Basilica in Siena

THE DUOMO OF SIENA

The Duomo was begun in 1229 but was finished only at the end of the following century. Between 1258 and 1285 the Cistercian monks of San Galgano, who were entrusted the direction of the works, asked Nicola Pisano to supervise the construction. It is one of the most beautiful churches in Italy and stands in the highest point of the town. The northern transept opens onto the Chigi Chapel (or Cappella della Madonna del Voto), built in 1659 and designed by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist, in the left transept, features a beautiful door by Lorenzo di Mariano (1476-1534). The chapel houses a bronze statue of Saint John the Baptist by Donatello (1457) and a statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Neroccio (1487). The frescoes are by Pinturicchio. A door in the left aisle leads to the Piccolomini Library.

BASILICA DELL'OSSERVANZA

Built in 1476, the Basilica dell’Osservanza stands on the Capriola hill, in the outskirts of Siena, and is one of the most important religious buildings of the town. The church houses several glazed terracotta medallions by Andrea della Robbia, a terracotta by Andrea della Robbia representing the Crowning of the Virgin Mary, two Madonnas by Sano di Pietro and a beautiful polyptych by Andrea di Bartolo. A Pietà by Giacomo Cozzarelli adorns the sacristy altar.

BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA DEI SERVI

The Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi stands at the top of a staircase in via Val di Montone and offers a magnificent view of the Duomo and the Palazzo Pubblico. The basilica was begun in the 13^th century by order of the Servite Friars, who established in Siena in 1234, and was consecrated in 1533. The 15^th-century façade has never been finished. The Romanesque bell tower dating back to the 13^th century features four rows of windows; it was completely re-built in 1926. The so-called Madonna del Bordone by Coppo di Marcovaldo (1261), the Massacre of the Innocents by Matteo di Giovanni (1491) and the Adoration of the Shepherds by Taddeo di Bartolo (1404) decorate the walls of the church.

BASILICA DI SAN DOMENICO

The Basilica di San Domenico dominates the homonymous square and overlooks the Duomo and the Torre del Mangia. It is an imposing brick building in Cistercian Gothic style. The church was begun in 1226, enlarged in the 14^th century and finished in 1465. It has one nave with two chapels. The beautiful Saint Catherine Chapel houses two masterpieces by Sodoma: the Fainting of Saint Catherine and the Ecstasy of Saint Catherine (1252).

BASILICA DI SAN FRANCESCO

The Gothic Basilica di San Francesco (1326-1475) is a Franciscan church situated in the historical centre of Siena, at the end of via dei Rossi. Like the Basilica di San Domenico, the church has one nave and no apse. The bell tower was built in 1765. The church has a wooden roof and the interior painted with black and white stripes recalls the marble façade of the Cathedral. The left transept is frescoed with a Crucifixion by Pietro Lorenzetti (1330) and the Franciscan Martyrdom at Ceuta by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1330).

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