Celebrating the 4th at the Lizza

Siena, Italy, Saturday July 4th, 1914 [Visit to Church of Osservanza and play at Teatro della Lizza]
As usual had breakfast in bed and studied Italian – the only time I find to give to it. Then Helen came in and asked me if I wanted to go to the leather shops with the O’s [Oudesluys] and herself so I went while they bargained for lessons. I ordered myself a pretty card case for 9 lire.

Then Helen and I wandered around the queer old streets till lunch time. Brought 3 kinds of soap. Did not lie down after lunch as I should have done but wrote a number of the contrade post-cards to send off.

At five o’clock we went out to the church of Osservanza, outside the gates. We had two carriages – going. Helen, Hortense O., and I had one and Mrs. O., Mrs. Clement and Mrs. Geuneret had the other. Coming back Mrs. G. took Helen’s place. It was a beautiful ride with lovely wild flowers. Saw the large and small St. John’s wort and the wild scabiosa. The church was interesting and we went into the sacristy and into the vaults where Hortense ?? on two rings when the monk was out of sight. The Della Robbia was really beautiful. The only one I have enjoyed and so were some of the old illuminated pages in the old parchment books.

At dinner the O’s, Helen and I decided to go to the Teatro della Lizza* to celebrate the 4th – An Englishman at the table said he was going to celebrate the 4th and we told him it was good of him and had lots of fun over it. We went over at 8.40 and bought seats – “Posti distiniti” – for 60 centimes each – Entrance being 1 lira. We had a great time getting in for we went the wrong way and the few people there were in the theatre, talked and pointed – and we finally understood we had to go out and around a corridor. Our seats were just chairs fastened to a long board to hold them in place. 2 rows in front were separate cushioned chairs 2 lira each where the English people were. A boy came around and we hired cushions at 10 centimes each. The play was “The Dollar Princess” – but we did not discover who the heroine was. It didn’t begin until 9.20 and was in 3 sets with long waits between, so it was 12.15 before it was over. We were stiff from sitting so long on our hard chairs – though we stood up a couple of times between the acts. We enjoyed our outing but decided we didn’t want to go any more.

*existed 1859-1942.

Slow Rainy Day

I was awfully tired so I stayed in bed and had breakfast and studied the grammar there. Did not get dressed till 10. Helen came up to say that they were around with the banners and the winning horse and wanted money to help about the dinner so Helen and I gave 5 francs between us.
I washed out several pieces and had nice hot water for it.
Helen in the meantime moved into the front room. She cares so much about the room she has that I like her to have the best on for it makes her happier.

Lay down and slept after lunch – then went in with my letter to Jeannie Hincks,* telling her about prices re in regard to coming abroad next winter. Helen came in and invited me to go to walk and I got all dressed but it looked so dark that I did not go. I forgot to say that we had a thunderstorm after lunch. Went into Mrs. Oudesluy’s room with my sewing and told them the story of Margaret’s wedding which amused them very much.

After dinner played part of a game of Sequence with Mrs. Oudesluys and then Helen, Mrs. O and I went out and walked to the end of the Lizza and back – her daughter and Miss Flora, Signora’s daughter went too. – Came in at ten and came upstairs and finished letter to Jeannie Hincks.

*This may have been the daughter of her grandfather’s sister, Jeannie Hincks

The Palio

Got up earlier with my bath and was ready to start at 9.20. Miss Kinney, Helen and I went to 12 Via Corrier, bought a programme and then to the house and chapel of Santa Catherina and saw the frescoes and other things, her old room re re. Then we went into the chapel of the Oca and saw the little medals in the walls and then into the room where the contrada* meets and saw the banners they had won in previous races. Then we went to the church of San Domenico and looked at everything mentioned in the guide book. Miss K. got tired and went out and sat under a linden tree. It began to sprinkle on the way home. Dinner at one today.

A letter from F.B.H. She says it costs so much there, 10 lire a day, that she does not advise my going there. She has a room in the Hotel Thermes.

Miss Kinney came over at 2.45 and at 3 we started off for San Domenico** to see the horse blessings. We got chairs and sat there till 5 and then the horses did not come in but only to the door so we felt that it was a fraud.



Then Helen, Miss K and I took a carriage and drove to the Duomo to see all the different contrade come before the archbishop. Then we drove back and went and sat in one place and watched the Palio. The most interesting part of it all to my mind was the crowd - The horses all groomed, the course was draped with the colors.



The costumes were beautiful – the race short – the Istrice or Porcupine***– the horse from our district won.



We waited till most of the crowd had gone, then we walked home. Had a nice supper at 8 o’clock. Then we walked over with Miss K. and said goodbye to her as she leaves tomorrow. Then Helen and I walked down to the contrada room and saw their other banner, one going so far back as 1600. I sat in the park till 10.10 – then came back and wrote up my diary.

*The Contrades of Siena are different districts in which the city is divided into. Each contrade has a very rich history with emblems, banners, colours, official representatives etc. that all trace their lineage to medieval times.
**Church of San Domenico. The blessings are done at local churches before the race.
***one of the emblems for Terziere di Camollia, one of three districts of Siena in ancient times.

Siena Sightseeing

Miss K, Helen and I went over to the Campo and went through the Palazzo Communale. Helen went through Sunday so she would not go. It cost 50 centimes. I have a remembrance of large rooms with half faded frescoes. One room had large tapestries in it and one room had modern frescoes of the dead king, Victor Emmanuel. I liked those very much. Then I went up to the Loggia and looked at the market and at the view which was so hazy you could not distinguish anything distinctly and at the rondels for different public buildings in Siena.

Lay down after lunch and had a good nap – Then finished “Where Love Is” by Wm. J. Locke.* Then I went out and met Helen and the Ouderluys and we went to the Campo. Found the gate closed so a very pleasant soldier showed us how to go around and underneath the seats to our own places. The race was short but the crowd was interesting as usual.

After dinner, Miss K., the O’s, and Helen and I went over and sat in the Lizza** and then Helen and Mrs. O took a walk while I sat chatting with Miss O. Then we decided to have some ice cream (which only costs five cents with the tip) so we went to the café outside the Teatro della Lizza and ordered our creams and an orangeade for Mrs. O. When the doors of the theatre opened, I should think two or three hundred men poured out and sat down at the tables for beer, almost all of them smoking. Only two or three women were among them. Looking up we saw a lot of women on top of the roof of a sort of piazza. We hurried up and finished our cream and paid the waiter and left. Came back and chatted a while with the people in the piazza and them went to bed. I slept very well. A nice letter from Margaret.

*written in 1903
**Teatro della Lizza: 1859-1942

Locked in the Museum of Medieval Pictures

Miss Kinney, Helen and I started out to go to the Museum of Medieval Pictures. We went way past the place and had to be directed back to it, as it was distinguished from other door [ways] by just the band Galleria over the door. It was a most interesting collection for any one who likes that kind of a thing from the paintings of the early centuries to those of the XVth – XVI cen. We were pleased to notice that the infant Jesus in one picture was playing with a rosary – while the Virgin at her [breast} wore a necklace with a coral chain against the evil eye hanging from it. Miss Kinney said she also saw a bracelet on the baby’s arm. I did not stay as long as I would have liked, but I was getting tired and left. We found ourselves locked in when we came to leave as the custodian must have been at lunch, but we rang a bell and he came and released us.



Lay down after lunch. Sewed a good while afterwards. We started out to find an exhibition of cross stitch work, but we couldn’t find it so we went and took our seats and watched the race. There was no flag throwing nor procession. Walked in the Park in the evening. It is beautiful over in the park and there are crowds of people.

Checking out the Sights and Attending Horse Trials

Siena, Italy – Monday, June 29th, 1830-1914

Got up at 4:45 and read and studied for an hour. Then slept until 8 o’clock. Had b’fast about nine. Helen came in and said I might to go in to see the people so I hurried and was ready soon after ten. We went down to Via Parmi and met Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Wilde, the two ladies from the Crocini. Mrs. M. started on the 7:30 train, went to Pisa instead of changing at Empoli and did not get here till 5 P.M. Mrs. Wilde was in the same train and had a good laugh at her.

We met Mrs. Oudesluys and her daughter and went with them to two churches, the San Bernardino and San Francesco and their cloisters. It was most interesting. Bought some postals in San Bernardino.

Came back to lunch and found Miss Kinney here. We had lunch together and then Helen and I came up and lay down and had a nap while Miss K. ate down in the parlor and read. Then we (Miss K. Mrs. O, Helen and I) all went to the Duomo and baptistery and then to the Campo where they let us get into our seats though we had left our tickets at home. We have very good seats in the top row where we can watch the race* and all its incidents and the crowd. There was an immense crowd there. It was intensely interesting, just like a kaleidoscope. We saw several horses race. One rider was thrown and his horse ran the course just the same and of course interfered with the others.

After dinner Miss K. went home while the O’s, Helen, and I walked around to the Fort and looked over the wall by moonlight. Then came back and had an ice and then home. Helen washed her waist** and I wrote this diary.

* The ancient annual horserace, the Palio, is on July 2nd, but from four days before the Palio, trials take place in the “Campo” square which is turned into a race track..
**blouse

Quiet Day in Siena

Father’s birthday today.*

I did not eat any breakfast. Mrs. Clements came in to see me. She was very kind, bright and pleasant. Helen went out for a while. I read the Outlook for April 25th.

I had soup, two eggs, and sieved pears for lunch. Afterwards Helen and I had a good nap. I got up after four. It was 5:10 before we went out. We carried my books with us and found a shady seat where we sat and waited for the band concert which was scheduled to begin at 6 but was over half an hour late. I enjoyed seeing the crowds of children prettily dressed and also the older people.

We had to come in, as it was dinnertime. After dinner we sat in the salon talking with Mrs. Clements and her daughter and with Mrs. And Miss. O. Came upstairs about ten and wrote up this diary.

*Richard Bowers Thurston, born June 28, 1819 in Charlestown, Massachusetts.