Siena Duomo

OPA

Some Italian cities have this cluster of monuments consisting of a cathedral, a bell tower, a baptistery, and one or two museums housing religious artefacts. Think Florence, Pisa, Venice. Siena is no exception.

Usually the name OPA or Opera is used to refer to this complex of monuments orbiting around a duomo (I’m yet to fully understand the term, but it is used in the sense of works of art - but certainly nothing to do with opera houses and theatre).

Siena’s Duomo Complex includes several attractions:

The Cathedral
The Cathedral Rooftop (Gate of Heaven)
The Piccolomini Library
The Crypt
The Baptistry
The Museum + The Facciatone panorama
Santa Maria della Scala

It is quite a lot. The cathedral’s interior is the most impressive part, so definitely don’t miss it, it is certainly worth the admission fee. If you would like to see more, there are various ticket types available. Taking your time to visit everything at a relaxed pace could easily take up a full day, so don’t underestimate it.

Tickets

There is a fee to enter the attractions within the Duomo complex, including the cathedral. There are several options available.

A standard Cathedral ticket would grant you access into just The Cathedral and The Piccolomini Library, which is accessed from inside the cathedral. The cathedral is the best part, so this is actually very good value. Price: 7€.

The Opa Si Pass would grant you entry to 5 attractions within the complex: The Cathedral, The Piccolomini Library, The Baptistery, The Crypt, and The Museum (including the Facciatone viewpoint). Price: 15€.

A more comprehensive ticket is called Gate of Heaven and includes the 5 attractions as well as a 30min guided tour through the cathedral rooftop walkways. Price: 22€.

You can also upgrade your combined ticket to an Acropoli Pass, which also includes Santa Maria della Scala, for an additional 5€. You can also buy this ticket separately, for 9€.

Prices vary by a couple euros, depending on seasonality.

The tickets are valid for 3 consecutive days, so you don’t need to visit everything in one day.

You can book your ticket on their website. Their platform makes everything look much more complicated than it needs to be. Choosing the correct type of ticket can be a bit confusing, and in order to purchase a ticket you need to register for an account on a platform that you will most likely never be using again. If you are going for the Gate of Heaven pass and aiming for a specific date and time, especially during high season, then it would be advised to book your ticket online in advance to secure a spot. Otherwise, booking at the ticket office on the day might be easier and allow for more flexibility (cheaper too, saves you a few euros for the service fee).

The attractions are usually open between 10:30 - 18:00.

The Duomo

Siena’s crown jewel is the duomo, a stunning cathedral that is one of the finest in Italy.

It is undeniably one of the most beautiful and memorable cathedrals I’ve ever visited. The building is imposing from the outside as well as the inside.

The first thing you notice as you near the cathedral is the beautiful facade with intricate carvings, and the campanile that dominates the city skyline. As you enter the cathedral, you really don’t know where to look. The whole building is covered in artwork - not just the walls and the stunning golden cupola, but also the very ornate marble floor. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Siena Cathedral is the alternating black-and-white marble stripes on its walls. Those symbolic colours are linked to the legendary founders of the city of Siena, Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus. According to local legend, they fled Rome on two horses, one white and one black.

The Floor

If you book your tickets online you might be wondering what is the meaning of covered or uncovered floor season. This is something unique to the Siena Cathedral and refers to the cathedral’s stunning marble floor mosaics. There are 56 panels in total depicting various scenes and figures, dating back to 14th-16th centuries, and still well preserved.

For just a few months in the year, usually late summer to early autumn, the mosaics are on full display for everyone to admire. The central parts which feature the most intricate carvings remain off limits, meaning you can’t step on them, but they are visible and uncovered. For the rest of the year, most of the panels are covered, to protect them from wear and tear. If you are lucky to visit Siena during the uncovered floor season, you will find that those extra couple euros are well worth it.

Gate of Heaven

The Gate of Heaven consists of a tour of the upper level of the cathedral. Unlike the rest of the attractions where you can make your way around at your own pace, this is a guided tour with a pre-booked departure time. Guided tour is an overstatement - it is more of an accompanied walk, only needed to ensure people adhere to safety rules and there is no congestion.

The tour follows a one-way system that goes around the cathedral and gives you the chance to see the interior from above, and appreciate some of the details from a different perspective. For example, this angle really works for the marble floor, and some of the sculptures high up on the walls.

Make sure you arrive on time for your designated time slot. With limited visitor numbers, and tours running every half hour and following the same route, there isn’t much flexibility.

The entrance for the Gate of Heaven is through the cathedral’s main gates. Show your ticket to one of the staff members there and they will point you in the right direction.

The tour mostly takes place in the interior, however you do get a chance to go out a tiny balcony, which comes with a nice view of Piazza del Campo with Torre del Mangia. You don’t get much time here, but if you feel it’s all rushed, do not worry - the view from Facciatone is very similar - in fact, it is better.

The best part of the tour is the first bridge crossing, which comes with an incredible view of the cathedral interior, the best there is. The opening at the middle of the bridge is where you might want to take your photo. The guide may pressure you into moving forward, especially if you are at the back of the queue and others have already spent too long, but as you traverse the bridge at a slow pace you do get the chance to fully appreciate the beauty in front of you.

Is the Gate of Heaven worth it? Maybe. The beauty of the Duomo can be appreciated from ground level, this tour just adds another layer. It would be nice if the tour was just a little longer, so it doesn’t feel rushed. Personally I wouldn’t say that it’s a must, but if you are going for the combined ticket, it might be worth further upgrading your pass to include Gate of Heaven.

If you decide to go for it, know that it really does not matter at what time of day you book the tour. This might be branded as a rooftop tour, but you probably end up spending less than a minute outside - so there is no point to plan your visit for when the light is best (near sunset), which won’t even be possible during the summer season. As for visitor numbers, the limit is the same for every tour, and the slots tend to fill up, so it won’t make a difference.

Piccolomini Library

Piccolomini Library isn’t really a separate attraction, but a room on the side of the cathedral, accessed from the inside. Don’t miss it. The interior is beautifully decorated, its walls and ceiling all covered in rich coloured frescoes. Medieval manuscripts with illustrations are on display as you walk around the room.

Museo

The museum is accessed from Piazza Jacobo della Quercia, the smaller square at one side of the cathedral. The museum is heavy on religious artwork - paintings, sculptures, and various other artefacts. Our favourite part was the hall of sculptures with the stained-glass rose window - this is the first room as you walk in.

Facciatone

Even if religious artefacts aren’t your thing, it is definitely worth checking out the museum, if only to use it as an access point to one of the best viewpoint in the city - the Facciatone.

You will notice that the outer walls lining Piazza Jacobo della Quercia resemble those you would see inside a cathedral. That’s because they were meant to be part of Duomo Novo, an addition to the main body of the cathedral. This project was started back in the 14th century, but was never finished, due to the economic problems caused by Black Plague.

One of the walls of the unfinished facade has terraces on two levels. From there, you can admire a beautiful panoramic view of pretty much all of Siena - including the Duomo, Piazza del Campo with Torre del Mangia - and beyond. This is a better view than the one from Gate of Heaven - you have more time, more space, and the entrance is already included in the Opa Si Pass.

The Baptistry

The baptistry is accessed from the other side of the cathedral, next to Piazza San Giovanni. As you make your way from Piazza del Campo, this is where you will likely end up first - before climbing the stairs.

The baptistry makes for a short stop, as it consists of just one chamber. The main attractions are the marble centrepiece and the rich frescoes that cover the entire ceiling.

The Crypt

The crypt is the most recent addition to the Duomo Complex, having been discovered just 22 years ago, when a renovation project was commenced in 1999. It consists of a series of small rooms with frescoes dating back to the 13th century. Before its unexpected discovery, the crypt was filled with debris, and remained hidden for almost 700 years!

The access point to the crypt is just to the left of the baptistery.

Santa Maria della Scala

Santa Maria della Scala is a former civic hospital, and one of the oldest in Europe. The building has been converted into a large museum, laid out on multiple levels - which feels a bit like a labyrinth. There are various interesting exhibitions on display. These are not just about on the history of the building or the duomo, but also about the city of Siena in general, and some of its other treasures such as Fonte Gaia in Piazza del Campo.

The museum is accessed from Piazza del Duomo - it’s next to the main ticket office.