The artistic fervor of the Renaissance never goes out in Siena; this is due to the constant attention of tourists and to the restoration of works of art which have retained their charm over the centuries.
The evidence is the completed restoration, presented a few days ago, of the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral, a masterpiece of the Renaissance age, by virtue of the frescoes that create trompe l’oeil effects, the floor decorated with golden half-moon, emblem of the Piccolomini family, the gilded dome inspired by the Domus aurea and the group of sculptures at the center, depicting the Three Graces.
It is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces kept in the Cathedral and a must-see of a tour in the town, so it is useful to know that from now on you can admire the stained-glass windows and the first fresco painted by Pinturicchio in all their splendor, because the restoration works have recovered fragments of plaster detached and have enhanced the beauty of the stained-glass windows, located at the back of the Library.
About the fresco, it’s interesting to note that a young Raphael helped Pinturicchio in the realization of the painting cycle, and as we can see in the picture the restored fresco depicts Enea Silvio while leaves for the Council of Basel and the storm in the background rages on sea.
Another reason to enjoy monuments, works of art and the amazing natural landscape of Siena is the candidacy of the town in the competition European Green Leaf, born to recognize the merits of small towns in terms of environmental sustainability.
Siena is the only Italian city that is competing for the award and in June we will know who will be the winner of this prize awarded by a committee of experts.
The committee will evaluate each town according to measurable parameters related to air quality and climate change, among other values.
This reward can help to promote the true heart of the City of the Palio, a place that is not a slave of its past, but successfully renewed itself without ever betraying its tradition, a miracle of beauty.
Credits picture Libreria Piccolomini:
I, Sailko [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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