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The Cathedral
The Duomo in Siena lies in a piazza above the Piazza del Campo, a great Gothic building filled with treasures by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo as well as frescoes by Pinturicchio. The pavement is made up of 56 etched and inlaid marble panels designed by 40 of Siena's leading artists between 1369 and 1547. Today, 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 only uncovered in honor of the Palio (when admission to the cathedral is charged). The only floor panel usually 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, leaving us disturbing paintings of it in the Palazzo Pubblico and Santa Maria dei Servi).
Built between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure, the cathedral is in the form of a Latin cross with a slight projecting dome and bell tower. The exterior and interiors are decorated in white and greenish-black marbe in alternating stripes, black and white being the symbolic colors of Siena.
The cathedral was actually supposed to have been larger, and work commenced on a whole new wing back in the early 14th century. However, it was never completed due to the Black plague which swept through town in 1348. You can still see part of the frame and right nave to the right of the church.
The Baptistry is not separate from the Duomo, but found underneath the final bays of the choir of the Duomo. To enter it, you need to pass to the right of the Duomo and down some stairs. The beautiful hexagonal baptismal font with bas-reliefs and gilded brass figures representing the life of John the Baptist by Donatello, Ghiberti, Jacopo della Quercia and other 15th-century sculptors is the greatest art treasure in the baptistry.
Opening hours for the Cathedral, including the Piccolomini Library
March 1 to May 31: Weekdays including Saturday: 10:30 am. - 7:30 p.m. Sundays and holidays: 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.
June 1 to August 31: Weekdays including Saturday: 10:30 am. - 8:00 p.m. Sundays and holidays: 1:30 - 6:00 p.m.
September 1 to November 1: Weekdays including Saturday: 10:30 am. - 7:30 p.m.; Sundays and holidays. 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.
November 2 to February 28: Weekdays and Saturdays: 10:30 am. - 6:30 p.m.; Sundays and holidays: 1:30 - 5:30 p.m
Keep in mind that there are special opening hours on holy days.
Admission price:
Euro 3,00 (no reductions)
When the pavements are uncovered, the admission goes up to 6 Euro. A good deal is to buy the "Cumulative" ticket valid for 3 days that allows access to the Duomo and Museo dell'Opera, Piccolomini Library, Baptistery, Crypt, Oratory of San Bernardino and Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art Price for € 10,00.
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