Photos taken by Shruti Elango (University of Virginia), Student Correspondent for CET Siena, Summer 2023
First day off the bat, the CET Siena students and I walked around the city and took in the sights. It was gorgeous to see the towering buildings surrounding us on each side as we got a tour from one of our Italian roommates. This was our first time getting to know each other as a group after orientation, and it was quite a fun experience to explore a new city with friends old and new.
Walking to have aperitivos at the Piazza del Campo, we saw the La Torre del Mangia, where we later got to see the Dragos celebration for the upcoming Palio (horse race in July).
Right off Via Montanini, my roommates and I walked around and saw a beautiful chalk mural of the girl with the pearl earring. This woman spent a good couple of hours chalking and eventually finished with such a beautiful finished product.
Prior to seeing the Tower of Tintinnano in Castiglione d’Orcia, we were able to see a local meat and cheese truck that locals woke up early on Saturday to get a piece of for lunch, dinner, or a snack for the day. Meats and cheese are quite popular here in Italy.
We traveled from Siena to see the Tower of Tintinnano in Castiglione d’Orcia. The view was gorgeous, and we traveled up many levels of steps to get to the top. At the top, you can see the rolling hills of Tuscany and even Siena, with many vineyards and family homes.
At Val D’Orcia we drove up a quaint hill and got to see the small town that surrounded the Tower of Tintinnano in Castiglione d’Orcia. The view is gorgeous, and the vibes were peaceful as everyone went about their casual Saturday morning activities.
CET was gracious to allow us to participate in a workshop in Val D’Orcia that focused on natural and plant-based remedies where we made our own lip balms with sage, flowers, and rosemary soaked in oiled and then melted down with butter and beeswax to be solidified. We all got to keep our own cute lip balms as a parting gift!
After Val D’Orcia we traveled to Bagno Vignoni, which is known for its thermal baths and rich history. There we saw a lot of fun stands selling homemade products, and here we got to see a man-made pool in the center of the area where people relaxed and ate gelato on a hot day.
Down the Bagno Vignoni mountain, we followed the pooling water to find a natural hot springs pool where people were taking dips or putting their feet in the water due to the scorching heat. It was a beautiful emerald/blue color that was just calling out our names.
Here stands the entirety of Summer 2023 CET Siena! We almost lost two members due to lost baggage and canceled flights, but gratefully everyone arrived safe and healthy, ready to start off a great summer!
My roommate Cassie and I both wandered and got lost in the city, eventually seeing the outer wall of Siena where some of our other homestay friends lived. We were lucky to live so close to the CET center, but it was beautiful to see how wide and expansive the city truly was.