Siena

Palazzo Pubblico (exterior with Torre del Mangia) — Multiple architects

1297–1310 (Torre 1338–48); Brick, stone, marble; Siena, civic government. Civic center of Siena; home to the city’s government (Nine). Brick matches local style, marble accents reference Duomo, blending civic and religious symbolism. The Torre del Mangia equals the cathedral’s height, symbolizing balance between church and state; bell tower unites citizens via sound. Reflects Siena’s communal pride and competition with Florence.

Campo (Piazza del Campo) — —

Paved 1327–49; Brick, stone, marble; Siena. Central civic space; fan-shaped piazza uniting government and citizens; designed for visibility of Palazzo Pubblico; sloped for drainage; meant for markets, festivals, and horse races (Palio); embodies Siena’s harmony and equality among citizens under the Nine.

Cappella di Piazza — —

1352–1376; upper 1463–68; Marble; Base of Palazzo Pubblico tower. Open-air marble chapel built after plague of 1348; thanksgiving to the Virgin for deliverance; public altar facing Campo; marks blending of civic and religious life; 15th-century Gothic canopy addition underlines devotion and civic protection.

Fonte Gaia (Campo fountain) — Jacopo della Quercia

1414–1419; Marble; Campo, Siena (original now in Ospedale). “Joyous Fountain” symbolizes Siena’s prosperity; water from miles away via aqueduct; sculpted reliefs of the Virgin, virtues, and Genesis scenes; expresses gratitude and civic purity. One of the first monumental civic fountains in Europe.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala del Mappamondo (Maestà) — Simone Martini

1315 (repainted 1321); Fresco; Palazzo Pubblico, Siena. Virgin enthroned among saints; civic Madonna protecting Siena; inscription warns magistrates to act justly; fuses political and sacred power. Commissioned by the Nine, she is Siena’s queen and intercessor.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala del Mappamondo (Guidoriccio and “New Town” fresco) — Simone Martini (attrib.) / Ambrogio Lorenzetti

14th–16th Cs.; Fresco; West wall, Palazzo Pubblico. Guidoriccio da Fogliano depicted commanding siege of Montemassi (1328); celebrates civic conquest; controversy over attribution and layers (earlier map beneath); symbolizes military success and cartographic knowledge.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala della Pace – Allegory of Good Government — Ambrogio Lorenzetti

1338; Fresco; Siena City Hall. Moral allegory urging magistrates’ virtue; Justice, Concord, Peace; inscription warns against corruption; civic humanism; showcases Siena’s rational order and moral ideals governing the commune.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala della Pace – Allegory of Bad Government — Ambrogio Lorenzetti

1338; Fresco; Siena. Chaos and tyranny personified by a horned tyrant; justice bound and ignored; demons of cruelty and fraud; moral warning against greed and self-interest in governance.

Duomo (exterior) — Nicola & Giovanni Pisano and others

Begun 1215; façade 1285; Marble; Siena Cathedral. Striped marble symbolizing purity and hierarchy; vertical Gothic façade; black and white bands = civic colors of Siena; monumental program reflecting both faith and civic pride.

Duomo, Madonna del Voto — Guido da Siena (workshop)

1283–90; Tempera and gold on panel; Siena Cathedral. Iconic image revered for civic protection; carried in processions; symbolizes Siena’s devotion to Virgin as patroness.

Duomo, Pulpit — Nicola Pisano

1265–68; Carrara marble; Siena Cathedral. Octagonal pulpit with lions at base; Classical reliefs (Nativity, Last Judgment) show Pisano’s revival of Roman naturalism; transition from medieval to proto-Renaissance.

Duomo, East End Stained Glass (Dormition, Assumption, Coronation) — Duccio (design)

1288; Colored glass; Siena Cathedral choir. Earliest documented stained glass in Siena; designs of Virgin’s heavenly elevation; fuses Duccio’s painting style with light as divine medium.

Duomo, Maestà (front/laity side) — Duccio

1308–1311; Tempera and gold on panel; High altar, Siena Cathedral. Enormous altarpiece dedicated to Virgin; civic Madonna enthroned; surrounded by angels and saints; inscription dedicates Siena to her; symbol of city unity.

Duomo, Maestà (back/clergy side) — Duccio

1308–1311; Tempera and gold on panel; Cathedral choir. Narrative of Christ’s Passion; teaches clergy through imagery; theological depth; humanizes Christ; back emphasizes sacrifice and devotion.

Duomo, Nave Floor – Symbols of Siena and Her Allies — Various artisans

14th C (19th C restoration); Marble pavement; Cathedral nave. Inlaid marble with civic emblems and virtues; allegorical mosaic-like designs reflecting Siena’s alliances and identity as chosen city under the Virgin.

Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala (exterior) — —

After 1195; Stone and brick; Opposite Duomo. One of Europe’s oldest hospitals; cared for pilgrims, orphans, and the poor; civic charity tied to faith and Virgin’s protection.

Ospedale, Sala del Pellegrinaio – Rearing and Education of Orphans — Domenico di Bartolo

1441; Fresco; Santa Maria della Scala. Celebrates civic charity; depicts institutional care; realistic domestic details; emphasizes Siena’s social welfare and compassion.

Ospedale, Pellegrinaio – Enlargement of the Hospital — Domenico di Bartolo

1441; Fresco; Siena. Chronicles hospital’s expansion; documentary realism; figures of donors; civic pride in health and philanthropy.

Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral) Remnants — —

Begun 1339; Marble; Siena. Ambitious expansion halted by plague of 1348; symbolizes hubris and decline; now ruins and viewpoint; intended to surpass Florence’s Duomo.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala della Pace – Effects of Bad Government — Ambrogio Lorenzetti

1338; Fresco; Siena. Companion to allegory; depicts ruined city, desolation, and vice; moral warning to civic rulers; continuous narrative of sin and decay.

Fonte Branda — —

1248; Brick and stone; Siena. Early communal fountain; public water source and social hub; associated with St. Catherine of Siena’s childhood.

Porta Romana — —

1328; Brick; Siena city wall. Main southern gate; defensive and ceremonial entrance for pilgrims to Rome; shows Sienese Gothic style.

Cuna, Fortified Grange — —

1224–1314; Brick; Rural Siena (Monteroni d’Arbia). Fortified farm complex owned by Ospedale; stored grain; symbol of Siena’s organized rural economy.

Monteriggioni (Fortified Border Town) — —

Early 13th C; Stone; Sienese frontier. Circular walled town defending against Florence; Dante references its towers; model of medieval military planning.

Duomo, Annunciation — Simone Martini & Lippo Memmi

1333; Tempera and gold on panel; Originally Siena Duomo, now Uffizi. Courtly International Gothic style; elongated forms, lavish gold; Gabriel and Mary’s exchange conveys elegance and divine energy; commissioned by cathedral canons.

Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Martyrdom of Seven Franciscans — Ambrogio Lorenzetti

1330s; Fresco; San Francesco, Siena. Dynamic storytelling; expressive faces; celebrates Franciscan missionary zeal and local piety.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala della Pace – Effects of Good Government on the City — Ambrogio Lorenzetti

1338; Fresco; Siena. First true urban landscape in Western art; shows Siena thriving under justice; commerce, dance, and order; civic propaganda for virtuous rule.

Palazzo Pubblico, Sala della Pace – Effects of Good Government on the Country — Ambrogio Lorenzetti

1338; Fresco; Siena. Panoramic countryside; farmers sowing and harvesting; embodies harmony between city and land under good rule.

Tin-glazed Earthenware — Maestro Benedetto

c.1510; Glazed ceramic; Siena. Decorative maiolica ware; combines utility with artistic refinement; local craft tradition.

Italian Bobbin Lace — Unknown artisan

16th C; Linen thread; Siena (?). Early textile art reflecting women’s domestic craft; associated with convent production and dowries.

Coat of Arms, Art of Shoemaking — Unknown

15th C; Stone; Siena. Guild emblem showing pride in craftsmanship and trade; part of Siena’s civic guild display system.

Vecchietta, Civic Saints and Beati (Arliquiera) — Vecchietta

1445; Tempera, gold on panel; Originally from Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala. Painted reliquary cabinet; saints protect Siena; civic and religious unity; reflects continued veneration of Siena’s protectors.

Vecchietta, St. Catherine of Siena — Vecchietta

1461; Fresco; Sala del Consiglio, Palazzo Pubblico. Honors Siena’s most famous saint after canonization; symbolizes piety and civic virtue of women.

Loggia Piccolomini (Loggia del Papa) — Antonio Federighi (commissioned by Pius II)

1462; Marble; Siena. Open Renaissance loggia celebrating Pope Pius II’s family; displays papal and civic pride; elegant classical arches.

Vecchietta, Biccherna Tavoletta (Book Cover) – Coronation of Pius II — Vecchietta

1460; Tempera and gold on panel; Siena. Painted wooden treasury cover; documents civic finances; merges art, history, and bureaucracy.

Piccolomini Library, Duomo — Pinturicchio (for Pius III)

1501–1507; Fresco; Siena Cathedral. Humanist decorative cycle illustrating life of Pius II (Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini); vibrant colors; reflects late Renaissance narrative art and papal self-glorification.