SANTA MARIA DELLA SCALA

The current museum complex of Santa Maria della Scala, was one of the first European hospitals expressly built to accommodate pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena, and support the poor and abandoned children. 

The complex is located in front of the facade of the Cathedral of Siena, and its creation is due to the canons of the cathedral, which probably founded it between the 9th and 10th century, during the Middle Ages the hospital greatly developed thanks to donations and bequests from the most importat families in the city, the hospital soon became very important in the Republic of Siena economy, and its management in the first instance under the canons of the Cathedral, was later entrusted to the hospital brothers, and finally, in the fifteenth century, came under the direct control of the Commune of Siena. The hospital thanks to legacies and donations received at that time had many agricultural properties, called grancie, who were in every corner of the state of Siena as in Val d'Orcia, in Val d'Arbia (Grancia of Cuna), in the the Masse, in Crete Senesi and Maremma. For almost five centuries these possessions were the source of support of the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, until, in the second half of the eighteenth century, was ordered alienation. 

During the period of great splendor, the Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala became very important in the cultural sphere, to the extent that today is considered the third pole of the town, after the Public Palace and the cathedral. It remained in use as a hospital for citizen until a few years ago, now it offers an interesting museum path, and houses among others the new archaeological museum. Many great artists worked to the hospital building, today are witness places like Pellegrinaio (frescoes of the 15th and 16th century by Domenico di Bartolo, Lorenzo Vecchietta, Giovanni Raffaele Navesi and Priamo della Quercia), the Old Sacristy (fifteenth century frescoes by Lorenzo Vecchietta), the Church of the Santissima Annunziata (eighteenth century painting apse by Sebastiano Conca), Chapel of Manto (sixteenth century fresco by Domenico Beccafumi), the Chapel of Our Lady (paintings by Giuseppe Nicola Nasini). 

The route starts from the current museum tickets emtrance in front of the facade of the cathedral, allowing the visit of the monumental area of Santa Maria della Scala, which faces the central plaza with the church of the Santissima Annunziata, Pellegrinaio with the famous fresco cycle, the Old Sacristy, Palazzo Squarcialupi, the Chapel of Our Lady and the chapel of Manto. It then descends to the lower level (basement 1) where you visit the Corticella, which overlook the medieval Barn, where is kept the Fonte Gaia by Jacopo della Quercia and locations of two lay brotherhoods rich in works of art and yet active today: the Compagnia dei disciplinati sotto le volte dell'ospedale and the Compagnia di Santa Caterina della Notte. Through the warehouses of Corticella then you come to the so-called labyrinths (floor 2), a vast medieval sections connected by tunnels dug in tufa, where are exposed the archaeological collections. Archaeological Museum is divided into two main sections: the Antiquities with collections from private collections and a section devoted to topographical excavations and findings made in Chianti, Murlo, and in Alta Val d'Elsa. 

OPENING TIME: every day 10,30-18,30 ENTRANCE TICKETS: Tickets price without booking € 6.00; Tickets price with booking € 5.50; Reduced-rate without booking € 4.50 reduced for groups that are more than 15 visitors; Reduced-rate with booking € 4.00 reduced for groups that are more than 15 visitors; Reduced-rate without booking € 3.50 for all students, for people older than 65 years, disabled person; Reduced-rate with booking € 3.00 for all students, for people older than 65 years, disabled person; Free tickets for Children younger than 11 years old.

WHAT TO SEE IN THE AREA:

Asciano, Buonconvento, le Crete Senesi, la Val d'Orcia.