Inside the Siena Cathedral and the Piccolomini Library, Italy

On Monday we visited Siena and this was the view we had overlooking the city as we walked down steps on our way to the Siena Cathedral.

Siena Italy

 

view of Siena

 

Siena

 

Italy, Siena

 

The Siena Cathedral is a medieval church located in Siena, Italy. It was designed and completed between 1215 and 1263. It’s built in the shape of a Latin cross with a dome and a bell tower.

Siena Cathedral, Italy

 

Let’s go inside…

Siena Cathedral, Italy 2_wm

 

The floors were as decorative and amazing as the rest of the cathedral.

Siena Cathedral Floor

 

Siena Cathedral, Italy 1_wm

 

Unfortunately, the big windows that are often gorgeous stained glass, don’t show up in the photos.

Siena Cathedral, Italy 4_wm

 

One of the many beautiful frescoes inside the cathedral…

Siena Cathedral, Italy 6_wm

Siena Cathedra Fresco_wm

 

Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library. Inside are beautiful frescoes painted by the Umbrian Bernardino di Betto, called Pinturicchio. Also displayed inside are beautiful choir books.
Wikipedia describes it this way:

The frescoes tell the story of the life of Siena’s favourite son, cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who eventually became Pope Pius II. He was the uncle of cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini (then archbishop of Siena and the future pope Pius III), who commissioned this library in 1492 as a repository of the books and the manuscript collection of his uncle. The ceiling is covered with painted panels of mythological subjects. They were executed between 1502 and 1503 by Pinturicchio and his assistants.

You’re almost constantly moving as you walk through the library, so I had to snap these pics quickly. The statue in the center of the library is a copy of a famous work called, The Three Graces.

The Three Graces inside the Piccolomini Library, Siena Cathedral

 

Take a walk with me around this beautiful room attached to the Siena Cathedral.

Piccolomini Library Ceiling, Siena Cathedral 3_wm

 

Piccolomini Library Ceiling, Siena Cathedral 4_wm

 

 

Piccolomini Library Ceiling, Siena Cathedral 2_wm

 

Piccolomini Library Ceiling, Siena Cathedral 1_wm

 

The ceiling in the library…

Ceiling in Piccolomini Library, Siena Cathedral

 

Piccolomini Library Ceiling, Siena Cathedral 5_wm

 

The choir books displayed around the room…

Piccolomini Library Ceiling, Siena Cathedral 6_wm

 

I’m running out the door for a tour of the Etruscan Museum and we’re visiting Cortona today. Hope we get to see the home in Under the Tuscan Sun. If we do, I’ll take lots of pics to share.

See you soon! Ciao!

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Comments

  1. Gorgeous Susan. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

  2. So much detail in and outside of this wonderful cathedral!!!
    Amazing!

  3. Oh how beautiful! I love all the color and the striped columns.
    I hope you get to see the home from Under the Tuscan Sun!

  4. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!
    Thank-you so very much for sharing the beauty of Italy
    with us!
    Amazing the artistry that was placed into these cathedrals…
    this one especially. Everything about it..from the outside to
    the inside of the building shows the deep passion in which
    it was built with.
    Just Awesome!

  5. Linda Page says

    OMG…you are already speaking Italian!!! These pictures are breath taking! I bet you feel like you can’t look fast enough to see it all and gather it into you brain. I love the frescoes. A feast for the eyes! I am so happy that you are on this trip. Ciao! Speaking Italian must be contagious!!!

  6. What a beautiful and intricate cathedral. It reminds me of the Ntre Dame in Paris but I love the painted walls of this even better….Christine

  7. Such magnificence! Takes your breath away and leaves me scrambling for words to describe everything. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be there, soaking up the detail and atmosphere.

  8. The inside looks like a Mackenzie Childs creation with the stripes and checks.

  9. This is one of the most fascinating unusual place we visited when we lived there. Didn’t you love the colors and quaint tiny streets? It seemed locked in history. Thnaks for sharing the beautiful photos.

  10. Well, it’s official…they sure don’t build ’em like that anymore!

    Such gorgeous detail that I’m sure is even more gorgeous in person. Hope you get to see the Tuscan Sun house Susan!

  11. Thank you so much for taking us on this fabulous tour of Italy. My husband and & I sit down in the morning with our coffee & our iPads. He reads the paper & I read your blog & interrupt his reading to show him the pictures & read your adventures to him! What a trip! Keep all those pictures coming, as I also follow you on Instagram!

  12. Thank you for these beautiful pictures. We visited Siena in 2004 as we celebrated our 20th anniversary and were able to tour this cathedral. I hope you had a chance to grab a gelato and sit in the Piazza Del Campo.

  13. Such beautiful architecture and craftsmanship which IMHO can never be duplicated, even with the technology we have today. Am so happy that you are enjoying your holiday, Susan. (Thanks for sharing.) Warm hugs -Brenda-

  14. Oh, Susan! This is so exciting! I’m going to be visiting in another month! What a wonderful preview! We are going to stay in Florence for a few days, then visit some of the Tuscan towns nearby, Siena is on my must-visit list. Please keep sharing these wonderful pictures!

  15. Thank you so much for sharing these photos, Susan. I am in awe of the complex architecture that was created so many years ago. It must have been quite an undertaking.

    By the way, hope you get to see the house from Under the Tuscan Sun too. One of my favorite movies.

  16. Marlene Stephenson says

    So beautiful enjoyed the tour,thanks Susan.

  17. What a trip down memory lane. Siena was a favorite when we toured Italy.
    Watched some flag throwing in piazza del compo, ate lots of gelato, and the cathedral was beautiful. Would love to go there again some day…k

  18. Gorgeous, Susan!!! All the frescoes, the ceiling, and the illuminated choir books are my very favorite! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Denise

  19. Gorgeous photos Susan! Thanks for taking us all along with you. Hope you (we!) get to see Bramasole. Enjoy!

  20. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Jaw officially dropped. Stunning. I’m so glad they allowed pictures!

  21. Stunning and exquisite…..how exciting!! I was in Sienna for a very short time and didn’t get to see the cathedral, so sorry I missed it. What treasures!! All done before modern technology and so perfect……and those choir pages…….my sister has a page framed, its so precious!!

    I really appreciate this tour!! How’s the food so far?? xoxoxo

  22. Breathtaking, Susan! Thank you so much for sharing your photos!!

  23. It amazes me how churches were beautifully made with the tools they had then.

  24. Isn’t it amazing how intricate the architecture is in Europe? Stunning photos, Susan!

  25. Your photographs are simply amazing. It’s almost like being there with you, Susan. We are living vicariously through you! Enjoy each and every moment on your trip.

  26. Cyndi Raines says

    Mind boggling! The detail in the building just mind boggling! Glad you are having fun. Thanks for sending the pictures.

  27. Beautiful pictures. I am amazed you have the energy to blog after touring all day. I fell into bed exhausted every night and they have you up and out early the next morning.

  28. Jane Franks says

    Fabulous, Susan! Medieval art and the whole period of 1000 years; 14th 15th centuries are my favorite! I’ve made a study of illuminate manuscript’s for a book I’m working on. So absolutely fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for sharing all this! Jane xo

  29. Absolutely amazing!

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