Enzo Carli (Knihy)

Sienna Cathedral and the Cathedral Museum

A priceless wonderfully illustrated book includes sections on all of this: The Cathedral The beginnings The project for the new Cathedral The exterior of the cathedral The interior The marble floor Sculpture in the Cathedral The Capella del Voto Paintings in the Cathedral The Chapel of St. John the Baptist The choir The Piccolomini library The Baptistery The Cathedral Museum Statues According to tradition, the first cathedral of Siena was dedicated to Saint Boniface. It was built on the top of a hill known as Castelvecchio, which had previously been a Roman settlement. Here also an old tower may be identified as the prison of St. Ansano, protector of the town. But by the ninth century this church with its Bishops Palace had been transferred to the present location and given the name of Santa Maria. Although in 1058 it was the scene of the Synod that deposed antipope Benedict X and elected Nicholas II, it's dimensions must have been very modest. The legend that this space was once the site of the temple dedicated to Minerva is completely groundless.