Siena is one of the beautiful cities that we can find in Tuscany, a region of central Italy surrounded by the main mountain ranges, with fertile hills and plains. The city of Siena is known for its medieval center and for the “Palio”, a very famous horse race that they celebrate twice a year.
At the highest point of Siena and overlooking the countryside of Tuscany, stands the “Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta” (Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Santa Maria), the “Duomo” of Siena.
The “Duomo” was built during the thirteenth century on the remains of an earlier structure. Although it is not clear, it seems that a small church and the residence or palace of a bishop previously occupied this space. Work on the Cathedral continued well into the fourteenth century, when the facade was completed.
Siena’s Cathedral combines elements of French, Tuscan, Romanesque and classical Gothic architectures. It is shaped like a Latin cross and its dome has a hexagonal base supported by columns. Both the interior, as well as the exterior of the church and the bell tower, were built with white and very dark green marble in alternate strips.
The interior of the cathedral is a work of art worthy of admiration. It contains pillars, stained glass, mosaic floors and walls full of frescoes. Contrary to the practice of the moment, the Baptistery was placed inside the church under the Choir.
