The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, or Cathedral Museum, is a natural companion to Siena Cathedral. It occupies part of the unfinished Duomo Nuovo, an ambitious 14th-century expansion intended to create a vast new cathedral. Plague and financial difficulties helped bring the project to a halt, leaving its great arches and façade as reminders of medieval Siena’s ambitions.
The museum’s centrepiece is Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Maestà, painted between 1308 and 1311 for the cathedral’s high altar. Its gold backgrounds and expressive biblical scenes are among the defining achievements of Sienese painting. The collection also includes original sculptures by Giovanni Pisano, removed from the cathedral façade for protection, along with stained glass and treasures made for the church.
For a different perspective, climb the narrow staircase to the Facciatone, the viewpoint atop the unfinished façade. The reward is a sweep over Siena’s terracotta roofs and the surrounding Tuscan hills. Check current ticket options before visiting, as combined passes may include other cathedral sights, and confirm viewpoint access, which can be restricted by weather or capacity. Comfortable shoes are useful for the steep steps and the cobbled walk through Siena’s largely traffic-restricted centre.