Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guidoriccio da Fogliano
by Simone Martini (1330) in the Palazzo Pubblico
covered with late 19th-
century frescoes illustrating
events leading up to the unifi-
cation of Italy under King Vit-
torio Emanuele II
(see pp54-5).
Renaissance naturalism had
influenced the rest of Europe.
There is also a striking
Deposition
(1502) by Sodoma.
frescoes by Domenico di
Bartolo depict hospital scenes
from the 1440s, including
monks attending to the sick.
R
Duomo
See pp220-21.
P
Palazzo Piccolomini
Via Banchi di Sotto 52.
Tel
0577 24
71 45.
entrances at 9:30am,
10:30am & 11:30am Mon-Sat by
appt only.
#
E
Museo dell'Opera
Metropolitana
Piazza del Duomo 8.
Tel
0577 28
30 48.
¢
1st two weeks in Aug
& public hols.
7
This imposing private palazzo
was built in the 1460s by Ros-
sellino for the very wealthy
Piccolomini family. It houses
the
Tavolette di Biccherna
,
municipal ledgers from the
13th century, with
covers by Sano di
Pietro, Ambrogio
Lorenzetti, Domenico
Beccafumi
and others.
mid-Mar-Oct: 9:30am-
7pm daily (to 8pm Jun-Aug);
Nov-mid-Mar: 10am-5pm daily.
¢
#
&
This museum is built into the
unfinished side aisle of the
Duomo
(see pp220-
21)
. Part of it houses
the sculpture from
the exterior of the
Duomo, which had
become eroded
outside. Duccio's
double-sided
Maestà
, one of the
best Siena School
works, has a room
to itself. Painted
between 1308-11, it
depicts the Madonna
and Child on one
side and scenes
from
The Life of Christ
on the
other. A loggia on the top
floor offers views of the town
and countryside.
1 Jan, 25 Dec.
Cloister of Casa di Santa Caterina
P
Santuario e
Casa di Santa Caterina
Costa di Sant'Antonio.
Tel
0577 247
393.
9am-12:30pm, 2:30-6pm
daily (3:30-6pm in winter).
Siena's patron saint, Catherine
Benincasa (1347-80), was the
daughter of a tradesman. She
took the veil aged eight, and
experienced many visions of
God, from whom she also
received the stigmata. Her
eloquence persuaded Gregory
XI to return the seat of the
papacy to Rome in 1376, after
67 years of exile in Avignon.
She died in Rome and was
canonized in 1461. Today, her
house is surrounded by chapels
and cloisters. It is decorated
with paintings of events from
her life by artists such as Pietro
Sorri and Francesco Vanni,
both her contemporaries.
#
E
Pinacoteca
Nazionale
Via San Pietro 29
.
Tel
0577 28 11 61.
#
8:15am-7:15pm
Tue-Fri (to 1pm Sun &
Mon).
Pisano's
Simone
(c.1300)
in the Museo dell'Opera
del Duomo
1 Jan,
1 May, 25 Dec.
¢
7
Housed in the 14th-century
Palazzo Buonsignori, this
gallery contains important
works by the Siena School.
Lorenzetti's
Two Views
, paint-
ed in the 14th century, are
early examples of landscape
painting, and Pietro da
Domenico's
Adoration of the
Shepherds
(1510) shows how
the art of the Siena School
remained stylized long after
&
E
Santa Maria della Scala
Piazza del Duomo.
Tel
0577 53 45 70.
#
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This former hospital is now a
museum housing a collection
of paintings and sculpture.
In the Sala del Pellegrino,
10:30am-6:30pm daily.
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