Torre Grossa

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Torre Grossa
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“Torre Grossa is the tallest tower in San Gimignano, with 54 m (177 ft 2 in). It is one of the best known of Tuscany's medieval towers. It was built in 1310.” (Torre Grossa, Wikipedia)

Torre dei Cugnanesi

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Torre dei Cugnanesi
Via San Giovanni / Via del Quercecchio
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The very high Cugnanesi Tower is another of the 14 survivors in San Gimignano. It stands in a picturesque little piazza near the walls, at the intersection of Via di San Giovanni and Via del Quercecchio. The tower dates from the 13th century and is one of the tallest in the city. Together with the massive Cugnanesi Palazzo, it comprises part of the structure created to defend the nearby Becci Arch. The arch is the town's gateway to the south and leads to the political and religious centre of the town square, communicating between this little piazza and the Piazza della Cisterna. Palazzo Cugnanesi was built around the same time as the tower. Like many medieval buildings, it had a wooden gallery at the first floor that ran around the entire building. All that remains are the brackets that supported it, clearly visible on the upper level. Atop this strong frame is another palazzo with a very strange shape: it looks like a bastion. In actuality, it was a part of the oldest walls of the city.” (Cugnanesi Tower, ItalyGuides.it)

San Francesco

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Former church of San Francesco
Via San Giovanni
San Gimignano, September 2021

Santa Maria Assunta

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Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta or Duomo di San Gimignano is a Roman Catholic collegiate church and minor basilica in San Gimignano, in Tuscany in central Italy. It contains important cycles of Renaissance frescoes by artists including Domenico Ghirlandaio, Benozzo Gozzoli, Taddeo di Bartolo, Lippo Memmi and Bartolo di Fredi. It falls within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the "Historic Centre of San Gimignano", with its frescoes being described by UNESCO as ‘works of outstanding beauty’.” (Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, Wikipedia)

Palazzo Comunale

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Palazzo Comunale (Municipal Palace) and Torre Grossa (Great Tower)
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Palazzo Comunale dates from the late 13th century, and was built on the ruins of an existing building between 1289 and 1298. Further expanded in the 14th century, the facade is characterised by arched windows, with the lower half of the frontage built with stone, and the upper part in brick. On the ground floor is a courtyard, which was built in 1323 and is decorated with the coats of arms of those who have held public office in the municipality. The main civic offices of the town council are now located on this ground floor. On the first floor is a stepped gallery from which dignitaries would address the gathered crowd in the square. The battlements date from a restoration of the nineteenth century,[4] and the structure is capped by the ‘Torre Grossa’ (great tower). This tower was completed in 1300 and (at 54 meters) is the highest tower in the walled town.” (Palazzo Comunale, Wikipedia)

Chapel of San Bartolo

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Marble altar by Benedetto da Maiano
Chapel of San Bartolo
Church of Sant'Agostino
Piazza Sant'Agostino
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Cappella di San Bartolo houses the remains of the eponymous saint (1228–1300), a lay Franciscan who died of leprosy. The magnificent altar in the chapel is by Benedetto da Maiano.” (Sant'Agostino, Wikipedia)

Church of St Augustine

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Church of Sant'Agostino
Piazza Sant'Agostino
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The interior is a large hall dominated by the seventeen-panel fresco cycle on The Life of St Augustine around the high altar, painted by Benozzo Gozzoli between 1463 and 1467. The altarpiece is the Coronation of the Virgin by Piero del Pollaiuolo (1483). There are a number of other frescoes in the church.” (Sant'Agostino, Wikipedia)

Madonna in Gloria

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“Madonna in Gloria” (Madonna in Glory) by Simone Martini, 1310ca (Cenni di Francesco, 1413) Church of San Lorenzo al Ponte
Via Santo Stefano
San Gimignano, September 2021

Torre del Diavolo

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Torre del Diavolo (Devil's Tower)
Piazza della Cisterna
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Devil's Tower, one of the 14 remaining medieval towers in San Gimignano, is located on the northernmost side of the Piazza della Cisterna and is part of the Palazzo dei Cortesi. The tower has a mysterious and unsettling name that is tied to a legend. It is said that upon returning from a trip, the owner noticed with great surprise that the tower was taller than when he left it. This miraculous event was immediately attributed to some diabolical intervention, and so the name of the tower became inextricably linked with the Devil. The other tower has a double doorway that suggests that there was an ancient foot path passing through it. Right below the tower is the Vicolo dell'Oro, where you find the workshops of the "hammerers,” the artisans who vigorously beat gold coin to reduce it to incredibly thin gold leaf, which is then used for painted tables. Looking up you can notice that the upper floor of the tower has several holes in the walls. These received the timbers that held the galleries (equivalent to our balconies) that allowed people to walk outside, from one room to another. Importantly, these were also able to be rapidly dismantled in case of danger, in order to prevent enemies from accessing the tower. It is for this same reason that the windows that open on each floor are just narrow slits. This was typical of the Middle Ages, when defence took priority over aesthetics, comfort, and the brightness of the environment. The top floor would have had a gallery that ran around it as well. This too has only a few supports remaining. Perhaps it was their somewhat sinister appearance that helped fuel the legend.” (Tower of the Devil, ItalyGuides.it)

Porta San Jacopo

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Porta San Jacopo (San Jacopo Gate)
Via Folgore da San Giminiano
San Gimignano, September 2021

Sant'Agostino

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Church of Sant'Agostino
Piazza Sant'Agostino
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The chiesa di Sant'Agostino (Church of St Augustine) is the second largest church in San Gimignano, Italy, after the Collegiata. It is owned by the Order of Saint Augustine. Sant'Agostino is an imposing 13th century building.” (Sant'Agostino, Wikipedia)

Torri dei Salvucci

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Torri dei Salvucci
Piazza delle Erbe
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Torri dei Salvucci, in Piazza del Duomo in San Gimignano are also called the ‘Torri Gemelle.’ They belonged to the most important Ghibelline family in the city, the Salvucci. They had become rich through usury and commerce. Their massive and powerful appearance is no accident: the towers were meant to show the supremacy of the family to the entire city. When they were built, they were taller than the 51 meters of the Rognosa Tower, but after a regulation in 1255 expressly forbade buildings higher than Rognosa, they were lowered. Both towers have a square base and, like all medieval buildings, are designed for defence with very few openings. Even the entrance doors are extremely narrow.” (Two Towers, ItalyGuides.it)

Rocca di Montestaffoli

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Rocca di Montestaffoli
Parco della Rocca
Via della Rocca
San Gimignano, September 2021

Torre dei Becci

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Torre dei Becci
Piazza della Cisterna
San Gimignano, September 2021

“Its name comes from a water cistern found at the centre of the site, where an octagonal travertine well forms a pivot point in the piazza. It offers a view out through the straight passageway of Arco dei Becci, one of the gates in the ancient medieval wall. Next to the gate are the charming Torri dei Becci and Torri dei Cugnanesi. Nearer the well are very important buildings: the Palazzo Razzi, with its splendid two-light mullioned windows; Casa Salvestrini, which at one time was a hospital and is now a hotel; and Palazzo Tortoli, which is next to the ‘severed’ tower that belonged to the Capitano del Popolo (it was cut down during struggles between rival families).” (Piazza della Cisterna, ItalyGuides.it)

Torre Rognosa

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Torre Rognosa (The Devil's Tower)
Vicolo dell'Oro
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The oldest tower is the Torre Rognosa, in Piazza del Duomo. Belonging to the Gregori and later to the Oti family, it was built in 1200 and it is the second highest tower in San Gimignano. The nickname Rognosa was attributed to it because it was used as a prison and therefore for those who had troubles, ‘rogne’ in italian.” (The Rognosa tower, Hotel Casolare)

San Bartolo

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Church of San Bartolo
Via San Matteo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“Bartolo da San Gimignano (1228 – 12 December 1300) - born Bartolo Buonpedoni - was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a professed member from the Third Order of Saint Francis. Bartolo was born to nobles near Siena and fled home to become a priest to escape his father's wrath. He tended to poor people in the streets and used his income to provide alms to them and to alleviate their suffering while himself contracting a disease from working with the poor and succumbing to that same disease as a result. His beatification received approval from Pope Pius X on 27 April 1910.” (Bartolo da San Gimignano, Wikipedia)

The Martyrdom of St Sebastian

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“The Martyrdom of St Sebastian” by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1465
Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“On the rear wall of the nave, beneath the Last Judgement is a fresco of the Martyrdom of St Sebastian painted by Benozzo Gozzoli in 1465. The work was commissioned by the people of San Gimignano as the result of a vow that they made to honour the saint, whose intervention was believed to have brought relief from an outbreak of plague in 1464. The painting shows the figure of Christ and the Virgin Mary in Glory, while below, St Sebastian, standing on a Classical plinth and bristling with arrows, suffers martyrdom and is crowned by angels. Benozzo Gozzoli received his training under Lorenzo Ghiberti while working on the Baptistry doors.[19] He fulfilled two other important commissions in San Gimignano. Both were at the Church of Sant' Agostino, a fresco cycle of the life of St Augustine of Hippo executed 1464-65, and another St Sebastian, showing the townsfolk sheltering beneath his cloak.” (Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, Wikipedia)

Fake Palm-Trees

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Restaurant
Altstadt
Hamburg, May 2004

Pipe organ

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Pipe organ
Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The wall of the left aisle had six decorated bays, of which the paintings of the first bay are in poor condition and those of the sixth have been damaged and in part destroyed by the insertion of the pipe organ. The remaining paintings, with the exception of a repainted panel in the sixth bay, are the work of Bartolo di Fredi, and, according to an inscription, were completed around 1356. The paintings are in three registers and proceed from left to right chronologically in each register.” (Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, Wikipedia)

Duomo di San Gimignano

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Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Collegiate Church stands on the west side of Piazza del Duomo, so named although the church has never been the seat of a bishop. The church has an east-facing facade, and chancel to the west, as at St Peter's Basilica. The architecture is 12th and 13th century Romanesque with the exception of the two chapels in the Renaissance style. The facade, which has little ornament, is approached from the square by a wide staircase and has a door into each of the side aisles, but no central portal. The doorways are surmounted by stone lintels with recessed arches above them, unusual in incorporating the stone Gabbro. There is a central ocular window at the end of the nave and a smaller one giving light to each aisle. The facade, which is stone, was raised higher in brick in 1340, when the ribbed vaulting was constructed, and the two smaller ocular windows set in. Matteo di Brunisend is generally credited as the main architect of the medieval period, with his date of activity given as 1239, but in fact his contribution may have been little more than the design of the central ocular window. Beneath this window is a slot which marks the place of a window which lit the chancel of the earlier church, and may be the most visible sign of the church's reorientation in the 12th century rebuilding, although this is not entirely agreed upon by scholars.” (Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, Wikipedia)

Iridescenze

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“Iridescenze” (Iridescences) rose window by Marcello Aitiani, 2003
Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

Torre Chigi

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Torre Chigi and Palazzo vecchio del Podestà
Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano, September 2021

“Located in the heart of the village San Gimignano (UNESCO Heritage) lies a complex tower that holds three hundred residences, incorporates one of the medieval tower internationally famous. Already the famous Useppi family, which later became the property of the family Chigi Saracini. The Chigi Tower is one of the fourteen historic towers of San Gimignano and is located in Piazza del Duomo. The tower, although not very high, is one of the most beautiful in the city. It was built in 1280 and belonged to both the Useppi and Chigi family. The first three floors are covered with stone, well squared cut drafts, which open on the lights with low arches. On the first floor there is a typical portal which is accessed by stairs, the legacy of the struggles of the times of medieval towns, when they preferred to sleep secure building access by withdrawing the first floor stairs at night. On the second floor window is a narrow elongated slot with a bow resting on shelves. The top is covered with bricks instead of two single windows on the same first two floors, while the latter has no openings.” (Historical Palace and tower, Torre Chigi)

Torri degli Ardinghelli

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Torri degli Ardinghelli
Piazza della Cisterna
San Gimignano, September 2021

“The Salvucci's bitterest enemies were the Ardinghelli, Guelfs who traded with Lombardy and the Orient. To compete with the rival family, they built two twin towers similar to the Salvucci's, right on the opposite side of the piazza. The two Torri degli Ardinghelli also had square bases, but they weren't really ‘twins.’ The tower on the right is a bit straighter and has a more austere, ‘medieval’ look, with truly narrow openings. The other is larger and more imposing and has much larger windows.” (Two Towers, ItalyGuides.it)

Porta a Selci

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Porta a Selci
Viale Vittorio Veneto
Volterra, September 2021

“The gate which leads to Siena, with a simple pointed arch was built in the 16th century to replace the earlier gate, known as the Sun Gate, destroyed when the fortress was erected in the 15th century.” (The Medieval Wall and the Gates, Volterra Online)

San Pietro in Selci

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San Pietro in Selci
Via Don Giovanni Minzoni
Volterra, September 2021

“San Pietro in Selci is an ancient church in Volterra, Italy. A church was initially established by Guiscard, Marquis of Tuscany in 1005, and part of the building we see today dates to the 12th century, but sports today a later Baroque facade with statues in tufa of San Lino and Saint Giusto by Leonardo Ricciarelli. The interior contains a painting of a Madonna with Child and Saints by the 15th century Master of Volterra, two canvases by Niccolò Circignani depicting respectively an Annunciation and the Glory of the Virgin, a canvas by Francesco Brini depicting an Immaculate Conception and a painted stucco with a Madonna and Child.” (San Pietro in Selci, Wikipedia)

Palazzo dei Priori

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Palazzo dei Priori
Piazza dei Priori
Volterra, September 2021

“The city hall is housed in the Palazzo dei Priori, one of the oldest palazzos still surviving in Tuscany. At almost 800 years old it is the province's oldest seat of continuous local government. This lavishly decorated building was the inspiration for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. An inscription near the main entrance tells visitors that the palace was designed by Maestro Riccardo in the early XIII century. The XII century witnessed decades of violent conflict between the nobility and the rule of bishops. This reached a climate mid-century when Galgano dei Pannocchieschi became the region's bishop. His rule was so unpopular that feudal lords and the town's growing middle classes united against him leading to the building of the Palazzo dei Priori as a symbol of the free commune. This newly formed commune purchased rights for the extraction of salt (the town's main source of income at the time), sulfur, vitriol or sulfuric acid, and alum from the surrounding areas of Larderello, Libbiano, and Sasso. However, the commune soon found itself struggling against the territorial expansion of Siena, Pisa and Florence. The three-story Palazzo dei Priori is built entirely of local stone. The facade is finished with cornices and crowned with semi-circular battlements, probably added in the XVI century. It is adorned with double arched windows and Della Robbia glazed terracotta arms of Florentine magistrates, added in the XV century. It also carries the canna volterrana, or medieval standard measurement of the commune, engraved between a banner and torch holders. In the late XV century, the palazzo became the seat of the Captain of Justice at which point two Marzocco lions, a Florentine symbol, were added to the facade.” (Palazzo dei Priori, ItalyGuide.it)

Duomo di Volterra

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Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“Volterra Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, or Duomo di Volterra) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Volterra, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the seat of the bishop of Volterra. The present church was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1117 that destroyed most of the town, and consecrated by Pope Calixtus II in 1120. Details of the earlier church on the site are not clear, although a church dedicated to Saint Mary is known from the 9th century. This was not the original cathedral, which was dedicated to Saint Peter and located next to the bishop's palace; it was destroyed by the Florentines during a siege in 1472, after which the bishop's seat was transferred to the present cathedral. Nicola Pisano is said to have been involved in further reconstruction in the mid 13th century. The rustic stone façade was built in Romanesque style using spolia from the Roman theater of Volterra in the portal. The intarsia over the door is attributed to Pisano.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Madonna and Child

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Madonna and Child by Mariotto di Andrea, 15th century
Oratorio di San Cristoforo
Via Franceschini
Volterra, September 2021

Porta San Francesco

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Porta San Francesco
Via San Lino
Volterra, September 2021

“This gate is also known as the Gate of Santo Stefano or the Pisan Gate as it leads to Pisa through the Era valley. It is the only gate that still preserves traces of the original frescoes painted in the vaults and an engraving of the Pisan canna, a unit of length, slightly longer than that of Volterra engraved on the façade of the Palazzo dei Priori” (The Medieval Wall and the Gates, Volterra Online)

Church of San Giusto

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Church of San Giusto
Piazzale XXV Aprile
Volterra, September 2021

“The Church of Santi Giusto e Clemente (Saints Justin and Clement) is an ancient church in Volterra, Pisa, Italy. It is also known as San Giusto or San Giusto Nuovo. For some 850 years, the Abbey of Sts. Justin and Clement was attached to it, and it was administered by the monks of that monastery. Construction of the present stone church was begun on October 28, 1628, based on designs by the architect Giovanni Coccapani, which were carried out by his pupil Ludovico Incontri. The new church was consecrated in 1775.” (Church of San Giusto, Wikipedia)

Drago

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Drago (Dragon) by Alessandro Trafeli, 2018
Lungomura dei Pratini
Volterra, September 2021

“Guardiano difensore di antichi tesori e luoghi magici”
(Defender of ancient treasures and magical places)

Church of Sant'Alessandro

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Church of Sant'Alessandro
Borgo Sant'Alessandro
Volterra, September 2021

“The ancient roots of the church seem to date back to a pagan temple, whereas the church was consecrated in 1120 by Pope Callixtus II. Built with sandstone ashlar, it has a simple structure with a beamed ceiling and a square choir. A loggia from the 16th century hides part of the facade, which is refined by three big arches on top of pilaster strips with a semi-pillar. The door to the church is under the central arch, whereas the steps under the side-arches lead to the door itself. On the left side of the building, there’s a 13th-century-lunette portraying a hunting scene over a small now sealed up door. A painting of a cross by a Tuscan artist dating back to the 12th century is kept in the church. There are also two panels portraying Saints Atinia and Greciniana, two of the few remaining parts of the majestic altar made by Cosimo Daddi in the 16th century. A 15th-century-tabernacle is located on the right wall of the presbytery. It originally comes from the Santi Pietro e Paolo church in Coiano, in the municipality of Castelfiorentino, Valdelsa, but is part of Volterra’s diocese.” (The Sant'Alessandro Church in Volterra, VolterraTur)

Palazzo Pretorio

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Palazzo Pretorio
Piazza dei Priori
Volterra, September 2021

“The ‘Palazzo Pretorio’ with its humorous additions forms one side of the Piazza dei Priori. The palazzo seen today is the result of XIX century changes after the earthquake when several buildings were joined together and further embellished. In the past these buildings housed the Mayor's seat as well as providing accommodation for the Captain of the people's guard, hence its name of Praetorian or Pretorio. The palazzo's tower, the ‘Torre del Procellino’ is thought to be one of the oldest in the city. Its name translates simply as the Tower of the Little Pig because perched high up at the top of the tower next to a window is a quirky carved statue of a stone pig sitting on a little shelf. A careful observer, however, will spot that the tower has more than one pig. Another one is roughly carved in relief at the tower's base.” (Palazzo Pretorio and Torre del Porcellino, ItalyGuide.it)

Teatro Persio Flacco

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Teatro Persio Flacco (Persio Flacco Theater)
Via dei Sarti
Volterra, September 2021

“The Persio Flacco is an active opera and theater stage in Volterra, Italy. Volterra still lacked a proper indoor performance stage in the early nineteenth century. In 1816 a group of citizens, including cavaliere Bartolommeo Falchi, cavaliere Mario Maffei, Luigi Ducci, Francesco Cinci, and Luigi Campani, commissioned the architect Luigi Campani (an architect of the Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuscany). The theater was erected on the site of the palazzo belonging to Marchesi Incontri. Work began in 1816 and the theater was inaugurated in 1820. The main curtain (sipario) was painted by Nicola Contestabili, who represented Aulus Persius Flaccus, a Roman satirist and playwright born in Volterra, being led by the muses to the summit of Parnassus, ruled by Apollo. This gave the theater its final name. The ceiling over the seats was painted with Venus in a chariot drawn by swans, and the parapets, with cupids, garlands and vignettes, harmonizing with the curtain. All these beautiful decorations were lost with subsequent restorations. In 1820, a group of 60 prominent citizens formed the Academy of the Riuniti (of the reunited), and purchased the entire theater, assigning to each member property of the individual boxes and seats, and this organization has continuously maintained that theatrical activity. The theater was closed for physical repairs for 15 years, from 1984 to 1999, before the reopening, members donated their ownerships of seats and boxes to the Academy. This availed them of funds to pursue reconstruction.” (Persio Flacco Theater, Wikipedia)

Church of San Lino

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“Stories of the Life of Christ” by Cosimo Daddi, 1618ca
Church of San Lino
Via San Lino
Volterra, September 2021

“San Lino is a Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic church and former monastery in Volterra, region of Tuscany, Italy. It is located on Via San Lino in the historic center of the town. The adjacent former Franciscan order nunnery, now a hotel, was founded in 1480, supposedly on the home of the first-century saint and Pope Linus, who putatively followed Peter as the second pope and of whom little else can be documented. Legend holds that he was born in Volterra. Raffaelo Maffei, a native citizen who had been theologian for both Popes Julius II and Sixtus IV, endowed construction of the church and enlargement of the adjacent monastery (1517) at a cost of 80,000 scudi. The plain facade and portal were completed by 1513. The presbytery of the church contains a memorial bust (1522) of Maffei by Silvio da Fiesole (Silvio Cosini) with flanking statues of the Archangel Raphael and Beato Gerardo on his tomb by Fra Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli and Stagio Stagi. The interior ceiling is decorated with framed lunettes frescoed with images and scenes, including twelve Stories of the Life of Christ (circa 1618) by Cosimo Daddi. The church has a main altarpiece painted on wood with a Virgin and San Lino (1597) painted by Francesco Curradi, a Birth of Mary (17th century) by Cesare Dandini, and a Visitation also by Daddi.” (San Lino, Wikipedia)

Our Lady of the Assumption

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“L'Assunta che dona la cintola a San Tommaso” by Giovanni della Robbia, 1520
Oratorio di Sant'Antonio Abate
Via di Sotto
Volterra, September 2021

Baptistery of San Giovanni

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Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery of San Giovanni)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“The Baptistery of San Giovanni an octagonal thirteenth-century religious building standing just in front of the Duomo of Volterra, in the center of the city. It was supposedly set up in the seventh century at the site of a Roman temple dedicated to Sun worship. The façade is decorated with horizontal bands of white and dark green marble. The Romanesque Portal has been attributed to a follower of Nicola Pisano. The sixteenth-century altar inside has been assigned to Balsimelli da Settignano, using a design by Mino da Fiesole.” (Volterra Baptistery of San Giovanni, Wikipedia)

Bell tower of the cathedral

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Bell tower
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“Nicola Pisano is said to have been involved in further reconstruction in the mid 13th century. The rustic stone façade was built in Romanesque style using spolia from the Roman theater of Volterra in the portal. The intarsia over the door is attributed to Pisano. In 1580, bishop Guido Serguidi, with the approval of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, commissioned the decoration of the intricately coffered ceiling of the nave and crossings, designed by Francesco Capriani, carved by Jacopo Pavolini, and gilded by Fulvo della Tuccia. The ceiling has sculpted reliefs of Saints Ugo, Giusto, Pope Linus, Clemente, Attinea, and Greciniana, round a central symbol of the Holy Spirit. The campanile of 1493 replaced an older belltower.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Baptismal font

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Baptismal font by Giovanni Vaccà, 1759
Statue of St John the Baptist by Giovanni Antonio Cybei, 1771
Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery of San Giovanni)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“It has a painting (partially damaged during World War Two of the Assumption of the Virgin by Niccolò Circignani. Beside that altar is a marble font (1502) is by Andrea Sansovino. The Ciborium (1471) was completed by Mino da Fiesole. The baptismal font (1759) by Giovanni Vaccà. Above it rises a statue of St John the Baptist (1771) by Giovanni Antonio Cybei. The holy water receptacle is an ancient Roman sarcophagus.” (Volterra Baptistery of San Giovanni, Wikipedia)

Deposition of Christ

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“Deposition of Christ” by an unknown Volterran artist, 1228
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“The Chapel of the Deposition has a group of five wooden polychrome figures representing the Deposition of Christ executed in 1228 by an unknown Volterran artist.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Coffered ceiling

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Coffered ceiling of the nave
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“In 1580, bishop Guido Serguidi, with the approval of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, commissioned the decoration of the intricately coffered ceiling of the nave and crossings, designed by Francesco Capriani, carved by Jacopo Pavolini, and gilded by Fulvo della Tuccia. The ceiling has sculpted reliefs of Saints Ugo, Giusto, Pope Linus, Clemente, Attinea, and Greciniana, round a central symbol of the Holy Spirit.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Madonna dei Chierici

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“Madonna dei Chierici” by Francesco Valdambrino, early 15th century
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“The next chapel is the Chapel of the Madonna dei Chierici, referring to a wooden icon of the Madonna, donated by Jacopo di Ciglio (known as il Barbialla), and carved by Francesco di Valdambrino (early 15th century).” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Arca di Sant'Ottaviano

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Marble sarcophagus by Raffaello di Andrea Cioli, 1522
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“In the first chapel, the Chapel of Saint Ottaviano, the relics of this saint are kept in a marble sarcophagus to the right of the altar, sculpted by Raffaello di Andrea Cioli. It was commissioned in 1522 to thank the saint for his intervention in stopping an epidemic of the plague; the candle holders depicting angels are by Andrea Ferrucci.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Main altar

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Main altar with marble ciborium
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“The main altar, mainly dating from the 19th century, has a marble ciborium with flanking angels (1471) by Mino da Fiesole. The choir stalls were completed in the 14th century. In the ceiling of the crossing are depictions of God the Father and Stories of the Life of the Virgin (1585) above the choir by Niccolò Circignani.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Pulpit

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Pulpit
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
(Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta)
Piazza San Giovanni
Volterra, September 2021

“The pulpit has three reliefs depicting the Last Supper, the Annunciation, and the Sacrifice of Isaac, and the lions at the base of the columns are undoubtedly 12th-century works of the Guglielmo school, perhaps carved by the Pisan sculptor Bonamico. Other elements and the alabaster intarsia were added in 1584, when an earlier balustrade was dismantled and the pulpit was reconstructed.” (Volterra Cathedral, Wikipedia)

Porta all'Arco

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Porta all'Arco
Via Porta all'Arco
Volterra, September 2021

“Porta all’Arco was part of the ancient Etruscan city walls in Volterra. Built in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, it has survived to today in all its majesty. The uniqueness of the structure is in the use of stone, of which there are three different colours based on the type of rock used: yellow for the supporting structure, grey for the arch and darker hues for the three mysterious heads. These figures are what have always made the gate fascinating, and there are many legends surrounding them: for some, there’s no doubt they depict Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, while others think they are Castor and Pollux; others still believe they are not human heads, but rather lions watching guard over Volterra. Since the literary saga Twilight was released, additional theories have been suggested, ranging from ones that are historically reliable to those that are more fanciful, like the heads depicting the three vampires from the book that hide in the city.” (Porta all'Arco in Volterra, VisitTuscany)

New Renaissance

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New Renaissance by Giuseppe Veneziano, 2021
Piazza Carducci
Pietrasanta, September 2021

Blue Banana

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Blue Banana by Giuseppe Veneziano
Piazza Duomo
Pietrasanta, September 2021

Porta del Paradiso

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“Porta del Paradiso” (Gate of Paradise) by Fernando Botero, 1993
Chiesa della Misericordia (Sant'Antonio Abate / San Biagio) Via Mazzini
Pietrasanta, September 2021

Porta dell'Inferno

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“Porta dell'Inferno” (Gate of Hell) by Fernando Botero, 1993
Chiesa della Misericordia (Sant'Antonio Abate / San Biagio) Via Mazzini
Pietrasanta, September 2021