Palazzo Publico - Siena

Former seat of the 'Signoria' and the 'Podestà' and now the town hall of Siena, it is considered the most elegant Gothic palace in Tuscany.

The ground floor of this building is entirely made of natural stone, while the other floors are made of red brick. The town hall is flanked by the Torre del Mangia.

Construction of the palace started in 1297. Thirteen years later in 1310, construction was completed. Over the centuries, the building has been extended several times and renovated, but the Palazzo Pubblico still has the appearance that it must have had in the fourteenth century.

Civic Museum

In addition to serving as the town hall, the building also houses the Museo Civico , one of Siena's most popular museums. The museum is located on the first floor.

One of the crowd pullers is the Maestà , one of the first works by the Siena artist Simone Martini. A maestà is a concept from Italian iconography and shows the Virgin in majesty. The artwork can also be found in the Sala del Mappamundo , the world map room. A map of Siena must have once hung here.

Once you've bought a ticket, you can start your tour of the museum in the Sala del Risorgimento , where you can admire some impressive frescoes from the nineteenth century.

The Sala di Balia is dedicated to the life of Pope Alexander the Third. This pope was from Siena. There are many more halls that you can visit. They are all built around a specific theme. One that you should definitely not miss is La Sala dei Nove , the hall of the nine, where the 'allegories of good and bad government' are depicted. The frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti are considered the most secular representations of the Renaissance and are well worth a visit.

Willem Vandenameele