Siena Cathedral

The Siena Cathedral is located in the tourist center of Italy in the city of Siena and is a wonderful architectural creation in the style of Italian Gothic. It was built in the form of a Latin cross in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the octagonal foundation of the building, with the help of columns, a bell tower was erected along with a dome. The architectural structure is considered to be the oldest in all of Europe.

The construction of the Siena Cathedral began in the 13th century, but due to a number of circumstances, it was completed a century later. The temple, standing in an open square, dominates the surrounding buildings.

Siena Cathedral has gained popularity because of its unique facade. Each side of the building has non-repeating facades, the most impressive of which is the western facade. In the work on the facade, marble was used in three colors – white, black and red. The main decoration was a multitude of sculptures and bas-reliefs depicting both humans and animals. Each figure was accompanied by an inscription. Some of them have survived to the present day. Here you can view historical events and stories from the Bible. All together they were an unusually beautiful composition.

Some of them have not survived to this day. But after the restoration work, when the exact copies were replaced by the originals, the facade acquired its original appearance.

An exciting sight belongs to the interior, where the entire surface of the Siena Cathedral is decorated with sculptural decorations. Two colors prevail here – black and white. These colors are associated with the color of the horses used by the creators of the city of Siena.

The floor of the building is made of mosaics, where a picture emerges consisting of black lines on a white background, and consists of 56 scenes from the Bible. In order to avoid damage, this work of art is kept closed from visitors, fully open to view only for a couple of days a year. The rest of the time, the floor is covered with boards, leaving only one of the plots visible. It is changed every month.

On the left side of the cathedral there is a library decorated with frescoes of bright colors.

The main part of the valuable creations of famous artists adorn the buildings of the museum located within the walls of the cathedral.

The Siena Cathedral is a masterpiece of the collective creation of many famous masters and a proud landmark of Siena.