The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Siena, Italy is a Romanesque-Gothic cathedral constructed between 1229 and the late 14th century. The lower facade was designed by Giovanni Pisano and contains sculptures and statues. The upper facade contains 14th and 19th century mosaics. The bell tower dates back to an ancient tower and contains six pride of Siena sculptures. The unfinished work on the right side of the cathedral is a remnant of an ambitious 14th century project to construct a new, larger cathedral that was abandoned due to the plague and wars devastating Siena.

1. Original slide and elaboration by Antonio Florino

2. OUTSIDE - The facade of polychrome marble has a rich sculptural decoration. The lower, open from three portals with Gothic gables, was designed by Giovanni Pisano, as well as the statues of prophets, philosophers and patriarchs, while the upper part of the fourteenth and nineteenth-century mosaics decorate the three cusps. The right side, marked by bands of light and dark marble, is opened by large windows and the door of the tabernacle Forgiveness, surmounted by a bas-relief depicting the Madonna and Child, attributed to Donatello. The buttresses are crowned by statues of prophets, copies of the originals of the fourteenth century, preserved in the crypt of St. John. The bell tower, a black and white bands, situated on an ancient tower has six pride of Siena, conceived as "the greatest monument of Christianity," the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is one of the most successful creations of Romanesque-Gothic Italian. The cathedral was erected in the place where - according to tradition - there was a ninth century church since construction began in 1229 and was completed at the end of the fourteenth century. Between 1258 and 1285 the direction of the work was entrusted to the Cistercian monks of San Galgano, who called in Siena Nicola Pisano and his son John. THE NEW CATHEDRAL - At the beginning of the fourteenth century, Siena was the height of its prosperity and the proportions of the Cathedral did not appear more worthy of the splendor of the Republic. It was decided to build a new and magnificent cathedral - the Duomo cathedral - of which the present church was only a transept. The project was entrusted to Lando di Pietro in 1339. But the plague of 1348 and the wars with neighboring cities that precipitated the situation became critical to Florida, and the ambitious project was finally abandoned. Even today it remains the testimony of this work unfinished at the bottom right side of the cathedral. After this interlude, he returned to work on the original cathedral in 1376 and was entrusted with the construction of the facade above Giovanni di Cecco, and meanwhile the dome and bell tower had already been executed. In 1382 it provided for the elevation of the vaults of the nave and the reconstruction of the apse: the Cathedral could only then be considered completed rows of windows and a spire topped by an octagonal pyramid

6. In addition to the information provided in the slide 2 you just have to admire the beautiful architectural structure multicolored marble friezes and superb portals of access to the basilica

31. [email_address] by Aflo