Siena’s Cathedral – Exterior
Siena’s other main tourist attraction (along with the Piazza del Campo) is the magnificent striped Duomo mainly built-in the 13th/14th centuries with various later alterations.
I’ve seen so many cathedrals, castles and stately homes in my 43 years (many at home in the UK) that it is easy to take them for granted…….but we really shouldn’t. The skill, craftsmanship, determination and ambition that went into the construction of these monuments is truly staggering, I doubt very much whether we would even contemplate building something like this these days. So each time we visit one we should doff our caps to the “greater fools” of a bygone age who masterminded their construction.
In case you’re wondering I first came across the phrase “Greater Fool” in Aaron Sorkin’s excellent TV series “The Newsroom”:
“The greater fool is someone with the perfect blend of self-delusion and ego to think that he can succeed where others have failed” – Sloan Sabbith to Will McAvoy in “The Newsroom”.
© Mark Simms Photography (2015)
Mark Simms Photography 
8 Responses to “Siena’s Cathedral – Exterior”
fabulous location the black and white marble is striking
I love Siena’s Duomo but have never seen it from this rooftop angle before – your 3rd photo is really striking and a great new perspective on a great old building. Can you imagine how grand it would have been if they’d extended it as planned instead of stopping when the plague struck? Mind-blowing! Thanks for sharing!!
I read about the extension plans……yes that would have been massive 😊
It never ceases to amaze me how these buildings were ever constructed. Smashing photos Mark!
Thanks Adrian…..I know
Absolutely stunning
Thanks 😊
[…] on from my last post, here are a few shots of the spectacular interior of Siena’s […]