Santa Maria Della Scala Siena

This ancient hospice of Siena is opposite the Duomo. It is believed to be Europe's oldest public hospital. They have been caring for the sick and needy here since the 800s. Most of its initial patients were pilgrims. Travellers along Western Europe's great religious route, the via Francigena, towards Rome.

Functions through the ages

It was officially instituted by the canons of the Duomo from 1090. It has functioned as an orphanage and general hospital for 1000 years until the 1990s. It was then that its transformation from medieval relic into an exhibition space and artistic repository began.

Santa Maria Della Scala museum

Santa Maria's primary function is now a museum. The main attraction is the building itself, particularly its cleaned-up original frescoes. Most of the great Sienese artists from the Medieval and Renaissance eras contributed work to the hospital. After all, a complex measuring more than 350,000 cubic metres needs its fair share of decoration.

The first piece to greet visitors is by one of Siena's most prominent painters, Domenico Beccafumi. His brightly coloured Meeting at Porta Andrea is just past the ticket booth.

Pilgrims Hall - Caring in Siena

Round the corner is the Sala del Pellegrinaio or Pilgrim's Hall. This is where the wayfarers and infirm were cared for, until the tail end of the 20th century. The Hall is home to the complex's most impressive set of frescoes. Many of them vivid masterpieces by Domenico di Bartolo. These were added in the 1440s. They recount both the history of the building and a selection of the benevolent deeds its monks committed. The paintings' positioning above the headboards of each bed was no accident. They made for an uplifting, healing sight for patients in the beds opposite.

What to see on the Ground Floor

Other interesting ground floor rooms include the Sagrestia Vecchia (Old Sacristy). This room is embellished with Lorezno Vecchietta's frescoes. They include

the Cappella della Madonna (Chapel of the Virgin Mary)
the austere Women's Chapel
and the Cappella del Manto (Chapel of the Mantle)

The last of these was named after Beccafumi's stunningly beautiful lunette depicting the Madonna of Mercy.

Arguably the most elaborate room is the Church of the Santissima Annunziata. This is notable for its sumptuous coffered ceiling and bronze Risen Christ by Vecchietta over the high altar.

Things to see down the stairs

Downstairs you'll find rooms documenting the restoration of Jacopo della Quercia's Fonte Gaia. Also there is the Oratorio di Santa Caterina della Notte (Night Oratory of Santa Catherine). The later includes a gilt Madonna and Child with Saints by Taddeo di Bartolo.

Hidden Treasures of the Museam

The museum's best hidden treasures are located down the next flight of stairs. This area was once the hospital's storerooms and warehouses. Here, eight expansive rooms and corridors (many more currently go unused) display extensive collections of predominately Etruscan and Roman artefacts. Black bucchero vases, funerary urns, ancient bronzes, and Roman coins make up just part of the archive. It is also worth visiting for its ingeniously lighted walls and unique atmosphere.