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Siena Cathedral

Siena Cathedral is a Gothic church of white and greenish marble in alternating bands, with a screen façade richly decorated with sculptures and mosaics, including the Coronation of the Virgin in the pediment. Inside, visitors walk through naves with round arches and a marble floor with religious and pagan scenes made using an inlay technique, admired by Vasari. Highlights include the pulpit by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, works by Donatello and two early sculptures by Michelangelo on the Piccolomini Altar. The complex includes the Piccolomini Library, decorated with paintings by Pinturicchio, and the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana, which houses Duccio's Maestà.

Things to do at Siena Cathedral: 16 missions

• Take in the round stained-glass windowAdmire the round stained-glass window of the choir, made in 1288 to designs by Duccio.
• Take in the pulpitSee the famous pulpit made by Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni.
• See the Wheel of FortuneSee the final panel of the nave, dedicated to the Wheel of Fortune.
• Take in The Massacre of the InnocentsLook at The Massacre of the Innocents by Matteo di Giovanni, one of the most harrowing panels in the cathedral.
• Take in The Expulsion of HerodLook at The Expulsion of Herod by Benvenuto di Giovanni, a very intricate scene.
• Walk past the panels of the SibylsLook at the ten Sibyl panels that decorate the side aisles.
• Discover Hermes TrismegistusAdmire the scene with Hermes Trismegistus at the entrance to the nave.
• Take in the Allegory of the Mount of WisdomLook at the Allegory of the Mount of Wisdom, designed by Pinturicchio and completed by Paolo Mannuci.
• Look at the she-wolf suckling Romulus and RemusLook at the sculpture of the She-Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, restored by Leopoldo Maccari in 1865.
• Take in the marble mosaic pavement with inlaysLook at the inlaid marble mosaic pavement that covers the entire floor of the cathedral.
• Explore the Piccolomini LibraryExplore the Piccolomini Library, built by Pope Pius III to house the books and documents of his relative, Pope Pius II.
• Look at The Story of JudithSee The Story of Judith by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, near the pulpit, which depicts the Old Testament tale of Judith beheading Holofernes.
• Take in the Scenes from the Lives of Elijah and AhabLook at the Scenes from the Lives of Elijah and Ahab, grouped in a large hexagonal section of the choir pavement.
• Enjoy the Crypt of the StatuesEnjoy the Crypt of the Statues during your visit to Siena Cathedral.
• See the Coronation of the VirginLook at the image of the Coronation of the Virgin on the main triangular pediment, surrounded by a choir of angels.
• See the Porta della RiconoscenzaLook at the great door known as the Porta della Riconoscenza, commissioned in 1946 near the end of the German occupation of Siena.

Near Siena Cathedral

Source: operaduomo.siena.it