Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana ★★

The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Siena. (Photo by Joanbanjo)

The cathedral museum is filled with works by Donatello and Duccio and comes with a stunning panorama of Siena

Duccio's Maestà (1311).The Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana is installed in the thick wall of what was to have been the nave of a massively expanded cathedral (the existing cathedral would have become merely the transept of the gargantuan new church), an ambitious project halted when the Black Death if 1348 claimed around three-quarters of the population.

In addition to a Madonna and Child tondo by Donatello are ranks of time-bitten saints craning their necks (looks odd when they're at your level, but picture them high up in niches on the chruch facade and you can see why the scultpors crafted them with their heads sticking out).

The main attraction, though is ★★ Duccio's glittering Gothic Maestà altarpiece of 1311—the first masterpiece of the Sienese School.

The museum also gives access to a narrow terrace atop the facciatone—what would have been the entrance wall of the new, expanded cathedral—with a ★ sweeping panorama of the city and countryside.

Tips

Details

★★ Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana
Piazza del Duomo
tel. +39-0577-283-048 or +39-0577-286-300
www.operaduomo.siena.it

Open
Mar 1–Nov 2 daily 10:30am–7pm
Nov 3–Feb 28 daily 10:30am–5:30pm (to 7pm Dec 26–Jan 6)

Adm
Combo Pass: Covers entire Duomo group for half-price. » book

How long does the Museo Metropolitana take?

Planning your day: Give the museum at least 45 minutes.

Get the combo pass or cumulative ticket

Siena Cathedral Combo Pass - The pass covers entry to the entire Duomo grouping for about half the cost of individual admissions to: the Duomo (normally €3; or €6 when the panels are uncovered), Crypt (€8), Baptistery (€3), Museo dell'Opera (€6), and Oratorio of San Bernardino (€3). » book

Then there are the cumulative tickets that cover any of the following combinations of sights: