Museo diocesano d'arte sacra
Diocesan museum with the Oratorio di San Bernardino: Sienese painting from the 13th to the 17th century and the 16th-century fresco cycle of the upper oratory.
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About the museum
The Museo diocesano d’arte sacra is next to the basilica of San Francesco and includes the Oratorio di San Bernardino, created in the late Middle Ages as the seat of the Confraternity of Santa Maria and San Francesco and remodelled in the 16th century. The oratory takes its name from Bernardino degli Albizzeschi, the preacher canonised in 1450, known for his sermons in the squares of Siena. The brick façade is decorated with an elegant travertine portal.
The heart of the museum is the chapel of the upper oratory, dedicated to Santa Maria degli Angeli, with a coffered ceiling and walls entirely frescoed with the Stories of the Virgin by Domenico Beccafumi, Sodoma and Girolamo del Pacchia, a rare ensemble of Sienese painting of the early 16th century. The ceiling of the vestibule, with the Madonna protecting Siena, is the work of Arcangelo Salimbeni and Francesco Vanni, and the lunettes tell the life of the saint.
The rooms house paintings, sculptures and goldsmith’s works from the 13th to the 17th century: among the best-known works are the Madonna di Tressa of around 1235, the Madonna del Latte by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and the painted wooden Pietà by Vecchietta. The museum is now accessible with the combined Opa Si Pass ticket.
Highlights
- Upper chapel with frescoes by Beccafumi, Sodoma and Girolamo del Pacchia
- Madonna del Latte by Ambrogio Lorenzetti
- Madonna di Tressa, Sienese icon of around 1235
- Painted wooden Pietà by Vecchietta
- Oratorio di San Bernardino with a cycle on the life of the saint
Permanent exhibition
- Museo diocesano e Oratorio di San Bernardino – Sienese paintings, sculptures and goldsmith’s works from the 13th to the 17th century, and the upper chapel frescoed with the Stories of the Virgin.
- Visitors per year
- approx. 333,000
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €14 |
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| Reduced | €3children aged 7 to 11 |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 6 · Free up to age 6; €3 from age 7 to 11. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and a companion. |
| Opa Si Pass (full price) | €14Combined ticket for the sites of the Opera della Metropolitana complex |
| Opa Si Pass during the uncovering of the floor | €16 |
Entry to the museum requires the Opa Si Pass, which gives access to all sites of the Opera della Metropolitana complex. Also free for residents and natives of the Municipality of Siena, accredited journalists, clergy, students of the University of Siena and the Università per Stranieri, and parish groups of the Archdiocese with a letter from the parish priest.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | Information on rates, reductions and bookings: telephone +39 0577 286300 or the e-mail address of the Opera. |
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