Italy: Siena Part 2 - Night Views From Our Balcony: Here are some images taken from our balcony as the sun was setting as well as when night fell. Some more about this magnificent...

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Here are some images taken from our balcony as the sun was setting as well as when night fell.

Some more about this magnificent city:

Siena is likely Italy's loveliest medieval city, and a trip worth making even if you are in Tuscany for just a few days. Siena's heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer. Movie audiences worldwide can see Siena and the Palio in the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.

Siena is said to have been founded by Senius, son of Remus, one of the two legendary founders of Rome thus Siena's emblem is the she-wolf who suckled Remus and Romulus - you'll find many statues throughout the city. The city sits over three hills with its heart the huge piazza del Campo, where the Roman forum used to be. Rebuilt during the rule of the Council of Nine, a quasi-democratic group from 1287 to 1355, the nine sections of the fan-like brick pavement of the piazza represent the council and symbolizes the Madonna's cloak which shelters Siena.

The Campo is dominated by the red Palazzo Pubblico and its tower, Torre del Mangia. Along with the Duomo of Siena, the Palazzo Pubblico was also built during the same period of rule by the Council of Nine. The civic palace, built between 1297 and 1310, still houses the city's municipal offices much like Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Its internal courtyard has entrances to the Torre del Mangia and to the Civic Museum. If you feel energetic, a climb up the over 500 steps will reward you with a wonderful view of Siena and its surroundings. The Museum, on the other hand, offers some of the greatest of Sienese paintings. The Sala del Concistoro houses one of Domenico Beccafumi's best works, ceiling frescoes of allegories on the virtues of Siena's medieval government. But it is the Sala del Mappamondo and the Sale della Pace that hold the palaces's highlights: Simone Martini's huge Maestà and Equestrian Portrait of Guidoriccio da Fogliano and Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegories of Good and Bad Government, once considered the most important cycle of secular paintings of the Middle Ages.

For more Siena images, please see my previous post:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-797560-1.html#14405196

These were all taken either hand held or with the camera resting on the balcony wall as I didn't have a tripod with me. For some reason the EXIF data is missing so I cant give you any of the settings. Processing was done with Topaz Denoise AI. I hope you enjoy them!
Mark

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srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

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Moondoggie Loc: Southern California

The lighting really makes these photos!

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Moondoggie wrote:

The lighting really makes these photos!

Thanks very much Moondoggie.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Nice set!

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Excellent use of available light.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

srfmhg wrote:

Here are some images taken from our balcony as the sun was setting as well as when night fell.

Some more about this magnificent city:

Siena is likely Italy's loveliest medieval city, and a trip worth making even if you are in Tuscany for just a few days. Siena's heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer. Movie audiences worldwide can see Siena and the Palio in the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.

Siena is said to have been founded by Senius, son of Remus, one of the two legendary founders of Rome thus Siena's emblem is the she-wolf who suckled Remus and Romulus - you'll find many statues throughout the city. The city sits over three hills with its heart the huge piazza del Campo, where the Roman forum used to be. Rebuilt during the rule of the Council of Nine, a quasi-democratic group from 1287 to 1355, the nine sections of the fan-like brick pavement of the piazza represent the council and symbolizes the Madonna's cloak which shelters Siena.

The Campo is dominated by the red Palazzo Pubblico and its tower, Torre del Mangia. Along with the Duomo of Siena, the Palazzo Pubblico was also built during the same period of rule by the Council of Nine. The civic palace, built between 1297 and 1310, still houses the city's municipal offices much like Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Its internal courtyard has entrances to the Torre del Mangia and to the Civic Museum. If you feel energetic, a climb up the over 500 steps will reward you with a wonderful view of Siena and its surroundings. The Museum, on the other hand, offers some of the greatest of Sienese paintings. The Sala del Concistoro houses one of Domenico Beccafumi's best works, ceiling frescoes of allegories on the virtues of Siena's medieval government. But it is the Sala del Mappamondo and the Sale della Pace that hold the palaces's highlights: Simone Martini's huge Maestà and Equestrian Portrait of Guidoriccio da Fogliano and Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegories of Good and Bad Government, once considered the most important cycle of secular paintings of the Middle Ages.

For more Siena images, please see my previous post:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-797560-1.html#14405196

These were all taken either hand held or with the camera resting on the balcony wall as I didn't have a tripod with me. For some reason the EXIF data is missing so I cant give you any of the settings. Processing was done with Topaz Denoise AI. I hope you enjoy them!
Mark

Here are some images taken from our balcony as the... (show quote)

In one word: spectacular! Some of you best work Mark.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

A little different from your norm, Mark. Really nice, though.

MT native Loc: Big Sky Country — Montana

Very, very nice captures!

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Longshadow wrote:

Nice set!

Thanks very much Bill.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

NMGal wrote:

Excellent use of available light.

Thanks very much Barbara.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

DJphoto wrote:

In one word: spectacular! Some of you best work Mark.

Thank you so much Dennis. I appreciate!

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

kpmac wrote:

A little different from your norm, Mark. Really nice, though.

Thanks very much Ken. The views were spectacular, and I tried my best to capture them.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

MT native wrote:

Very, very nice captures!

Thank you very much Dennis.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Don