Gate of Heaven of the Cathedral of Siena
Places of worship
AttractionsPhoto © Ilaria Giannini
Siena Cathedral
Places of worshipA walk among the rich artworks of the extraordinary cathedral of the Palio city
The Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta, Siena Cathedral, is one of the most important and magnificent Romanesque-Gothic churches in Italy.
It was consecrated in 1179, in the presence of the Sienese Pope Alexander III, but the work then continued for about two centuries: Giovanni Pisano worked on the facade at the end of the 13th century, the bell tower was finished in 1313 and huge works to extend the Cathedral started in 1317. Siena at the time was in fact at the height of its powers and therefore the need arose for an even larger Cathedral; the dream vanished due to the plague of 1348, which led to a drastic reduction in the population. Traces of this ambitious project are still visible in the remnants of its columns and the large incomplete Facciatone (façade).
The façade, in white marble with some decorations in red Siena marble and serpentine marble from Prato, is divided into two halves: the lower part - created by Giovanni Pisano in a Romanesque-Gothic style - and the upper one, in the Forentino Gothic style, with a beautiful rose window framed by Gothic niches with the busts of Apostles and Prophets that pay homage to the Madonna and Child.
The whole internal structure is dominated by the two-tone black and white, referring to the colors of the coat of arms of the city of Siena.