Our last stop on this trip was Siena, and the contrast with Florence was fascinating. Siena is really a medieval city; by the time the Renaissance appeared, Siena had been decimated by the Black Plague, and had lost her wars with Florence. Not that much happened afterwards, so that most of the city is as it was in medieval times. It's a hilltop city, with hills everywhere, and mostly pedestrian streets. Sienese art, as well, remained stuck in the Gothic style, without much influence from the Florentian artists down the road. Which, to me, is a good thing, as I really have come to like pre-Renaissance art. So we headed straight for the Pinocoteca, which features an astonishing collection of Sienese paintings beginning from the mid 13th century. What a dazzling array of wonderfully colorful and expressive paintings! It was fascinating to see painting emerge out of Byzantine styles, as artists tried various new ideas, some of which seem to be leaping straight ahead to the twentieth century. Our pleasure was increased by the absolute quiet of the museum; for most of the time we were there, there were only 2 other people on a floor of about 20 rooms. Take that, Uffizi! Here are some highlights, mostly details..
This detail in a painting shows exactly the ceilings we have been seeing in the churches:
Everywhere gold...
Strange visions:
Musicians abound...
Color!
These pictures can only convey a portion of the impact of seeing these paintings in person, in full size and brilliant color, all of them dating from the 13th through 15th centuries.
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