You'd think that a large room in the Siena Cathedral with some of the most gorgeous frescoes you will ever see would be hard to miss. But far too many of the people I talk to who have visited Siena on their own or even on a tour look at me blankly when I ask how they liked the Piccolomini Library.
It's true that the Cathedral is huge and packed with amazing sights from the mosaics on the floor to the sculpture adorning every nook and cranny, but the Piccolomini (which is located in the center of the right aisle) should not be overlooked.
The Library houses a wonderful collection of music manuscripts, but it's the walls that are stunning to me. Ten frescoes by the artist Pinturrichio, depicting the life of Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini, who became Pope Pius II, decorate the walls of the room.
Pinturrichio, and his assistant, the young Raphael, created vivid scenes, full of color, richness, and detail. Looking at them is like stepping into the world of the 15th century. The artists even painted himself and Raphael into one of the scenes (above).
You can see many of the frescoes at the Web Gallery of Art, but I hope you will see them in person one day.
All of Time of Your Life Tours' Tuscany trips include a visit to the Siena Cathedral and the Piccolomini Library. Our clients say it's one of the highlights of the tour. The night before we go, I tell them the story of Piccolomini's life while we enjoy a glass or two of wine on our hotel's terrace.
And, although I usually don't like those recorded audio tours, I always rent them for our clients when we visit the Siena Cathedral. They include information on each of the frescoes in the Library and I highly recommend them to enhance the experience.
