Siena’s Best Art Museums: A Local’s Guide
While the city of Siena has so much to offer its residents and tourists alike, one thing that many may not be aware of is that the city also houses some amazing art museums, which are accessible and open to the public. The following guide highlights three of Siena’s best art museums, based on personal reviews from locals who know what they’re talking about! Each museum offers unique attractions that are worth checking out, so be sure to stop by at least one of these when you visit the beautiful city of Siena!
Museo Civico
The Museo Civico, which is a part of Siena’s city hall, the Palazzo Pubblico, is where you can see some of the earliest works created by the Sienese School. Numerous paintings and frescoes by painters like Simone Martini and Guidoriccio da Fogliano may be found in the museum. The “Good and Bad Government” by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, which was painted on three Sala Dei Nove hall walls, is the most well-known. The statue of Judith Slaying Holofernes by Donatello is also displayed here. Other notable pieces include those from Lorenzo Monaco, Antonio Veneziano, Matteo di Giovanni and Domenico Beccafumi.
Santa Maria Della Scala
Santa Maria Della Scala was a hospital until it was converted to a museum. The hospital hired Siena-based artists to create murals and paintings for the structure’s interior and exterior in the fourteenth century. Over time, the exterior frescoes were lost, but the inside ones, which feature paintings by the Lorenzetti brothers and Martini, have survived. Here are also conserved a number of ancient altarpieces and sculptures.
Pinacoteca Nazionale
The Pinacoteca Nazionale is one of the best art museums in Siena, and for good reason. It houses an impressive collection of Italian paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries, including works by Simone Martini, Duccio di Buoninsegna, and Pietro Lorenzetti. The museum is located in the Palazzo Publico, which is also worth a visit for its architecture and frescoes.
Palazzo Buonsignori
The Palazzo Buonsignori is one of the best art museums in Siena. The museum has a large collection of paintings from the 13th to the 16th centuries, as well as a significant number of sculptures. The Palazzo Buonsignori is also home to a number of important works by Sienese artists, such as Duccio di Buoninsegna and Simone Martini. If you’re interested in Italian Renaissance art, this is definitely the museum for you!