On a vacation some time ago I decided that my vacations are much like stage races, rest days are necessary. Today was my rest day. Unfortunately breakfast still started at 7:30 am as I had not yet fully decided that I wouldn’t be spending the day mostly on the bike (this was an option). Over a croissant with powdered sugar, an egg, and a cappuccino I consulted my Rick Steves’ guide book to make my decision and it was clear that there was just too much to see in Siena to go off on ma bicycletta. After breakfast, Nina the most of the crew rode off and I headed back to room for an obligatory snooze. I woke up in enough time to make it to the ticket office, buy an Opa pass (all inclusive tour pass) and be one of the first in line to visit the Duomo in Siena- go me!
Duomo of Siena
It. Was. Worth. It. If there are two things Catholics excel at, it’s guilt and building churches. Every inch of this cathedral was an art historian’s dream. Every statue, window, even the floor told a story or had meaning that went into it. The combination of art, religion, philosophy, and history is incredible. The size of the building itself is overwhelming and it’s incomprehensible that such a structure could have been built before computers and machines. Entering the cathedral was overwhelming- there was so much to look at, I didn’t know where to start. Hoping to beat the crowds I get there when the doors opened and this was definitely a good idea. Something seems inherently sacrilegious about traipsing about a church taking photographs, but onward.
Walking into the cathedral is breathtaking. The Duoma has the shape of a Latin cross and the inside has 26 columns composed of bands of alternating white and black (actually dark green) marble. Busts of the Popes encircle above the columns and the ceiling is painted a brilliant blue with gold stars. The floor is a masterpiece of marble, each panel depicting a different story. One of the first panels encountered is again an image of Romulus and Remus. Surrounding the central image are eight tondi, each representing Italian cities. The fig tree is where Faustulus is said to have found the two children who were abandoned along the banks of the Tiber river.
Romulus and Remus
Perhaps my favorite floor panel is The Wheel of Fortune and the Philosophers of the Ancient World. There are three figures hanging on to the spinning wheel while a king sits on the top. The four figures are Regno, Regnavi, Sume sine regno, Regnabo- I reign, I reigned, I am without a kingdom, I will reign. Four philosophers surround the wheel- Epictetus, Aristotle, Euripides and Seneca. My favorite quote is the one with Epictetus “non fortunae muneribus sed animi/ bonis gloriandum epict.” “Glory not in the gifts of fortune, but in the assets of the soul.”
The Wheel of Fortune
The last part of the church that I will spend time on is the high altar, the panis vivus. Baldassare Peruzzi created the bronze centerpiece. Green marble panels surround the altar and two intricate, bronze angels holding candles are on either side (these were created by Francesco di Giorgio Martini (what a great name) at the end of the 1400s.
The tour of the Duomo of Siena was a whirlwind of art, history, and religion. I moved on to the Crypt, which was discovered in 1999 during a renovation project. The frescos are from the second half of the 13th century and depict stories from the old testament and the life of Jesus.
The Deposition From the Cross
The next stop on the Opa pass was the Siena Duomo Museum which stores original statues from the outside of the church. The museum is dimly lit allowing light to pour through Duccio’s stained glass window at the far end of the museum. The window was made in 1288 and is an impressive 20 feet in diameter filled with brilliant red, blue, and yellow colors.
Duccio’s Stained Glass Window
Donatello’s Madonna and Child
On either side of museum are statues carved by Giovanni Pisano. The dim lighting accentuates the artistic beauty.
I headed to the final place on the Opa pass, the baptistery which was built below the Cathedral. To be honest, by the time I reached the baptistery I was tired and I couldn’t fit any more facts into my head. I made a quick pass, took in the beauty, and finished there. It was time to go back to the hotel and meet up with my trusty travel buddy, Nina.