Old World vs. New World

Via de Montanini (shot from the southern tip facing northward)

The streets in Italy are crazy. Meandering this way and that, the seemingly haphazardly drawn boulevards are shared by pedestrians, automobiles, bicycles, and even creatures that don’t use feet as their primary mode of mobility – pigeons. This inefficiency that is a result of what I previously thought was a lack of planning and forethought causes traffic, a great potential for accidents, and a great deal of frustration for foreigners, like myself, in trying to gather one’s bearings. The Italians don’t seem to mind.

So for the past few days, I have been walking down a path that led to the eventual revelation of the myriad significance that lies within the spider web-like mesh of infrastructure that marks Italy, and probably much of the rest of Europe. America, or the New World, as the first to arrive from Europe dubbed it, is a land that is comparably recent in the development of its cities and other physical aspects of societal framework. Irvine, where I’ve spent my last 4 years, is the quintessential modern city; in fact, it is known as the very first completely planned city. As a result of America being an automotive society, simply stated, without a car in Irvine, you’re screwed.

Is the difference that simple then, you ask? America is newer, thus the streets are straighter? Maybe. The roads in Europe were meant for pedestrians, horses, wagons and coaches when they were built, and are not as suitable for auto traffic. In contrast, as Manifest Destiny sent the pioneers west in America, many cities consisted Main Street and that was it. As they grew more populated and prosperous, they grew outward and by this time, two-way wagon traffic was more common than before.

A map of the center of Siena

Is one better than the other? I don't know. I do know I have almost been clipped by side-view mirrors of trucks a good number of times, but I also know that it is pretty grand getting anywhere I need to go without a car. Now for some more pictures:


(The view from the end of the main corridor) A view of my bedroom shot from the window side The beautiful and timeless Piazza del Campo


Till next time, ciao!
- Teo