After a long and intense first week of Italian language classes, the other seminarians and I decided to take a jaunt around the city to see the city as tourists for the weekend. We started at the Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi (the Servites). This beautiful Church is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city center. It lays on the outskirts of the city walls where the environment is substantially more peaceful. From there, we ventured through the ancient streets of Siena, passing some beautiful scenery, to the Duomo (Siena’s Cathedral). 
This beautiful building is similar to the Cathedral in Orvieto, with black and white striped brick and ornate carvings and sculptures. This style seems to be unique to the Tuscan region. The Duomo, in my opinion, along with the Cathedral in Orvieto, are two of the prettier Churches I have seen in Italy—from the outside, that is. The ornate artwork carved into the façade invites you to study it for hours…and I probably could have if I had the time. Siena’s Cathedral from the inside, however, is a sight to be seen. The ornate decoration along with the cavernous structure of the building, paired with the beautiful artwork in the form of paintings, tiling, and sculptures makes it one of the most stunning churches that I have ever seen—at least top 3! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to gather many pictures of the inside of the Church. The only time I was able to visit the Cathedral t
hus far was for Sunday Mass, and the personnel do not like it when you take pictures after Mass (they made that clear to me!). I was able to take a few shots before getting scolded, but all you need to know is that this place is gorgeous!Finally, we made our way to the Chiesa di San Domenico—which houses the relics of St. Catherine. The Church as a whole is quite simple (by Italy’s standards), however there are many side altars which are beautifully decorated and full of art. The chapel that contains the relic of St. Catherine’s head, for example, is one of the more beautiful chapels in the Church. Another significant part of San Domenico is the space in which St. Catherine envisioned Christ during prayer. There is a small alcove in the rear of the Church which contains an icon of St. Catherine, as well as a few choir stalls. It is said that during her prayer, Christ appeared to Catherine at that same spot. Buried in the ground at that spot are some 2nd class relics, such as St. Catherine’s habit. I enjoyed praying there since it is not clearly marked, and thus, free of tourists. In addition, I am always fond of the Saints and their intimate relationship with God. St. Catherine, for example, sought and knew God in such an intimate way that He appeared to her numerous times throughout her life. To be able to sit where she sat at the moment of such an experience fills me with both zeal and hope—zeal in the sense that I am inspired to know God more intimately, and hope in the sense that I, too, can experience God in the way that the Saints did. I often struggle to figure out how I can come to know Christ more intimately. How can I come to know His will? St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” I think that’s the key. To know Scripture is to know Christ. God speaks to us and reveals Himself to us through Scripture. Thus, what better way to know God than through Scripture?
