Siena Sojourn - Cultural Immersion in the Heart of Tuscany, Italy

Lingering and Learning in the Most Perfectly Preserved Medieval City in Italy

Sojourns Abroad has chosen its site cities for both similarities and differences. Each city is steeped in history and tradition yet alive with culture--each has a richly layered past combined with contemporary visual and performing arts, an individual political heartbeat, and a long history of writers who have touched the city's pulse. A participant may select a site for purposes of specific language-learning, for the country or city itself, for size, or for a sense that this is where a sojourner could discover the strongest sense of belonging. The program's structure is the same in each locale.

Siena's history dates back 2000 years. At one time the capital of Tuscany, for nearly 500 years, between 1250 and 1700, the city was a major center for art and commerce.

Siena is approximately an hour south of Florence and just 2.5 hours north of Rome. This beloved medieval, walled city (pop. 59,000) in the center of Tuscany is large enough to be fascinating, yet small enough to be almost immediately comprehensible. The central city can be spanned in a ten minute walk.

Radiating out from the Campo, Siena's fan-shaped central plaza, are the 17 contrade (neighborhoods) of the city. Loyalty to one's contrada runs deep in Siena. The tight contrada political structure and the close social relationships in each of these neighborhoods make Siena an especially safe, hospitable city.

The narrow, winding alleyways, car-free pedestrian streets, rich history, art and architectural beauty make Siena the favorite Italian city of many visitors.

Thus Siena is an ideal place for young people to sojourn. The presence of the University of Siena enlarges the cultural and intellectual resources of the City. It also provides an abundant population of young Italians for Siena Sojourn participants to get to know.

Again and again over the years, miracles have been reported in this land where a 13th century barefoot visionary charmed the birds. Wonderful surprises predictably occur for Siena sojourners.

As a guidebook suggests, "Siena has the psychology of a village and the grandeur of a nation."

"Siena, unlike its rival, Florence, is a city to be seen as a whole rather than as a collection of sights. Climb to the dizzying top of the bell tower and reign over urban harmony at its best. Courtyards sport flower-decked wells, churches modestly hoard their art, and alleys dead-end into red-tiled rooftops panoramas. At twilight, first-time poets savor that magic moment when the sky is a rich blue dome no brighter than the medieval towers that hold it high."
Rick Steves, Italy Through the Back Door