Siena hosts the festival of St. Joseph

On March 19, in the Italian city of Siena was a holiday festival, dedicated to St. Joseph. The history of this holiday dates back to the Middle Ages, during a severe drought, when the inhabitants of the region were threatened by hunger, they prayed St. Joseph for rain, and their prayers were heard. In gratitude the people of Siena staged a great feast, at which all the poor of the city were fed for free.

Since then, every year in Siena on March 19 a colorful festival is held, during which an open stalls with traditional local dishes, such as fritelle (sweet fried rice balls) are put on the streets of the city. Also, according to the tradition, there are many shops with toys and dolls, local production on the streets of the city.

Siena stretches on a small hill between the valleys of three rivers: Arbia, Elsa, and Merce, and therefore there is the impression that the city is made up of several cities. Siena is rightfully considered to be the most beautiful city of the province of Tuscany. For many centuries, the residents maintain the historic appearance of the city center, which is well preserved from XIII - XIV centuries, and now it is an example of Gothic architecture with the spirit and atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

The symbol of the city is a wolf with a Romul and Rem, according to the legend they are the brothers Askio and Senio. The children of Rem hiding from Romul stopped at the Tuscan hill, where the city was subsequently founded.

The visiting card of the city is Piazza del Campo, its main square, which is divided into nine sectors, divergent like a fan, in honor of the Government of the Nine Seniors, which managed the fate of the city from 1285 to 1355. Currently Piazza del Campo is known for the annual Palio - the horse races, a very colorful event, which attracts tourists from all over the world from July 2 to August 16.