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Siena: Things to See
With its brilliant Tuscan Gothic buildings, Siena is a jewel of world-wide fame. However, its surroundings also merit consideration. The natural beauty of the Tuscan countryside carries equal weight to the fascination of its perfectly-conserved medieval cities. Siena may be the best-preserved medieval city in Italy, thanks to its conquest by Florence nearly 500 years ago. While the Florentines were busy launching the Renaissance, the Senese played the role of country cousins--and as a result, Siena (or at least the walled portion of the city) still looks much as it did in the Middle Ages. Few areas in the world can boast the variety of landscape and economy distinguishing the territory of Siena. It begins in the north with the incomparable scenic beauty of the Chianti lands, with their patchwork of vines and olive trees standing out in orderly rows against the hills tamed by the farmers' skill. Where the lowlands have won space from the higher ground, as in Poggibonsi and Colle Bassa, industrial development has succeeded in weaving a compact fabric of small and medium-sized firms. The town where every stone has remained the same throughout the centuries, where one breathes an atmosphere not to be found elsewhere, because its people have kept the traditions of their forefathers, such as those connected with the Festa del Palio, renewing them year by year with unswerving effort and enthusiasm.
Pictured above, Siena's Duomo was built between 1215 and 1263 and designed in part by Gothic master Nicola Pisano. His son, Giovanni, drew up the plans for the lower half of the facade, begun in 1285. The facade's upper half was added in the 14th century. The 14th century was a time of great wealth and power for Siena, and plans were made to expand the cathedral into a great church that would dwarf even St. Peter's in Rome. The already-large Duomo would form just the transept of this huge cathedral. Expansion got underway in 1339 with construction on a new nave off the Duomo's right transept. But in 1348, the Black Death swept through the city and killed 4/5 of Siena's population. The giant cathedral was never completed, and the half-finished walls remain today as a monument to Siena's ambition and one-time wealth. In the 19th century, the facade was decorated with gold-laden Venetian mosaics. Siena's cathedral is one of the great examples of Italian Gothic architecture, and with its black-and-white striped campanile and baptistery makes a fine group. A major highlight of the Duomo's interior is the flooring, which features a mosaic of 59 etched and inlaid marble panels painstakingly created from 1372 to 1547. Some of the top artists working in Siena lent their talents, including Domenico di Bartolo, Matteo di Giovanni, Pinturicchio, and especially Beccafumi, who designed 35 scenes (1517-47). The mosaic panels in the nave and aisles are usually uncovered, but the most precious ones under the apse and in the transepts are protected by cardboard flooring and uncovered only from August 23 to October 3 each year in honor of the Palio. The floor's labyrinth is traversed by penitents on their knees. The floor panel visible in the Duomo's center, in the left transept, is Matteo di Giovanni's fantastic 1481 Massacre of the Innocents (a theme with which the painter was obsessed - see also his disturbing paintings of it in the Palazzo Pubblico and Santa Maria dei Servi). Another interior highlight is the famous Gothic octagonal pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1266–1268), assisted by his son Giovanni. The elegantly Gothic panels depict the life of Christ in crowded, detailed turmoil, divided by figures in flowing robes. The columns are supported on the backs of lions with their prey and cubs, and the base of the central column is a seated congregation of philosophers and figures representing the liberal arts. The north transept has a bronze statue by Donatello of an emaciated St. John the Baptist, a companion piece to his Mary Magdalene in Florence. The Renaissance high altar is flanked by candelabra-carrying angels by Beccafumi. About halfway down the nave and on the left is the entrance to the Libreria Piccolomini, a library commissioned by Francesco Piccolomini (Pope Pius III) to house the books of his uncle Aeneas (Pius II). The impressive life of Aeneas/Pius II is celebrated in a series of brilliantly colorful frescoes by Pinturicchio, from his attendance at the Council of Basel as a secretary, though his crowning as poet laureate by the Holy Roman Emperor, to, in the second-to-last panel, his canonization of St. Catherine of Siena. Beneath the Duomo in the baptistry is the marvellous font with bas-reliefs by Donatello, Ghiberti, Jacopo della Quercia and other 15th-century sculptors.
Also know as “il Campo” Siena’s main square is one of Europe’s most beautiful examples of medieval architecture. It’s also one of the main reasons Siena is a UNESCO world heritage site. The annual Palio races are held in the square. The entire square was paved in 1349. It remains the focal point of all city life. Eleven narrow streets feed into the square.
The Palazzo Pubblico (city hall) is a formidable palace located on the south size of the Piazza del Campo square. Construction of the palazzo began in 1297. The building’s original purpose was to house Siena’s republican government. An additional storey was added to the building in 1680. Despite several renovations, the style of the building remains classic medieval architecture with some Gothic influences. In the lower part of the building, two Sienese stone arches can be seen. The two upper stories are decorated with a series of three-paned windows. The raised section at the center of the building displays a copper disc flanked by two-paned windows with the coat of arms of St. Bernardino. Today, the Palazzo Pubblico is home to a museum called the Museo Civico of Siena.
Towering over the “il Campo” square is the Torre del Mangia tower. This slim and elegant structure (roughly 100m tall) was built by the brothers Minuccio di Rinaldo and Francesco Naldi from Arezzo between 1338 and 1348. The two coats of arms of the town were designed by Lippo Memmi. The bell, cast in 1665, is commonly known as the "campanone". The name of the tower comes from Giovanni di Duccio, also known as "Mangiaguadagni", who was one of the first people to hold the position of bell ringer.
Fonte Gaia was built opposite Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico in the city’s main square. Designed by Jacopo della Quercia between 1409 and 1419. The marble fountain is an exquisite example of Renaissance art. The center image is the Madonna surrounded by the virtues. Another image is of Adam and Adam and, of course, Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden. In 1858, the original sculptures were moved to the Loggia of the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena and were subsequently replaced by copies created by sculptor Tito Sarrocchi.
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