Siena Scenes
The Interior of the Duomo
The interior of the Duomo has been described as a grandiose collection of art. It’s frescoes, sculptures, woodcraft, stained glass and marble mosaics were created by the finest artists of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Excellent images of these masterpieces are available on the web. I was most fascinated by two aspects: the stunning visual effect of the zebra striped columns and the mosaics that cover the entire floor.
The Most Beautiful Treasures are on the Floor
And they can only be seen a few weeks of the year usually including September. Otherwise these marble mosaic masterpieces are protected with special flooring; perhaps one or two are available for viewing. As we were there in September I was privileged to see in its entirety this unique and beautiful floor.
The marble mosaics panels were designed by 40 leading artists, all but one from Siena, from 1369 to 1547. Completion of the designs by artisans took another 300 years, the last ones finished in the 19th century. Detailed descriptions of individual panels, their stories and symbolism can be found at the official site of the caretaker organization for the cathedral complex. Here I show you what captured my attention, including the splendid border details.
And One Last Spectacle: The Piccolomini Library
Dedicated to the life and times of Pope Pius II ,aka Enea Silvio Piccolomini, it is not really a library but a collection of gorgeous floor to ceiling frescoes by Pinturricho (who, incidentally, was the single non Senese artist involved in creating the mosaic designs mentioned earlier) and the famous ceiling in the grotesque style by one of his students, Raffaello Sanzio, aka Raphael.
Jconcetta's Journeys 