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Treasures of the Church- Holy Sites |
Cathedral of siena
by SCTJM
The medieval Cathedral of Siena (Italian: Duomo
di Siena), dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic
Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta (Most Holy Mary of
Assumption), is the seat of the Archbishop of Siena-Colle di Val
d'Elsa-Montalcino.
The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between
1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form
of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a
bell tower.
The dome rises from an octagonal base with supporting columns. The
lantern atop the dome, was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave
is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The
exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black
marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the
façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena,
etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary
city's founders, Senius and Aschius.
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
Mary
Copyright © 2006- SCTJM
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