the big subjects like 'What are we here for?', 'What is the meaning of life?' and 'Which snack is going to get me the most savings on my meal deal?' Bringing us the shocking stat that Brits eat five million meal deals every day, Joe investigates everything there is to know about this consumer phenomenon. Harry is on a drip in the hospital and Mackenzie is a pariah. Moira awaits the bill for the slurry spill clean-up, pessimistic about the farm's prospects. After 16 years of farming the land through tragedy and trauma, the refusal of the insurers to cover for Mackenzie's recklessness has Moira convinced that this is the death knell for her tenure of the farm. Sarah's keeping her appointment at the fertility clinic a secret. Nicola catastrophises about the village water supply. Lauren is having a difficult time as she struggles with Jimmy. Peter is trying to support her, but is worried about her past issues with addiction. With Jean and Mo away, Lily and Freddie are trying to run the Slater house alone as Stacey refuses to leave her bedroom. Zack gets word from Whitney that she's found a safe place for her and the girls to live, somewhere Nicola won't find them. Nigel feels sad on the day of Clare's 40th. Bernie catches Brody shoplifting. Kit goes after him and lets slip to Mick that Lou isn't as loyal as he likes to think. Craig arrives for work to shadow Kit as part of his CID placement, while making plans for an internet date that evening. After being largely ignored by Kit all day, Craig tells Lisa that Kit doesn't rate his work. Lisa urges him to prove Kit wrong. When Craig is called to investigate a disturbance, he sees his chance.
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Stanley Tucci Goes Back To Italy In The Food Show We Didn't Know We Needed
There's no shortage of food travel shows, but few have found their groove quite like Stanley Tucci. The actor-turned-cultural translator has become a kind of internet-approved food dad: stylish, unbothered, and genuinely interested in what's on the plate—and who put it there. In Tucci in Italy, premiering May 18 on National Geographic, he digs deeper than ever into the relationship between food, place, and identity. It's not about chasing viral dishes or dressing dinner up with overly curated aesthetics. In a moment when a lot of food content leans into soft-focus aspiration—perfect pantries, slow-pour olive oil, and Nara Smith-style serenity—Tucci's approach is refreshingly direct. He's not selling a lifestyle. He's honoring a lineage. At a time when food shows either lean into chaos (cue the competitions) or aspirational living, Tucci in Italy lands in a quieter, more grounded space. It's not about spectacle—it's about story. And in 2025, that feels like the reset we didn't know we needed. Tucci doesn't just visit cities—he traces the emotional and historical imprint of each dish, anchoring it in lived experience. It's the rare show that satisfies our craving for context as much as our appetite for pasta. With over 1.3 million Instagram followers and a top 20 ranking on YouGov's list of America's most popular actors, Tucci brings more than charm to the table—he brings trust, taste, and an audience ready to follow him anywhere. The five-episode series follows Tucci across Tuscany, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Abruzzo, and Lazio. Produced by Tucci's SALT Productions alongside BBC Studios, the series skips the surface-level foodie tour and opts for something more personal. In Tuscany, where Tucci once lived as a teenager, he samples an unexpected local breakfast, rides out with traditional cowboys, and joins a grand Sienese feast that captures the spirit of the region. In Lombardy, he explores Italy's industrial engine through a culinary lens—tasting futuristic farm-to-table menus, investigating one of the world's most expensive ingredients, and dining at a rest stop that's anything but average. Trentino-Alto Adige takes Tucci into new territory: skiing down Alpine slopes, fly fishing glacial rivers, and eating slope-side polenta in a region where Italian and German identities blend in the kitchen. Abruzzo is rugged and surprising. It's Tucci's first time there, and he leans into the wildness—grilling mutton in sheep country, sharing Sunday lunch with a French twist, and tracing the sugary roots of Italy's iconic confetti almonds. Finally, in Lazio, Tucci steps outside of Rome to explore the region's rural soul. He tries porchetta from Ariccia, rustic fish soup, and a springtime lamb dish that speaks to a deeper connection between simplicity and seasonality. Executive producers Stanley Tucci and Lottie Birmingham (SALT Productions), Amanda Lyon and Ben Jessop (BBC Studios), and the National Geographic team back a show that doesn't just travel—it listens. Tucci in Italy isn't food TV to escape with; it's food TV that brings you home. The series premieres May 18 at 8/7c on National Geographic, with episodes streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Washington Post
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A painting of a miracle that's nothing less than a miracle
Great Works, In Focus • #189 A painting of a miracle that's nothing less than a miracle In its raw artistic power, Duccio's 'The Raising of Lazarus' connects to Aretha Franklin's own storytelling masterpiece six centuries later. Expand the image Click to zoom in Column by Sebastian Smee March 27, 2025 4 min Duccio di Buoninsegna was the radical, poetic artist who guided a group of other artists working in Siena, Italy, in the 14th century. As the recent Siena exhibition in New York so beautifully demonstrated, these artists helped redefine Western painting for centuries to come. None of these Sienese artists survived the Black Death. But Duccio had meanwhile breathed new life into painting. He 'opened up a door through which others could pass,' as Hisham Matar wrote in 'A Month in Siena.' 'The Raising of Lazarus,' one of the great treasures at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, was painted — patiently, and with unmatched delicacy and fluidity — in egg tempera and gold in 1310-1311. Originally, it formed part of a giant altarpiece known as the Maestà for the high altar of Siena Cathedral. This small panel was positioned near the base, or predella, the last in a sequence of images showing scenes from the Passion before Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement A born storyteller, Duccio was acutely alert to nuances of emotion. He wanted to depict biblical history as though it were a contemporary event. That may be why, when I see 'The Raising of Lazarus,' I can't help but think of another artist who told this story — not in paint but in song. In 1972, Aretha Franklin performed 'Mary, Don't You Weep' with a gospel choir at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. 'We're going to review the story of two sisters called Mary and Martha,' she sang, her matter-of-factness oddly reminiscent of Duccio's. 'They had a brother named Lazarus.' Franklin sings of how Lazarus, a follower of Jesus, had died while Jesus was away. Drowning in grief, Mary ran to Jesus, saying: ''Master. My sweet Lord.'' In the song, Franklin repeats the word 'my' 10 times, oscillating back and forth between two gasping notes. ''If you had've been here,'' she sings, ''my brother wouldn't have died.'' Sobered up by this terrible accusation, the song briefly reverts to a quieter mode: 'Jesus said: 'Come on and show me. Show me where you buried him. Show me where you laid him down.'' But the high drama returns when Jesus is brought before the tomb of Lazarus. (This is the part of the story Duccio painted.) Ventriloquizing Jesus, Franklin sings 'Lazarus' three times. Before the second, she launches into a high-pitched hum: ''Mm-mm, Lazarus!'' For the third, she hits an astonishing high note, almost a scream — 'LA-ZARUS!' What follows is one of the most powerful musical moments I know. The choir pursues this third 'Lazarus' with two undulating, sirenlike notes that echo Mary's earlier anguish ('My my, my my …') and that instantly conjure the moment's spookiness, the sheer unlikely power of what Jesus has just done. You may consider it a stretch, but what Franklin and her church choir did in 1972 is exactly what Duccio was doing 660 years earlier. Notice the man removing the lid of the upright sarcophagus. (Underpainting suggests Duccio originally painted it horizontal.) Then look at the man in the yellow cloak, covering his nose and mouth. Is it a simple gesture of shock? Or is he protecting himself from the foul smell of Lazarus, who has been dead four days? Unlike the rest of the gathered crowd, Mary and Martha are focused not on Lazarus but on Jesus. This unites them with their brother, who has just opened his uncomprehending eyes. The moment is too fraught and uncanny for anything so saccharine as happiness. Lazarus's body is still tightly wrapped in its shroud. A moment ago — gah! — he was dead. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Like Franklin, Duccio used color, gesture, composition, character and a crowded chorus of concerned onlookers to bring the story, and Lazarus, to life. I use that phrase deliberately, because I suspect its implications go to the heart of why we have art. We are mortal. Vulnerable in our mortality, we love. For the same reason, we are always losing what we love. Helplessly, we accuse the world — as Mary accused Jesus — of being complicit in our mounting losses. Art is there to do, in a sense, what Jesus did to Lazarus, and what Duccio and Franklin did to their art forms: to open up a door, to recoup the losses, with stories, song and images. To bring what we love back to life.
Telegraph
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Forget tourist-clogged Florence – this is Tuscany's best city by a mile
The Piazza del Campo, Siena's main square, is surely the most theatrical public space in the whole of Tuscany. Shaped like a giant scallop shell, it forms a sort of amphitheatre where the main roads which once led into the city met on a gentle slope near the top of this ancient hill town. The cobbled arena slopes gently down to the most impressive of the buildings which surround the piazza – the civic hall, a crenellated red-brick medieval palace with a stepped façade, a lower storey encrusted in white marble and rows of gothic windows trimmed with the same stone. Sprouting from one side is the great, top-heavy tower – the tallest in Italy when it was finished in 1348. It is this remarkable building that I have come to see. The clue to its historic significance is in its official name – the Palazzo Pubblico. It wasn't built by a domineering seigniorial family like the Medici or by domineering dukes like those of Mantua or Milan. This was a public – or perhaps better – a people's palace, the home of a unique system of government which was developed after Siena became a republic in 1280. A ruling council of nine men – the Nove – was established and its members were elected on rotation. It was hardly what we would think of as a democracy – these men were chosen from an elite of only 500 out of a population of about 80,000. But the Nove provided a common vision and the stability needed for Siena to develop an international banking and trading empire which brought with it enormous wealth, as well as a fierce rivalry with its Tuscan neighbour, Florence. Florence usually triumphed in military encounters, but by the middle of the 14th century, Siena was one of the most progressive, powerful and richest city states in the world. And the way that Siena best liked to demonstrate its status was through art and architecture. The lavish building projects underway in the first half of the 14th century were unparalleled in Europe – and even its great rival Florence had to bow to the artists who flourished here. Duccio, Simone Martin, and the Lorenzetti brothers, Pietro and Ambrogio, were among the most celebrated painters of their time. As a new exhibition of medieval Sienese art which opens at the National Gallery today demonstrates, it was a city in love with colour and extravagance. But while you can enjoy some of its most stunning artistic treasures in the London exhibition, the greatest of all can only be seen in Siena itself. Most appealing, in my view, is the series of frescoes on the walls of one of the state rooms where the Nove met in the Palazzo Pubblico. Made by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and his workshop in 1338-1339, they illustrate and contrast the consequences of good and bad government. The National Gallery curators describe them as 'one of the most exceptional visualisations of the mechanisms of government and its moral purpose ever made.' For the casual viewer, they are also a highly engaging insight into Siena when it was at the peak of its glory, 700 years ago. The 46ft-long mural of the Well-Governed City depicts the Siena as a jumble of towers and buildings – you can spot the green and white marble stripes of the cathedral in the distance, while the foreground is full of vignettes of everyday life. There is a wedding party, a teacher lecturing in a school room, men playing a board game, huntsmen heading for the forest and reapers working in the fields beyond. By contrast on the wall opposite, the Badly Governed City depicts a society dominated by a tyrant. The figure of Justice lies captive and bound, tormented by Cruelty and Deceit, Fury and War. Unlike the Well-Governed City, the streets are half-empty, the houses are beginning to fall into ruin, and only the armourer does a good trade. In the centre in the foreground, a man lies dead on the street. The warning to the Nove about their responsibilities could hardly be clearer. Every time I have seen it, however, I'm struck by the terrible irony inherent in this scene; an unintended prediction of what was going to happen here just ten years later, not because of the failings of the Nove, but because of Europe's worst ever pandemic. Only weeks after the Palazzo Pubblico was finally completed in 1348 and the last of the wooden scaffolding was removed from the tower, Siena was laid waste. Nearly 700 years after the event, few eye-witness descriptions of the horrific impact of the Black Death in Europe have survived. But an account by Agnolo di Tura, a shoemaker from Siena, is one of the most powerful. Agnolo survived and chronicled a plague which killed, in just a few weeks, more than half the population, including all five of his own children. His description includes eery echoes of Lorenzetti's fresco. 'And the city of Siena seemed deserted… No bells tolled and there was no one who wept for any death, for all awaited death… So many died that all believed that it was the end of the world. Those that survived were like persons distraught and almost without feeling.' And in many ways, it was the end of a world. Siena's golden age was stopped suddenly in its tracks. The Palazzo Pubblico may have been finished, but the spectacular project to transform Siena's great cathedral into the largest church in Christendom was abandoned. You can still see the roofless walls of what would have been an enormous nave built at right angles to the original building. The empty frame stands as a monument to the moment that Siena's world stopped turning. Of course, like all European cities, it found a way to survive and, eventually, to prosper again. But the days when it outshone Florence were over. Though, maybe not… Today, while Florence often feels choked with tourists, Siena remains relatively free of disruption – especially in the evenings when the day trippers have left. Not only is it much quieter, but it is much more compact than its ancient rival, and the views out over the Tuscan countryside are even more spectacular. For a peaceful cultural break where you can enjoy some of the most beautiful art ever made, there is only one winner. The wonders of medieval Siena Siena's network of narrow cobbled streets and many of its red-brick houses, churches and palaces are medieval in origin. But its artistic treasures are hidden away in museums. Here are some of the best. The Duomo Work on the Duomo began in 1226, when Siena was enjoying a surge in prosperity and it was largely completed by 1311, when one of the most important paintings ever made was installed above the high altar – Duccio's shimmering Maesta (Virgin in Majesty). Now in the Opera del Duomo museum next door, it was, at the time, the most expensive panel painting ever made in Europe and is also the earliest surviving double-sided altarpiece. So proud was the city of its new masterpiece, that the work was paraded through the streets before its installation behind the altar. The important relic of Medieval Sienese Art still in the Duomo itself is Pisano' pulpit, carved out of Carrara marble between 1265 and 1268 and embellished with seven scenes from the Life of Christ. Some of the greatest painters and sculptors of the 15th- and 16th-centuries were also enticed to Siena and the Duomo is home to works by Donatello and the young Michelangelo as well as frescos by Pinturicchio and Raphael in the Piccolomini Library. Down in the Baptistry, the sculpted bronze panels around the font are by Jacopo della Quercia and also Donatello and Ghiberti, who came from Florence to work on it. The Palazzo Pubblico As well as the wonderful 14th-century frescoes by Lorenzetti (see above) the Palazzo has a spectacular art collection, including a splendid frescoed Maesta – the first known work by Simone Martini, who was almost certainly trained by Duccio. The Pinacoteca Nazionale This wonderfully quiet and under-visited museum, in the 15th-century former Palazzo Buonsignori is a pleasure to explore compared with the heaving galleries of the Uffizi in Florence. Among the highlights are works by Duccio and Martini and what may be Ambrogio Lorenzetti's last work, a wonderfully tender Annunciation which, ironically, was commissioned by the city tax collector and once hung in the Palazzo Pubblico. The Palio In its current form, the historic Palio, when horses representing ten of the city's seventeen contrade (districts) race around the Piazza del Campo, dates back to 1644. But its origins were medieval. It's still a splendid sight. Turn up early enough and you can enjoy it for free from the central compound. The two races take place on July 2 and August 16. How to do it Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300 ‒1350 is at the National Gallery from March 8 -June 22 (admission £20). Nick Trend was a guest of the the Grand Hotel Continental in Siena which is housed in a 17th-century palazzo and is Siena's only five-star hotel. Doubles from about £280 per night (room only).
