David Soileau prepares for departure to Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
David Soileau awaits the train departure for Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Piazza del Campo is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi signorili surround the shell-shaped piazza. At the northwest edge is the Fonte Gaia.
Piazza del Campo is the main public space of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. Beneath the Torre del Mangia and set slightly forwards from the facade of the Palazzo Pubblico stands the Cappella di Piazza, a marble chapel that was put up by the Senese in thanks for the end of the 1348 plague that hit the city and reduced its population to less than 16,000.
The open site was a marketplace established before the thirteenth century on a sloping site near the meeting point of the three hillside communities that coalesced to form Siena: the Castellare, the San Martino and the Camollia.
The Piazza del Campo buildings house various cafes and eateries along the edge of the piazza.
The palazzi signorili that line the square, housing the families of the Sansedoni, the Piccolomini and the Saracini etc., have unified rooflines, in contrast to earlier tower houses.
Torre del Mangia, Piazza del Campo, Sienna, Tuscany, Italy
Beneath the Torre del Mangia and set slightly forwards from the facade of the Palazzo Pubblico stands the Cappella di Piazza, a marble chapel that was put up by the Senese in thanks for the end of the 1348 plague that hit the city and reduced its population to less than 16,000.
Torre del Mangia, Piazza del Campo, Sienna, Tuscany, Italy
Palazzo Sansedoni is a Gothic style urban palace and tower, whose concave facade is situated facing the Palazzo Pubblico across the Piazza del Campo
The open site was a marketplace established before the thirteenth century on a sloping site near the meeting point of the three hillside communities that coalesced to form Siena: the Castellare, the San Martino and the Camollia.
The Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) is a palace in Siena, Tuscany, central Italy.
Background - Bell Tower of Siena Cathedral
Beneath the Torre del Mangia and set slightly forwards from the facade of the Palazzo Pubblico stands the Cappella di Piazza, a marble chapel that was put up by the Senese in thanks for the end of the 1348 plague that hit the city and reduced its population to less than 16,000.
The Piazza del Campo was paved in 1349 in fishbone-patterned red brick with 8 lines of travertine, which divide the piazza into 9 sections, radiating from the mouth of the gavinone (the central water drain) in front of the Palazzo Pubblico.
Architectural detail.
Passageway to the cathedral.
Sansedoni Palace - Architectural detail
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Cappella di Piazza detail, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
David Soileau in front of the Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy).
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
harumphhhh!
Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy) Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
That's one way of doing it!
The Piazza del Campo was paved in 1349 in fishbone-patterned red brick with 8 lines of travertine, which divide the piazza into 9 sections, radiating from the mouth of the gavinone (the central water drain) in front of the Palazzo Pubblico. The number of divisions is held to be symbolic of the rule of The Nine (Noveschi) who laid out the campo and governed Siena at the height of its mediaeval splendor between 1292-1355. The Campo was and remains the focal point of public life in the city. From the piazza, eleven narrow shaded streets radiate into the city.
Passageway to the town of Siena from the Piazza del Campo.
Palazzo Pubblico
Palazzo Pubblico detail
Top of Torre del Mangia tower in Siena, Italy
Building facade in Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
The Church of Santa Maria dei Servi is a Romanesque style, Roman Catholic church in the Terzo of San Martino in the city of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Distant shot of the bell tower forThe Church of Santa Maria dei Servi is a Romanesque style, Roman Catholic church in the Terzo of San Martino in the city of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Top of Torre del Mangia tower in Siena, Italy
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Streets of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Facade of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Main entrance - Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church
Siena Cathedral - "Coronation of the Virgin" mosaic
"Presentation of Mary in the Temple" gable mosaic on facade of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Gargoyles and saints on facade of Siena Cathedral, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Michael, the archangel warrior perched atop the Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Entry to the Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Gargoyles and saints on facade of Siena Cathedral, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Romulus and Remus
Gargoyles and saints on facade of Siena Cathedral, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Gargoyles and saints on facade of Siena Cathedral, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena) detail
Gargoyles and grotesques on the Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena)
Siena Cathedral - Coronation of the Virgin mosaic
A carved stone statue of Romulus, Remus, and the wolf, outside the cathedral in Siena, Italy
The Duomo's unique black-and-white striped campanile dates from 1313 but reflects the Romanesque style. The tall, square bell tower has increasing numbers of round-headed arcades with each level and culminates in a pyramid-shaped roof.
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena)
Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena)
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena.
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena.
Cortile del Podesta, Courtyard of Palazzo Pubblico in Siena.
Torre del Mangia Siena, Tower of the Eater in Siena, on the Palazzo Pubblico, Tuscany, Italy
Torre del Mangia Siena, Tower of the Eater in Siena, on the Palazzo Pubblico, Tuscany, Italy
Passageway from the Piazza del Campo into the city of Siena.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Santa Maria, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
"Coronation of the Virgin” mosaic on facade of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
"Presentation of Mary in the Temple" gable mosaic on facade of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
"Coronation of the Virgin” mosaic on facade of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Facade detail of Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral), Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Altar-mor by Baldassarre Peruzzi, Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta, Siena, Italy.
There are 172 plaster busts of popes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries along the molding of the nave, starting with St. Peter and ending with Lucius III.
Most prominent feature of the interior of the Duomo are the black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns. Black and white represent the colors of the civic coat of arms of Siena.
The gilded stucco dome of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the North (left) transept.
The gilded stucco dome of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the North (left) transept.
The gilded stucco dome of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the North (left) transept.
Baptismal font - Chapel of St. John the Baptist - Duomo - Siena
Baptismal font detail - Chapel of St. John the Baptist - Duomo - Siena
The Siena Cathedral Pulpit is an octagonal structure in Siena Cathedral sculpted by Nicola Pisano and his assistants Arnolfo di Cambio, Lapo di Ricevuto, and Nicolas' son Giovanni Pisano between the fall of 1265 and the fall of 1268. The pulpit, with its seven narrative panels and nine decorative columns carved out of Carrara marble, showcases Nicola Pisano's talent for integrating classical themes into Christian traditions, making both Nicola Pisano and the Siena pulpit forerunners of the classical revival of the Italian Renaissance.
The Siena Cathedral Pulpit is an octagonal structure in Siena Cathedral sculpted by Nicola Pisano and his assistants Arnolfo di Cambio, Lapo di Ricevuto, and Nicolas' son Giovanni Pisano between the fall of 1265 and the fall of 1268. The pulpit, with its seven narrative panels and nine decorative columns carved out of Carrara marble, showcases Nicola Pisano's talent for integrating classical themes into Christian traditions, making both Nicola Pisano and the Siena pulpit forerunners of the classical revival of the Italian Renaissance.
Chapel of Saint John Baptist
Chapel of Saint John Baptist with statue from Donatello, in the Duomo of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Chapel of Saint John Baptist
The Baptistry of Siena Cathedral dome ceiling.
Inside of Siena Cathedral
Inside of Siena Cathedral
The ceiling is decorated with gold stars on a brilliant blue background.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century. Detail.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Along with other rare books, Siena's illuminated choir books are also held and conserved at the Piccolomini Library, including some of the famous books and manuscripts.
Along with other rare books, Siena's illuminated choir books are also held and conserved at the Piccolomini Library, including some of the famous books and manuscripts.
Crescent moon tiles from the Duomo in Siena, Italy
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Siena Cathedral has the Piccolomini Library which was built by order of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini. Built adjacent to the Siena Cathedral, the library contains over 200 manuscripts housed in Siena Cathedral, some of which date back to the 12th century.
Inside of Siena Cathedral
Most prominent feature of the interior of the Duomo are the black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns. Black and white represent the colors of the civic coat of arms of Siena.
The Duomo, Access to the Campanile – Bell Tower
Stained glass in Siena Cathedral - Last Supper
Details of the marble floor: Ruota della Fortuna (“The Wheel of Fortune”) which communicates the mutability of fortune and is aimed at encouraging its viewers to turn to faith and work rather than relying on chance.
Details of the marble floor: Ruota della Fortuna (“The Wheel of Fortune”) detail.
Details of the marble floor: Ruota della Fortuna (“The Wheel of Fortune”) which communicates the mutability of fortune and is aimed at encouraging its viewers to turn to faith and work rather than relying on chance.
Details of the marble floor: Ruota della Fortuna (“The Wheel of Fortune”) detail.
Details of the marble floor of the Duomo, Siena cathedral in Siena, Italy.
Details of the marble floor of the Duomo, Siena cathedral in Siena, Italy.
Details of the marble floor of the Duomo, Siena cathedral in Siena, Italy.
The Coronation of Pope Pius III - This fresco is on the entrance wall to the Piccolomini Library in the left aisle of the cathedral in Siena.
The dome in the interior of Siena Cathedral, Siena, Tuscany Italy Europe
Inside of Siena Cathedral
Basilica Blue Virgin Mary Saints Rose Window Stained Glass Cathedral Church Siena Italy. Completed from 1215 to 1263.
Inside of Siena Cathedral
Inside of Siena Cathedral
Marble floor of the Siena Cathedral.
The Piccolomini Altar is an architectural and sculptural complex in the left aisle of Siena Cathedral, ordered by Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini Todeschini. It was built between 1481 and 1485 by Andrea Bregno in Carrara marble and decorated in the following decades. Michelangelo 's intervention stands out with the collaboration of four sculptures for some altar niches, between 1501 and 1504.
