Thematic itineraries in Siena
Nestled on the gentle and famous Tuscan hills, Siena preserves a considerable historical and artistic heritage.
A stroll across Siena: thematic itineraries
Siena is a city of many facets and therefore various thematic
itineraries can be organized in Siena to meet the different
interests of visitors. Here I propose an itinerary dedicated to
the theme of power that allows us to visit the two symbolic
places of the city: the Palazzo Pubblico and the Duomo. There
are many thematic itineraries that we can think about in Siena,
you will find some examples at the end and for still others, you
can contact me directly.
In Siena, a thematic itinerary dedicated to power must begin in
Piazza del Campo, the center of civic and political life in the
city since the end of the thirteenth century when the Sienese
Republic decided to give itself a "home" and began the
construction of the Palace and the amazing Tower Mangia.
Mangia Tower
Why is it called "Torre del Mangia"? Obviously, you will know if you follow one of my thematic itineraries in Siena! The public palace is, therefore, the town hall building and conserved its function even after Florence conquered the Sienese Republic in the mid-sixteenth century. The Florentines, in fact, wanted to give the impression to the Sienese people that they were not conquering tyrants and left the palace its function.
Town Hall
The Palazzo Pubblico preserves one of the most important fresco cycles of Italian art of the fourteenth century: the halls of the palace were frescoed by Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Simone Martini painted the Maestà, in which the Madonna is invoked as the protector of the city and its rulers. Ambrogio Lorenzetti represented the Allegory of the Good and Bad Government: it is a picture so realistic and with an immediate understanding that it should also be taken as a warning by current rulers.
Biccherne Museum
Visiting the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena you can make various thematic itineraries since the subjects told on the walls of the various rooms are both civic and religious. Adjacent to Palazzo Pubblico, the Biccherne Museum is a unique place in the world. Biccherne are finely decorated accounting books that tell us the story of Siena. The visit to this small but very interesting museum is included in my thematic itineraries dedicated to power in Siena.
Political and religious powers
We abandon the issue of political power to dedicate ourselves to
the religious power that materializes itself in Siena in the
complex of the Duomo and the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala.
The Cathedral of Siena is dedicated to the Assumption of the
Virgin, the consecration dates back to 1179 but the construction
has gone on for at least two more centuries with various
afterthoughts. Various thematic itineraries can also be thought of
inside the Cathedral of Siena thanks to the richness and variety
of the Artworks conserved therein. Only the floor would deserve an
itinerary in itself: the floor of the Cathedral of Siena, in fact,
includes 52 different pagan and biblical themed scenes created
with a mixed technique between mosaic and marble inlay.
Santa Maria della Scala old hospital
The complex of the Spedale del Santa Maria della Scala can be included in various thematic itineraries in Siena because it comprehends several museums: it is one of the first xenodochy of Europe, founded by the legendary Sorore at the turn of the year 1000 to give hospitality to the pilgrims of the Francigena route.
Hospital and orphanage
It was soon transformed into an actual hospital and an institution for children abandoned. Then it became an economic power thanks to the endless possessions of agricultural land in the surrounding area.
Artworks
Inside you can admire frescoes from the Sienese fifteenth century, sculptures by Jacopo della Quercia, paintings from the nineteenth century, oratories, precious reliquaries from Constantinople. Finally, among the tunnels dug under the Spedale you can visit the Archaeological Museum which preserves Etruscan and Roman artefacts.
