Siena Duomo Nel cuore della Toscana3

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During the Middles Ages when the Duomo was built, the most powerful towns in Tuscany (and indeed throughout most of Europe) civic pride was expressed by the construction of a cathedral, but Siena's pride seemed to go even further by incorporating it's municipal colours.

Black and white are the colours found on the civic coat of arms of Siena and are linked to the black and white horses of the legendary founders of the city: Senius and Aschius who were the sons of Remus, one of the co-founders of Rome.

The inlaid marble mosaic floor is one of the most ornate of its kind, covering the whole floor of the cathedral. This mosaic was laid by about 40 artists from 1372 to 1547

The uncovered floor can only be seen for a period of six to ten weeks each year, generally including the month of September. The rest of the year, they are covered and only a few are on display.

The floor consists of 56 panels in different sizes. Most have a rectangular shape, but the later ones in the transept are hexagons or rhombuses. They represent the sibyls, scenes from the Old Testament, allegories and virtues. Most are still in their original state

The portrait of Hermes Trismegistus, 1488; attributed to Giovanni di Maestro Stefano. The legend beneath the central figure reads "Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, the contemporary of Moses.”

Personification of knowledge in Pinturicchio's marble floor panel

The series of allegories in the nave ends with the Wheel of Fortune. Its present appearance dates back to the total restoration of 1864-65The line from Seneca may seem familiar: Magna servitus est magna fortuna (great fortune entails great obligation)

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Ruota della Fortuna (Wheel of Fortune) 1372





The inlaid-marble floor, decorated with 56 glorious panels, by about 40 artists over the course of 200 years (14th- to 16th-centuries), depicting historical and biblical subjects

The Story of Fortuna, or Hill of Virtue (Allegoria della Fortuna), by Pinturicchio in 1504, was the last one commissioned by Aringhieri. This panel also gives a depiction of Socrates.

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An important panel in the north transept is Matteo di Giovanni's Massacre of the Innocents (1481). The painter was worryingly preoccupied with this theme - his disturbing paintings can be seen in the Palazzo Pubblico and Santa Maria dei Servi.

L'Aquila imperiale The Imperial Eagle

The She-Wolf of Siena with the emblems of the confederate cities (Lupa senese e simboli delle città alleate) probably dates from 1373 (also restored in 1864).

Sound: Gioachino Rossini - Messa di Gloria Pictures: Daniela IacobArangement: Sanda Foişoreanu

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Siena Duomo Nel cuore della Toscana3