Duomo Santa Maria Assunta - Cathedral of Siena - Tuscany

Construction of this church started in 1229 under the direction of Nicola Pisano. The work took 170 years.

In the end, the cathedral became a lot smaller than originally planned. But it is still quite an impressive building. The dome of the Duomo was completed in 1264. Years later, in 1317, the choir was enlarged.

The people of Siena wanted the Duomo to be the largest Gothic building in Italy and preferably in the world. Construction problems and the plague threw a spanner in the works. Many builders lost their lives. In the years that followed, much was built on the cathedral, but it never became what the inhabitants originally envisioned.

The cathedral has a linking pattern of black and white marble on the outside. This is in fact a symbolic reference to the horses of the city founders: Senius and Aschius, the sons of Remus, who in turn was the founder of Rome.

The facade of the cathedral is also made of marble. The pink marble comes from Siena itself, the white from Carrara and the dark green from Prato. You can climb the 77 meter high bell tower that is located on the side of the church. There is also the Facciatone, this unfinished wall was the beginning of the expansion of the cathedral, which was never completed due to the plague.

However, the wall still stands and can now also be climbed and, like the bell tower, gives you a magnificent view over the city. You have to climb a lot of narrow steps for it, but then you have something! If you are afraid of heights, it is better to leave it for what it is.

Once inside the church the most impressive thing is the floor. This is in fact made entirely of marble and shows no fewer than 56 different scenes. Unfortunately, most of the floor is covered almost all year round. This is to protect the floor, unfortunately this is necessary with the large number of tourists that walk on the floor every day.

Yet there is still plenty of beauty to see from this floor when part of it is covered. A few weeks a year you can admire the floor in its entirety, usually between August and October.

The ceiling and the black and white striped columns are also beautiful. The richly decorated dome is, in my opinion, the highlight of the cathedral. So be sure to look up here!

On the floor you can also see on each one a crescent moon, which is the symbol of the Piccolomini family. So be sure to drop by here. You can also take a look at the crypt and the baptistery.

On the side of the cathedral is the Libreria Piccolomini. This part was added to the cathedral to house the library of Pope Pius II. On the walls are beautiful frescoes by Pinturicchio.
The Baptistery can be found under the cathedral. This baptistery, together with the baptistery of Florence and Pisa, is one of the most beautiful in Tuscany and perhaps in Italy. Inside the baptistery are several statues of Donatello and other famous Renaissance artists.
To visit the Siena Cathedral and its buildings, you need to buy an entrance ticket at the ticket office. The price is quite high for a church visit, but it is not just any church.

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