Mama Travels - Italy Tours and travels

01/08/2022

Not just a leaning tower: 10 things to see in Pisa

Millions of tourists have visited Pisa to climb the famous Leaning Tower or take a photograph pretending to hold it up. The view from the tower’s top of the cathedral dome & surrounds is beautiful & watching tourists taking turns to 'hold it up’ whilst photographing each other is entertaining. 🤣📸
But while the bell tower of the Piazza dei Miracoli (‘Square of Miracles’) has long been Pisa’s star attraction there is so much more to see in this ancient Tuscan town.
Founded in Etruscan times on the Arno River, Pisa grew along its banks & the picturesque riverside streets are known as Lungarni. In the Middle Ages it became one of the four great maritime republics & was fortified to protect it from attack.
From walks along the river shared with the great poets Byron & Shelley, to walks atop the city walls which offer a panorama of hidden gems, pedestrian pleasures are many in Pisa. When you are hungry you can enjoy a picnic in Giardino Scotto 🥪, with the possibility of an outdoor concert or cinema experience, or sample Tuscan specialties in one of the many trattorias. We asked the locals for their ten favourite things to do... read on to discover the rest!

Pisa with its Leaning Tower but also its squares, murals, fortified walls and natural park to fully discover a city that has many interesting things to offer Do not stop at the Leaning Tower, but continue to visit Pisa with this list of ten places that will give you a different perspective of the Tu...

17/07/2022

28 July 2022 - 17th edition of the Theatre of Silence 💞

Did you know that some of the costumes 👗and scenography used in the past editions of the shows at the Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico were made by SCART, a project specialized in manufacturing items from recycled ♺ materials? Every year Andrea Bocelli and his friends bring to life 🎇 the Teatro del Silenzio, from its natural settings 🌳🌲among the hills in Lajatico to a wonderful stage filled with international performers! Read more about it here⏬!
https://bit.ly/3uTyfyg

14/07/2022

Any Historian📜, amateur or professional, has Pompeii & its neighbours Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis on their bucket list of ‘Must See’ destinations. The ability to travel back in time ⏲️ & glimpse life in a lively & lavish resort city is an opportunity so rare that UNESCO has listed Pompeii as a World Heritage treasure. Between the opulence of villas belonging to the Roman Empire’s elite, thermal spas, bars, political and erotic graffiti scrawled on walls and the once hidden excavation of a brothel, many nuances of life at that time are revealed. There are breathtaking artworks🏺, mosaics, jewellry 💎 & precious keepsakes that were treasured by the city dwellers, be they rich merchants or captive slaves. Some of these items were found on the bodies of those who failed in their quest to flee the 🌋terrifying storm of pumice, ash, poisonous gas & molten lava. And the heartbreaking scenes of those fallen bodies, as in the Garden of the Fugitives, cannot leave you untouched. Come step into the past & walk with the Ancient Romans, as you explore this vast time capsule.

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Pompeii, Campania: visit the archeological site of this ancient city destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD Ready to know more about Pompeii? Here are our answers to the many questions about this fascinating archeological site. Ask away! Where: Pompeii is located in Campania, Italy, on the s...

02/07/2022

The countdown⏰ is almost at an end, at this point nothing is left to chance. On the morning 🌅of the Palio, the jockey's mass is celebrated. The mass is followed by the Provaccia, a race in which jockeys and horses make little effort to win; then at City Hall the jockey is registered and is presented with his uniform.
From this point on, the jockey cannot be changed💪. In the afternoon the horses and jockey are blessed and receive a wish from the priest: Go and come back a winner!.
Then at 4:30 p.m. the Historical Procession then kicks off from the Government Palace in Piazza del Duomo and reaches Piazza del Campo.
Finally in the evening the Drappellone is hoisted on the Palco dei Giudici with the final flag-waving . The race can begin!🏇
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01/07/2022

- 1 day ⏳ to the Palio di Siena
Have you ever dreamt of seeing Palio 👀up close? Are you thinking of renting an apartment with a view over Piazza del Campo? Or taking part in the dinner🥘 of a contrada? Or simply enjoying a romantic💘 meal on a balcony overlooking Siena’ most famous square? You can! Ask us how. On the day before the Palio ( July 1st) there are the rehearsals and then the subsequent dinner; in all contrade participating the Palio leaders, contradaioli, guests and even tourists gather to dine together and the honored seat at the table is reserved for the jockey.
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30/06/2022

- 2 days ⏳ to the Palio di Siena
The second and third trials with horses take place on the second day of the festivities (June 30 and August 14).
During this day there are a series of religious ceremonies👼. In August in the procession of of tapers and censers ( processione dei ceri e dei censi🕯🕯 ) the Sienese municipality, contrade and parishes offer votive candles to Our Lady of the Assumption and the Drappellone is taken to the cathedral to have it blessed, in July the banner is instead taken to the Church of Santa Maria di Provenzano.⛪
The Cathedral of Siena, Santa Maria Assunta, is closely linked to the Palio of Siena. The Palio Regulations say that the Drappellone with the procession of tapers and censers is carried with solemnity to the Cathedral before the third round, and remains exposed there until it must be hoisted onto the chariot for the Historical Procession. Whoever wins will go to the Cathedral with the Drappellone to sing and thank Our Lady.🙌🙏

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29/06/2022

- 3 days ⏳ to the Palio di Siena
Day One of Four : It’s all about the horses! Early in the morning (on June 29 or August 13) the selected horses are presented.🐎 Then there will be the "tratta," horses will be matched to the ten Contrade participating in the Palio by drawing lots. At each assignment, the barbarian (the one who takes care of the horse🐴) brings the horse that has been given the lot to the contrada's stable.
In the evening, the first of six trials preceding the Palio takes place. To watch the trials one must take a seat in the square or on a stage. Each contrada chooses a jockey (the "mount") who can change until the morning of the Palio but the horse 🏇cannot be changed.
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27/06/2022

- 5 days ⏳ to the Palio of Siena !!!
Who was it that established the boundaries between the present-day districts of Siena? A Bavarian princess👑! Violante Beatrice of Bavaria was the Grand Princess of Tuscany and then Governor of Siena from 1717 until her death. She established the division into 17 Contrade ✀in 1729, finally putting an end to all disputes over the city’s areas. Good thinking!
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26/06/2022

- 6 days ⏳ to the Palio of Siena !!!
How did it all start? Palio originated in the Middle Ages as the final moment of the annual celebrations 🙌in honor of the patron saint of Siena, the Virgin Mary of the Assumption; it also celebrated Siena's role as one of the richest💰and most cultured📖 cities in Europe.
Nowadays, the Palio is not a historical re-enactment for tourists but is intrinsic to the very life of the Sienese people, their history and feelings.🧡
bit.ly/3xF03ac

25/06/2022

- 7 days ⏳ to the Palio of Siena !!!
The wait has been very long. The 2020 and 2021 Palios were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now the wait is over: the eagerness to get back on the track is kicking in. The dates for the 2022 Palio are July 2 and August 16. They are referred to as "palio days" in general because the Palio is not an event limited to the July and August horse races. For a citizen of Siena, a Sienese, the Palio takes an entire year of preparation. The days of the Palio generally refer to the 4-day period that begins with the assignment of the Horses and culminates with the race, where most of the Palio events are concentrated.
Drago 🐉, Bruco 🐛, Chiocciola🐌, Civetta 🦉, Pantera🐆 and Torre🗼 are the Contrade that complete the Palio on July 2, 2022. The contrade, the "zones" into which Siena is divided, were drawn in May and will compete alongside the contrade of Valdimontone, Istrice, Leocorno and Lupa. The flags of the drawn Contrade were placed at the trifore (three-part windows) on the second floor of the Palazzo Pubblico.
The most sought-after and wished-for horse 🐎 by the contrade ahead of the July and August races is this year, of course, Remorex, who has triumphed in two 🏆🏆 of the last three Palii held .
No one knows which horse will run with which contrada before the "tratta," which takes place on the first of the four days of the festival: the drawing and subsequent matching of horses to the competing contrade. Fun fact: In the language of the Palio, the one wearing the "cuffia" (bonnet) is the contrada that has not won the Palio for the most years. The Contrada that wears the "cuffia" is called the "nonna” (grandmother) and is currently L'Aquila (eagle) 🦅. It has never made the "cappotto" and has never won two Palios in the same year. The contrada that has won the most to date is L’Oca (Goose).
bit.ly/3xF03ac

Siena means Palio. The very essence of the city, its traditions, its gestures, its soul are in the Palio. A competition with medieval origins, the Palio of Siena is one of the oldest italian traditions.   The race sees as rivals the 17 districts of the city, which correspond to the neighborhoods i...

24/06/2022

- 8 days ⏳ to the Palio of Siena !!!
More than a love, more than a friendship, belonging to one of Siena's contrade is destiny.
Siena is filled with flags and colors and excitement for the days ahead as horses 🐴 and jockeys 🏇 prepare for the challenge. Read about the competition and rivalry here: bit.ly/3xF03ac

23/06/2022

Siena means PALIO 🐎. A city divided into 17 contrade 🦆🐛🐺🦉🦅🐌🐢🦒🐏🦔🐆🦄🐚🐉🗼🌊🌿 that represent its different souls and compete during its most exciting event of the year. The countdown ⏳ has begun : the magic 🪄 of the palio of Siena is about to unfold again.

Finally it's Palio ❤️ !!!

Siena means Palio. The very essence of the city, its traditions, its gestures, its soul are in the Palio. A competition with medieval origins, the Palio of Siena is one of the oldest italian traditions.   The race sees as rivals the 17 districts of the city, which correspond to the neighborhoods i...