Siena's Duomo - Interior

On the train, we had decided to dedicate most of our time in Siena to its Duomo and all of the accompanying structures (the Duomo Museum, the baptistery, and the crypt). The best deal for seeing it all was the Opa Si pass, which runs 12 euro and is definitely worth it.

In comparison to Florence's Duomo, I would say that Siena's is much more ornamental and much less austere from the outside. The pink tones in the exterior facade's decoration give it a joyful and majestic vibe. The structure dates back to 1215, while many of the decorative aspects were added between 1250 and 1350.

Duomo Exterior

When you walk through its doors you travel from a world of bright white to richly dark tones. It would probably take a day to see everything properly and reflect on it.

The first thing I was struck by was its arched and domed glory. The space is almost dizzying from all of the horizontal lines that run around it.

Duomo interior

My guidebook had told me to look out for the floor tiles and knowing the stories behind them made them much more interesting. My favorite is the Fortune panel, which shows Lady Luck and Lady Wisdom and the truth-seekers journey from the former to the latter. There was something very moving about its message as Crates realizes that happiness does not lie in his riches once he reaches truth and wisdom.

The Fortune Panel. The one thing you're missing in this image is bare-breasted Lady Luck.

Looking straight ahead you see a replica of Duccio's Stained-Glass Rose Window (the actual one can be found in the Duomo Museum). This whole concept of moving the originals into museums and creating replicas in their original spots seems to be a theme throughout Italy. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful element.

The dome is beautiful and creates an optical illusion as its coffers are the product of paint and not architectural design. Its rich blues and stars appear majestic like the night's sky.

The dome with its painted coffers.

On the left side of the Duomo is Pisano's Pulpit, created in 1268. My favorite aspect of the pulpit, which depicts the life of Christ, is the lions on which its columns rest.

Pisano's Pulpit. The entire Duomo is filled with treasures like this.

Three of my other favorite aspects of the Duomo include: the wooden poles on which the Florentine flag had hung when Siena won the Battle of Montaperti thanks to an undercover spy they had placed in the Florentine army, the beauty of the Bernini Chapel's entrance, and the fact that the six-story bell tower appears taller than its reality thanks to gradually thinning lines.

Killing two birds with one stone. This photo shows the wooden flagpole (to the right) and the entrance to Bernini's chapel (center).